DCR Denmark Video Browser SDK
From Engineering Client Portal
Overview
The Nielsen SDK is one of multiple framework SDKs that Nielsen provides to enable measuring linear (live) and on-demand TV viewing using TVs, mobile devices, etc. The Browser SDK (BSDK) is the framework for browser application developers to integrate Nielsen Measurement into their media players. It supports a variety of Nielsen Measurement Products like Digital in TV Ratings (DTVR) and Digital Content Ratings (DCR). Nielsen SDKs are also equipped to measure static content and can track key life cycle events.
Prerequisites
Before you start the integration, you will need:
| Item | Description | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☑ | App ID (appid) | Unique ID assigned to the player/site and configured by product. | Contact Nielsen |
Configure SDK
There are two steps required for configuring the SDK:
- Add Static Queue Snippet
- Create SDK Instance
Add Static Queue Snippet
The static queue snippet allows the SDK APIs to be called while the actual SDK and configuration file are still being downloaded. As the queue can capture all API calls before the download completes, there is no wait time. Once the SDK is available, the API calls will transition from directing to the queue to the SDK seamlessly.
Add the following script tag to the website i.e. within the <head></head> tag :
!function(e,n){
function t(e){
return"object"==typeof e?JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(e)):e
}
e[n]=e[n]||
{
nlsQ:function(o,r,c){
var s=e.document,
a=s.createElement("script");
a.async=1,
a.src=("http:"===e.location.protocol?"http:":"https:")+"//cdn-gl.nmrodam.com/conf/"+o+".js#name="+r+"&ns="+n;
var i=s.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];
return i.parentNode.insertBefore(a,i),
e[n][r]=e[n][r]||{g:c||{},
ggPM:function(o,c,s,a,i){e[n][r].q=e[n][r].q||[];try{var l=t([o,c,s,a,i]);e[n][r].q.push(l)}
catch(e){console&&console.log&&console.log("Error: Cannot register event in Nielsen SDK queue.")}},
trackEvent:function(o){e[n][r].te=e[n][r].te||[];try{var c=t(o);e[n][r].te.push(c)}
catch(e){console&&console.log&&console.log("Error: Cannot register event in Nielsen SDK queue.")}}},
e[n][r]
}
}
}(window,"NOLBUNDLE");
Create SDK Instance
To initialize the SDK, create an SDK instance by making the initialization call:
Initialization API Call
NOLBUNDLE.nlsQ("<appid>", "<instanceName>",{nol_sdkDebug: "debug"});
For creating an instance, pass the following values: (nol_sdkDebug is optional)
| Parameter | Description | Values |
|---|---|---|
| appid | Unique ID assigned to player/website | "PXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX" |
| instanceName | Name of SDK instance | "any string value" |
| nol_sdkDebug | Enables Nielsen console logging if desired. | {nol_sdkDebug: "debug"}
|
When the initialization call is made, a unique static configuration file, <appid>.js, will be downloaded based on the appid and will be cached on the user’s browser.
Sample SDK Initialization Call
var nSdkInstance = NOLBUNDLE.nlsQ("PXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX", "nlsnInstance", {
nol_sdkDebug: "debug"
});
Once the configuration is downloaded, the SDK itself will be downloaded and initialized. All SDK modules are included in one file: “nlsSDK600.bundle.min.js”.
Create Metadata Objects
Before starting any measurement of an asset(Content or Ad) with the created SDK Instance, you need to create an asset metadata object in order to identify the asset. There are two types of asset metadata:
- content: identify a video
- ad: identify each ad
The metadata received for each asset is used for classification and reporting.
Metadata are passed through key-values using the Nielsen reserved keys. You will need to set up content and ad objects with the required Nielsen keys as shown in the sample code below.
Create Content Metadata
Content metadata should remain constant throughout the entirety of an episode/clip including when ads play.
program and title metadata values should be passed to SDK as UTF-8 strings.
| Keys | Description | Values | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| type | type of asset | "content" for main content | ✓ |
| assetid | unique ID assigned to asset | custom (no Special Characters) |
✓ |
| program | name of program | custom | ✓ |
| title | episode name | custom | ✓ |
| length | length of content in seconds | Length of content in seconds (86400 seconds for live stream (24/7). For Event-Live streams planned length. For VoD video length) | ✓ |
| airdate | the original date (local time with hh:mm:ss as 24h time stamp) content became available. This date does not change if the content is rebroadcasted on linear TV. | YYYYMMDD HH:MI:SS (if not known set it to eg. "19700101 00:00:00") | ✓ |
| isfullepisode | full episode flag |
|
✓ |
| adloadtype | type of Ad load |
|
✓ |
| stationId | Unique Gracenote Station ID generated by Nielsen that uniquely identifies a live channel |
provided by Nielsen |
✓ |
| islivestn | Indicates if a stream is playing on a live channel |
|
✓ |
| pbstarttm | Playback Start Time (UTC): Unix timestamp in seconds matching the broadcast time for Content and Ad when a user starts and joins a live stream (seconds since Jan-1-1970 UTC) |
i.e. "1631098029" for live stream and ""(empty string) for a VoD. |
✓ |
| subbrand | vcid/sub-brand/Channel ID – value is automatically populated through provided AppID. In order to override the sub-brand configured to the App ID, value can be passed here (e.g. multiple sub-brands/Channels in the App) |
provided by Nielsen |
✓ |
Example Content Object
var contentMetadataObject =
{
type: "content",
assetid: "unique_content_id",
program: "program name",
title: "episode title",
length: "length in seconds",
airdate: "20200713 10:22:00",
isfullepisode: "y",
adloadtype: "2",
subbrand: "c05",
stationId: "TESTXXYYSSWWLL",
islivestn: "y",
pbstarttm: "1631098029"
};
Create Ad Metadata (optional for DR)
The Ad Metadata (if applicable) should be passed for each individual ad.
Note: All metadata values should be passed as UTF-8 strings.
| Keys | Description | Values | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| type | type of Ad | "preroll", "midroll", "postroll" "ad" - If specific type can not be identified. |
✓ |
| assetid | unique ID assigned to Ad | custom (no Special Characters) |
✓ |
| stationId | Unique Gracenote Station ID generated by Nielsen that uniquely identifies a live channel |
provided by Nielsen |
✓ |
| islivestn | Indicates if a stream is playing on a live channel |
|
✓ |
| pbstarttm | Playback Start Time (UTC): Unix timestamp in seconds matching the broadcast time for Content and Ad when a user starts and joins a live stream (seconds since Jan-1-1970 UTC) |
i.e. "1631098029" for live stream and ""(empty string) for a VoD. |
✓ |
| subbrand | vcid/sub-brand/Channel ID – value is automatically populated through provided AppID. In order to override the sub-brand configured to the App ID, value can be passed here (e.g. multiple sub-brands/Channels in the App) | provided by Nielsen | ✓ |
Example Ad Object
var adMetadataObject =
{
type: "preroll",
assetid: "unique_preroll_ad_id",
subbrand: "c05",
stationId: "TESTXXYYSSWWLL",
islivestn: "y",
pbstarttm: "1631098029"
};
URL Character Limit: There is a URL character limit of 2K characters due to browser limitations. Exceeding this value could impair data delivery on particular browsers.
Start the Measurement
Nielsen APIs calls are made by calling the function ggPM("event", parameter, ...) with "event" Parameter indicating the SDK API.
nSdkInstance.ggPM("event", parameter, ...);
| Event | Parameter | Description |
|---|---|---|
| "loadMetadata" | content/ad metadata object | Needs to be called at the beginning of each asset |
| "setPlayheadPosition" | playhead position as integer
|
Pass playhead position every second during playback, the value passed should match the broadcast time for live channel. |
| "sendID3" | ID3 tag payload retrieved from the stream | Call when the video player has read ID3 tag in the stream |
| "stop" | playhead position in seconds | Call when content interrupted/paused or ads complete playing and pass playhead position |
| "end" | playhead position in seconds | Call when the current video asset completes playback and pass the playhead position. Example: At the end of the content stream, if the user switches to another piece of content, when the browser is refreshed or closed. |
Start the measurement by calling the "event" names "loadMetadata" followed by "setPlayheadPosition".
// START OF STREAM (main content)
nSdkInstance.ggPM("loadMetadata", contentMetadataObject);
// CONTENT plays
// pass playhead every second
nSdkInstance.ggPM("setPlayheadPosition", playheadPosition);
Stop/Resume the Measurement for video Playback Interruptions
Handle Video Playback Interruption
The setPlayheadPostion event is used for handling playback interruption. To indicate that the video player is not playing (i.e. paused, buffering), stop passing the playhead position to the SDK. Once the Playback resumes , begin sending the playhead position again with the correct playhead value.
List of video Playback Interruptions
The following possible video Playback Interruptions must be handled:
- Player PAUSED
- Player BUFFERING
- Browser/Tab close
- Leaving the page to another destination
- Pressing the stop button
- Network Loss
Example for handling Playback Interruption: Browser/Tab close/Page Reload
window.addEventListener("beforeunload", function(event)
{
// Only inside an Ad indicate <stop> for the ad
nSdkInstance.ggPM("stop", playheadPosition);
// Indicate <end> for the content
nSdkInstance.ggPM("end", playheadPosition);
});
Note: additional code may be needed in order to support specific browser versions (e.g. older versions of Internet Explorer).
Send ID3 Tags when available in the stream
// ID3 Tag read from the stream (HLS or MPEG-DASH)
// pass ID3 Tag to SDK
//
nSdkInstance.ggPM("sendID3", id3);
ID3 Tags are parsed from the Video Stream, refer to the DK Reference Implementation sdkRefImplDK on how to parse ID3 Tags included in a sample HLS Stream. For further technical details, please contact your Technical Account Manager (TAM).
SDK Call Sequence
The sample event lifecycles can be used as a reference for identifying the order for calling events.
Content Playback Call Sequence
// START OF STREAM
nSdkInstance.ggPM("loadMetadata", contentMetadataObject);
// CONTENT plays
// pass playhead every second
//
nSdkInstance.ggPM("setPlayheadPosition", playheadPosition);
//
// pass ID3 Tag immediately when available in the Video Stream
nSdkInstance.ggPM("sendID3", id3);
//
// END OF STREAM
nSdkInstance.ggPM("end", playheadPosition);
Ad Playback Call Sequence (Optional for DR)
// START OF Ad
nSdkInstance.ggPM("loadMetadata", adMetadataObject);
// Ad plays
// pass playhead every second
//
nSdkInstance.ggPM("setPlayheadPosition", playheadPosition);
// END OF Ad
nSdkInstance.ggPM("stop", playheadPosition);
- "setPlayheadPosition" is used for calculating duration and must be passed every second. The final playhead position must be sent for the current asset being played before calling "stop" or "end".
- For Ad Pods, events must be called for each individual Ad. Each Ad playhead position should begin at "0" when an ad starts.
- When content has resumed following an ad break, the playhead position update must continue where previous content segment left off.
- The playhead position should be passed as a rounded number with no decimals.
Review SDK Integration Architecture Diagram
For Content Playback
For Ad Playback
Review the Reference Implementation for VoD and Live Streams
The Reference Implementation covers vod and Live use cases. It also covers DAI (Dynamic Ad Insertion) with preroll and postroll Ads.
In order to start live stream select the checkbox "isLive" below the video player.
Start the Reference Implementation for DK sdkRefImplDK.
Review the Nielsen SDK Call Sequence below the Video Player.
Disclose Nielsen Privacy Statement
The Browser SDK video measurement does not set cross-domain cookies, therefore no centralized opt-out functionality is available. The Nielsen Browser SDK does not set cookies associated with the collection domain. The SDK sets specific cookie for the domain where the player is hosted (first party) and this cookie is not used across websites. The only personal information collected with the SDK network pings is the IP address, which is anonymized immediately after collection.
In order to disclose Nielsen measurement privacy statement, please include the following items in your privacy policy:
- A notice that the player includes third party measurement software that allows users to contribute to market research.
- A link to the Nielsen Digital Measurement Privacy Policy located at https://nielsen.com/legal/privacy-principles/digital-measurement-privacy-statement/?lang=da .
Turning off the First Party ID for Opt-out Users
The First Party ID(FPID) is enabled by default in the Browser SDK. For Opt-out users, the First Party ID can be turned off during the initialization of the SDK Instance, i.e. the parameter enableFpid can be set to "false" (FPID disabled) or "true" (FPID enabled).
Example of SDK Initialization with enableFpid
First Party ID turned on
nSdkInstance = NOLBUNDLE.nlsQ(appID, "videoSdkInstance", {
enableFpid: "true"
});
First Party ID turned off
nSdkInstance = NOLBUNDLE.nlsQ(appID, "videoSdkInstance", {
enableFpid: "false"
});
Test your player by yourself
Guide
1. Run your player in the Browser, start a video
2. Open the Developer Network View in order to monitor network traffic
3. Filter the network traffic by "nmr" and confirm presence of GN pings
Example of GN ping
https://secure-dmk.nmrodam.com/cgi-bin/gn?prd=dcr&ci=us-500207&ch=us-500207_c77_P&asn=defChnAsset&fp_id=&fp_cr_tm=&fp_acc_tm=&fp_emm_tm=&ve_id=&devmodel=&manuf=&sysname=&sysversion=&sessionId=zlmmxkq867zt4bpnumlyz6dpn9hyp1610980356&tl=Episode%201&prv=1&c6=vc%2Cc77&ca=us-500207_c77_VID5556674-123456&cg=TAMSample%20DK&c13=asid%2CP10DF14BA-937E-436D-99DF-ED39A0422387&c32=segA%2CNA&c33=segB%2CNA&c34=segC%2CNA&c15=apn%2C&plugv=&playerv=&sup=1&segment2=&segment1=&forward=0&ad=0&cr=4_00_99_V1_00000&c9=devid%2C&enc=true&c1=nuid%2C999&at=view&rt=video&c16=sdkv%2Cbj.6.0.0&c27=cln%2C0&crs=&lat=&lon=&c29=plid%2C16109803568088038&c30=bldv%2C6.0.0.563&st=dcr&c7=osgrp%2C&c8=devgrp%2C&c10=plt%2C&c40=adbid%2C&c14=osver%2CNA&c26=dmap%2C1&dd=&hrd=&wkd=&c35=adrsid%2C&c36=cref1%2C&c37=cref2%2C&c11=agg%2C1&c12=apv%2C&c51=adl%2C0&c52=noad%2C0&sd=170&devtypid=&pc=NA&c53=fef%2Cy&c54=oad%2C20200713%2010%3A22%3A00&c55=cref3%2C&c57=adldf%2C2&ai=VID5556674-123456&c3=st%2Cc&c64=starttm%2C1610980392&adid=VID5556674-123456&c58=isLive%2Cfalse&c59=sesid%2Cgezrb92q4i9b9jg7acxgn783gjw0a1610980365&c61=createtm%2C1610980392&c63=pipMode%2C&c68=bndlid%2C&nodeTM=&logTM=&c73=phtype%2C&c74=dvcnm%2C&c76=adbsnid%2C&c77=adsuprt%2C2&uoo=&evdata=&c71=ottflg%2C0&c72=otttyp%2Cnone&c44=progen%2C&davty=0&si=http%3A%2F%2Fnielsenonlinesupport.com%2Fdk%2Findex.htm&c66=mediaurl%2Cassets%252FRTVOD_C3%252Fprog_index.m3u8&c62=sendTime%2C1610980392&rnd=714644
Provide your app for certification
Once ready please send your application to Nielsen local staff for certification.
Going Live
After the integration has been certified (but not prior that), disable debug logging by deleting {nol_sdkDebug: "DEBUG"} from Initialization API Call.