DCR Taiwan Video iOS 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 App SDK is the framework for mobile application developers to integrate Nielsen Measurement into their media player applications. Nielsen SDKs are also equipped to measure static content and can track key life cycle events of an application like:
- Application launch events and how long app was running
- Time of viewing a sub section / page in the application.
This guide covers implementation steps for iOS using Xcode utilizing the Standard Nielsen SDK for DCR.
Special Notes regarding iOS14
Permission to Track
Apple recently released a new policy on consent requirements, that require the user's permission, to track them using their device's advertising identifier (IDFA). To request the user's permission, use the AppTrackingTransparency framework. The ID for Vendors (IDFV), may be used for analytics across apps from the same content provider. The IDFV may not be combined with other data to track a user across apps and websites owned by other companies unless you have been granted permission to track by the user.
For more information, see:
More detailed information on how the Nielsen SDK versions work with the AppTrackingTransparency framework is located on our DCR Video iOS14 Migration page.
App store privacy questionnaire
As of April 22nd, 2021, any app submitted to the app store will need to provide information about your app's privacy practices, including the practices of third-party partners such as Nielsen, through App Store Connect. Nielsen has created a guide which is titled, User Privacy and Data Use to make information about Nielsen’s data collection practices available to clients who use the Nielsen Digital SDK and Nielsen tags. The guide is organized using headings of the App privacy details on the App Store (as of December 7th, 2020) webpage for convenience.
Special Notes regarding iOS17 or TVOS17
Beginning with iOS/TVOS 17, Apple is adding several requirements for App developers around tracking, use of Identifier For Advertisers (IDFA), and certain system APIs.
This requirement entails users manually opting in to declare all domains employed for tracking purposes, which includes the collection of IDFAs (Identifier for Advertisers). Currently, even if users choose not to opt in for tracking, it's essential to note that our Nielsen Digital SDKs continue to carry out measurements and transmit data without relying on IDFA. However, this new privacy measure introduced by Apple necessitates that we bring this development to your attention, as it could potentially impact your Nielsen measurement and tracking for iOS app usage.
In order to minimize the impact, we are asking that clients do the following:
- Do not declare the Nielsen imrworldwide.com domain in the privacy manifest.
- Update to the latest Nielsen SDK release >= 9.2.0.0 when compiling your app for iOS 17.
For any additional information please refer to the Nielsen global page: DCR and DTVR with iOS17 or TVOS17.
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. | Provided by Nielsen |
| Nielsen SDK | Includes SDK frameworks and sample implementation; See iOS SDK Release Notes | Download |
If need App ID(s) or our SDKs, feel free to reach out to us and we will be happy to help you get started. Refer to Digital Measurement Onboarding guide for information on how to get a Nielsen App SDK and appid.
Implementation
Version 8 of the Nielsen App SDK will come in three versions. One that is enabled to work with the App Tracking Transparency Framework, another version that does not use the Ad Framework, and a version for Kids Apps or where noID is required.
| SDK Flavor | Description |
|---|---|
| iOS Ad Version | * Opt-In and Opt-Out functionality managed by the AppTrackingTransparency framework . (Preferred approach) * The Nielsen SDK will attempt to collect the IDFA (Id for Advertisers) on the device. * For iOS14+, if the value returned is ATTrackingManager.AuthorizationStatus.authorized.* If the device is running iOS12 or iOS13, the Limit Ad Tracking setting is requested. |
| iOS No Ad Framework | * Without the Ad Framework, the Nielsen SDK cannot read the IDFA, so it will attempt to retrieve the IDFV. * The ID for Vendors (IDFV), may be used for analytics across apps from the same content provider. * The developer is required to present the User Choice Opt Out page which is described in the Privacy Section. |
| iOS SDK noID | * This version of the Nielsen SDK is perfect for Kid apps, or where no ID is required. * Please review the Opt Out Requirement. |
How to obtain the NielsenAppApi.Framework
The Nielsen AppSDK can either be downloaded directly or can be integrated directly within an application through the use of CocoaPods. We recommend using the CocoaPods-based integration whenever possible to ensure you maintain the most recent changes and enhancements to the Nielsen libraries.
- Select to obtain CocoaPods implementation guide
- Select to Download Directly
- Using the XCFramework bundle
Setting up your Development Environment
Prior to SDK Version 6.2.0.0 the IOS framework has been distributed as a static library packaged into framework bundle format. Apple recommends to use dynamic framework, it has some benefits over static libraries like less executable file size of an app, faster startup time and native support in xCode IDE. Nielsen AppSDK has been transformed into dynamic framework in this release (static framework is still available).
If migrating from the static library to this new dynamic framework, once implemented, unless your specific application requires, you can remove the following Frameworks that were once required: [AdSupport, JavascriptCore, SystemConfiguration, Security, AVFoundation, libc++]
The Dynamic framework is created as a fat framework. It means that it contains slices required for devices (armv7, arm64) as well as slices required for simulators (i386, x86_64). Simulator slices are needed to let clients build and debug their app on the simulators, but they should be removed before sending the app to the AppStore. The example of the shell script that should be added as a Run Script phase in the application can be found below.
XCFramework is solution for the problems described above Apple recommends to use XCFrameworks. In XCFramework, we no longer build a single framework with multiple architectures. Instead, we build one small framework for each combination of architecture and target and store it in its own folder. The top-level XCFramework folder have folders like ios-arm64, ios-arm64-simulator, etc. Each of these folders is its own framework, complete with headers, modules, and binary.
Configuring Xcode Development Environment
Starting with SDK version 6.0.0.0, the Nielsen App SDK is compatible with Apple iOS versions 8.0 and above. In addition, when using the dynamic framework, all the required frameworks are linked automatically as the are needed. More details can be found here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/24902787/dont-we-need-to-link-framework-to-xcode-project-anymore
Note: All communications between the SDK and the Census (Collection Facility) use HTTPS.
Download Framework
The first step is to download and copy the NielsenAppApi.framework bundle to the app project directory. (Not required if using CocaPods)
Add Framework
In the General tab for app configuration add NielsenAppApi.framework in the list of Embedded Binaries. (Not required if using CocaPods)
Add Path
Add path to the NielsenAppApi.framework in the Framework Search Paths build setting. (Not required if using CocaPods)
Import Framework
Add NielsenAppApi.framework module in the source file of your app:
Using Swift
Add the following:
import NielsenAppApi
Using Objective-C
@import NielsenAppApi;
SDK Initialization
The latest version of the Nielsen App SDK allows instantiating multiple instances of the SDK object, which can be used simultaneously without any issue. The sharedInstance API that creates a singleton object was deprecated prior to version 5.1.1. (Click here for an example of multiple instances)
The following table contains the list of arguments that can be passed via the AppInfo JSON schema.
| Parameter / Argument | Description | Source | Required? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| appid | Unique Nielsen ID for the application. The ID is a GUID data type. If you did not receive your App ID, let us know and we will provide you. | Nielsen-specified | Yes | PXXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX |
| nol_devDebug | Enables Nielsen console logging. Only required for testing |
Nielsen-specified | Optional | DEBUG |
Debug flag for development environment
Player application developers / integrators can use Debug flag to check whether an App SDK API call made is successful. To activate the Debug flag,
Pass the argument @"nol_devDebug":@"INFO", in the JSON string . The permitted values are:
- INFO: Displays the API calls and the input data from the application (validate player name, app ID, etc.). It can be used as certification Aid.
- WARN: Indicates potential integration / configuration errors or SDK issues.
- ERROR: Indicates important integration errors or non-recoverable SDK issues.
- DEBUG: Debug logs, used by the developers to debug more complex issues.
Once the flag is active, it logs each API call made and the data passed. The log created by this flag is minimal.
Note: DO NOT activate the Debug flag in a production environment.
Swift Example
Sample SDK Initialization Code
NielsenInit.swift
class NielsenInit: NSObject {
class func createNielsenAppApi(delegate: NielsenAppApiDelegate) -> NielsenAppApi?{
let appInformation:[String: String] = [
"appid": "PE392366B-F2C1-4BC4-AB62-A7DAFDCXXXX",
"nol_devDebug": "DEBUG"
]
return NielsenAppApi(appInfo:appInformation, delegate:delegate)}}
ViewController.swift
class ViewController: UIViewController, NielsenAppApiDelegate, AVPictureInPictureControllerDelegate, CLLocationManagerDelegate {
let avPlayerViewController = AVPlayerViewController()
var avPlayer:AVPlayer?
var nielsenAppApi: NielsenAppApi!
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
self.nielsenAppApi = NielsenInit.createNielsenAppApi(delegate: self)
NSLog("Nielsen SDK initialized")
}}
Objective C
Sample SDK Initialization Code
Initialize the Nielsen App object within the viewDidLoad view controller delegate method using initWithAppInfo:delegate:
If App SDK is initialized using init or new methods, it will ignore the API calls resulting in no measurement. The SDK will not return any errors.
#import "NlsAppApiFactory.h"
#import <NielsenAppApi/NielsenAppApi.h>
@implementation NlsAppApiFactory
+ (NielsenAppApi *)createNielsenAppApiWithDelegate:(id<NielsenAppApiDelegate>)delegate;
{
NSDictionary *appInformation = @{
@"appid": "PE392366B-F2C1-4BC4-AB62-A7DAFDC51XXX",
@"nol_devDebug": @"DEBUG"
};
return [[NielsenAppApi alloc] initWithAppInfo:appInformation delegate:delegate];
}
@end
The following would be the NlsAppApiFactory.h file:
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
@class NielsenAppApi;
@protocol NielsenAppApiDeligate;
@interface NlsAppApiFactory : NSObject
+ (NielsenAppAPI *) createNielsenAppApiWithDelegate:(id<NielsenAppApiDelegate>)delegate;
@end
}}
The following might be in the Viewcontroller.m
@implementation ViewController
- (void)viewDidLoad {
[super viewDidLoad];
//Setting background image
UIImage *backgroundImage = [UIImage imageNamed:@"new_ios_bg.png"];
UIImageView *backgroundImageView=[[UIImageView alloc]initWithFrame:self.view.frame];
backgroundImageView.image=backgroundImage;
[self.view insertSubview:backgroundImageView atIndex:0];
//Mark: In NielsenInit class we are initialising the Nielsen SDK.
//Getting the instance of Nielsen SDK
nielsenApi = [NielsenInit createNielsenAppApiWithDelegate:nil];
}
Initializing Viewability and Audibility Measurement
If your Nielsen integration will be enabled for viewability/audibility measurement, your app should call trackViewability after initializing the SDK (previous paragraphs).
Viewability metrics allow AppSDK to track the visibility of the player and collect information about how much of the player container is visible to the end user during playback. Audibility metrics report on the device volume level.
The viewability pings will be fired following the same rules as measurement pings. Viewability pings will be POST requests, not GET requests like other data pings. POST body for viewability requests will contain the key-value pairs in JSON format. The key parameters in the URL schemes are invs, inau, inss, invp and ines which will contain the collected viewability data. This data will be formatted according to the specific rules so that downstream it will be possible to match measurement and viewability data for a session.
Audibility metrics will capture the volume level as well as mute/unmute state of the device during playback.
Calling trackViewability for player view
Input Parameters
| Parameter | Description | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| data | NSDictionary object with the following objects and keys:
|
Objective C
NSString *targetViewTag = targetView.tag;
NSString *controlsViewTag = controlsViewTag.tag;
NSString *activityIndicatorViewTag = activityIndicatorView.tag;
NSDictionary *viewabilityData = @{@"viewTag": targetViewTag,
@"viewContainer": targetView.window,
@"friendlyObstructions": @[controlsViewTag, activityIndicatorViewTag]};
[sdkInstance trackViewability:viewabilityData];
Swift
let targetViewTag = targetView.tag
let controlsViewTag = controlsViewTag.tag
let activityIndicatorViewTag = activityIndicatorView.tag
let viewabilityData: [String:Any] = ["viewTag": "\(targetViewTag)",
"viewContainer": targetView.window!,
"friendlyObstructions": ["\(controlsViewTag)", "\(activityIndicatorViewTag)"]]
sdkInstance.trackViewability(viewabilityData)
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Data Collected
| Parameter | Description | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measured Value | Value is different for different request parameters:
| ||||||||||
| Start offset | Value contains the first playhead or the first id3 offset with non-null CID after start, flush or resume. Example playhead: [50,1,1528457356,10]. Example id3 offset: [50,70100,1528457356,10] | ||||||||||
| Start timestamp | Timestamp value when the time period related to this time series item was started. Example: [50,1,1528457356,10] | ||||||||||
| Duration | Duration value is calculated as a difference between the last playhead and the first playhead for the current time series item. Example: [50,1,1528457356,10] |
Configure Metadata
All the SDK methods handles only two types of objects: NSString, NSDictionary. The parameters passed must be either a JSON formatted string or a NSDictionary object. The JSON passed in the SDK must be well-formed.
- NSDictionary object
- If an object of unexpected type is passed to the method, the error message will be logged.
- If string has invalid JSON format, the error message will be logged.
- JSON value must be string value.
- This includes boolean and numeric values. For example, a value of true should be represented with "true", number value 123 should be "123".
- All the Nielsen Key names (e.g. appid, program) are case-sensitive. Use the correct variable name as specified in the documentation.
- JSON string can be prepared using either raw NSString or serialized NSDictionary.
Create channelName Metadata
channelName should remain constant throughout the completion of an episode or live stream.
| Key | Description | Values | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| channelName | Any string representing the channel/stream | custom | ✓ |
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.
| Key | Description | Values | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| clientid |
parent ID – value is automatically populated through provided App ID. |
Nielsen provided |
|
| subbrand | sub-brand ID – value is automatically populated through provided App ID. In order to override the sub-brand configured to the App ID, value can |
Nielsen provided |
|
| type | type of asset | "content" | ✓ |
| assetid | unique ID assigned to asset | custom (no Special Characters). The Content ID should be populated here which should correspond to the same value in the post transmission logs. |
✓ |
| program | name of program | custom | ✓ |
| title | episode name | custom | ✓ |
| length | length of content in seconds | seconds (86400 for live stream) | ✓ |
| segB | custom segment B. Custom segments can be used to aggregate content however you choose. Some examples include genre, category, or platform. | custom | |
| segC | custom segment C. Custom segments can be used to aggregate content however you choose. Some examples include genre, category, or platform. | custom | |
| isfullepisode | full episode flag |
Note: For livestream content with Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI), the isfullepisode value should be set to 'y'. |
✓ |
| adloadtype | type of Ad load:
|
|
✓ |
Metadata Example
Swift
let contentMetadata = [
"type": "content",
"assetid": "C77664",
"title": "Program S2, E3",
"isfullepisode": "y",
"program": "Program Name",
"length": "3600",
"adloadtype": "2",
"segB": "CustomSegmentValueB", //optional
"segC": "CustomSegmentValueC", //optional
];
Objective-C
NSDictionary * contentMetadata = @ {
@ "type": @ "content",
@ "assetid": @ "C77664",
@ "title": @ "S2,E3",
@ "isfullepisode": @ "y",
@ "program": @ "Program Name",
@ "length": @ "3600",
@ "adloadtype": @ "2",
@ "segB": @ "CustomSegmentValueB", //optional
@ "segC": @ "CustomSegmentValueC", //optional
}
Ad Metadata
The Ad Metadata (if applicable) should be passed for each individual ad.
| 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) |
✓ |
Example Ad Object
// create Ad object
"ad": {
"type": "preroll",
"assetid": "AD-ID123"
}
Life cycle of SDK instance
The Life cycle of SDK instance includes four general states:
- Initial state – The SDK is not initialized and hence, not ready to process playing information. Once the SDK is moved out of this state, it needs instantiation of the new SDK instance in order to get the instance in the Initial state.
- Idle state – The SDK is initialized and is ready to process playing information. Once Initialized, the SDK instance is not processing any data, but is listening for the play event to occur.
- Processing state – The SDK instance is processing playing information. API calls "play" and "loadMetadata" move the SDK instance into this state. In this state, the SDK instance will be able to process the API calls (see below)
- Disabled state – The SDK instance is disabled and is not processing playing information. SDK instance moves into this state in one of the following scenarios.
- Initialization fails
appDisableApiis called
@property (assign) BOOL appDisableApi;
APP SDK Error & Event Codes
To view the Error and Event codes for iOS, please review the App SDK Event Code Reference page.
Configure API Calls
Sample API Sequence
A Sample API sequence could follow this flow:
| Type | Sample code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Start of stream | nielsenMeter.play() |
// Call at start of each new stream |
nielsenMeter.loadMetadata(contentMetadata) |
// MetadataObject contains the JSON metadata for the content being played | |
| Content | nielsenMeter.playheadPosition(pos); |
// playheadPosition is position of the playhead while the content is being played |
| End of Stream | nielsenMeter.end() |
// Content playback is completed. |
SDK Events
| Event | Parameter | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 'play' | Call at start of each new stream | |
| 'loadMetadata' | content/ad metadata object | Needs to be called at the beginning of each asset |
| 'playheadPosition' | playhead position as integer VOD: current position in seconds |
Pass playhead position every second during playback |
| 'stop' | playhead position | Call during any interruption to content or Ad playback and at the end of each Ad. |
| '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. |
Note: For livestream, send the UNIX timestamp, for VOD send the time in seconds as integer. The final playhead position must be sent for the current asset being played before calling
stop,endorloadmetadata,.
Life cycle of SDK instance
Life cycle of SDK instance includes four general states:
- Initial state – The SDK is not initialized and hence, not ready to process playing information. Once the SDK is moved out of this state, it needs instantiation of the new SDK instance in order to get the instance in the Idle state.
- Idle state – The SDK is initialized and is ready to process playing information. Once Initialized, the SDK instance is not processing any data, but is listening for an event to occur.
- Processing state – The SDK instance is processing playing information. The
playandloadMetadatacalls move the SDK instance into this state. In this state, the SDK instance will be able to process the following calls.playheadPosition– Call this API every one second when playhead position is active. If a LIVE event, use the current UNIX timestamp (seconds since Jan-1-1970 UTC).stop– Call this API when the content or Ad playback is interrupted and at the end of each Ad.end– Call when content completes. When called, the SDK instance exits from Processing state.
- Disabled state – The SDK instance is disabled and is not processing playing information.
appDisableApiis set totrue
Note: For API Version 5.1 and above, App SDK will fire data pings and continue measurement even after the user has opted out from Nielsen measurement on a device. The data ping will be marked as opted-out ping.
Note: In case of any interruptions during playback due to alarm, calendar, call, flight mode, Wi-Fi toggle, channel change, etc., call stop to stop the measurement.
- As soon as the playback resumes, call
loadMetadataandplayheadPosition
API Call Sequence
Use Case 1: Content has no Advertisements
Call play() at start of stream
Call loadMetadata() with JSON metadata for content as below.
{
"type": "content",
"assetid": "vid345-67483",
"program": "ProgramName",
"title": "Program S3, EP1",
"length": "3600",
...
}
Call playheadPosition() every one second until a pause / stop. Use the sample API sequence below as a reference to identify the specific events that need to be called during content playback without ads.
| Type | Sample code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Start of stream | mAppSdk.play(); |
// Call at start of each new stream |
mAppSdk.loadMetadata(contentMetaDataObject); |
// contentMetadataObject contains the JSON metadata for the content being played | |
| Content | mAppSdk.setPlayheadPosition(playheadPosition); |
// position is position of the playhead while the content is being played |
| Interruption | mAppSdk.stop(); |
// call stop when content playback is interrupted |
| Resume Content | mAppSdk.loadMetadata(contentMetaDataObject); |
// Call loadMetadata and pass content metadata object when content resumes |
mAppSdk.setPlayheadPosition(playheadPosition); |
// continue pasing playhead position every second starting from position where content is resumed | |
| End of Stream | mAppSdk.end(); |
// Content playback is completed. |
Use Case 2: Content has Advertisements
Call play() at start of stream
Call loadMetadata() with JSON metadata for ad as below.
{
"type": "preroll",
"assetid": "ad123"
}
Note: In case the individual ad details are not available, send ad pod (presence) details through the loadMetadata and playhead position through playheadPosition.
Call playheadPosition() every one second until a pause / stop / another loadMetadata() is called. Playhead should be passed for the entire duration of ad pod, if the ad pod details are passed as part of loadMetadata().
The sample API sequence can be used as a reference to identify the specific events that need to be called during content and ad playback.
| Type | Sample code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Start of stream | mAppSdk.play(); |
// stream starts |
mAppSdk.loadMetadata(contentMetaDataObject); |
// contentMetadataObject contains the JSON metadata for the content being played | |
| Preroll | mAppSdk.loadMetadata(prerollMetadataObject); |
// prerollMetadataObject contains the JSON metadata for the preroll ad |
mAppSdk.playheadPosition(playheadPosition); |
// position is position of the playhead while the preroll ad is being played | |
mAppSdk.stop(); |
// Call stop after preroll occurs | |
| Content | mAppSdk.loadMetadata(contentMetaDataObject); |
// contentMetadataObject contains the JSON metadata for the content being played |
mAppSdk.playheadPosition(playheadPosition); |
// position is position of the playhead while the content is being played | |
| Midroll | mAppSdk.loadMetadata(midrollMetaDataObject); |
// midrollMetadataObject contains the JSON metadata for the midroll ad |
mAppSdk.playheadPosition(playheadPosition); |
// position is position of the playhead while the midroll ad is being played | |
mAppSdk.stop(); |
// Call stop after midroll occurs | |
| Content Resumes | mAppSdk.loadMetadata(contentMetaDataObject); |
// contentMetadataObject contains the JSON metadata for the content being played |
mAppSdk.playheadPosition(playheadPosition); |
// position is position of the playhead while the content is being played | |
| End of Stream | mAppSdk.end(); |
// Call end() at the end of content |
| Postroll | mAppSdk.loadMetadata(postrollMetaDataObject); |
// postrollMetadataObject contains the JSON metadata for the postroll ad |
mAppSdk.playheadPosition(playheadPosition); |
// position is position of the playhead while the postroll ad is being played | |
mAppSdk.stop(); |
// Call stop after postroll occurs |
Note: Each Ad playhead should begin from 0 at ad start. When content has resumed following an ad break, playhead position must continue from where previous content segment was left off.
Sequence of Calls
play
Call play at the start of each new stream. If changing videos or watching a new video, call play() each time.
Objective C
[nielsenAppApi play:()];
Swift
nielsenAppApi?.play();
loadMetadata
Objective C
[nielsenApi loadMetadata:(contentMetadata)];
Swift
self.nielsenAppApi?.loadMetadata(contentMetadata)
playheadPosition
Objective C
-(void) setPlayHeadPosition {
//Setting play head position
CMTime timeInterval = CMTimeMakeWithSeconds(1, 1);
[player addPeriodicTimeObserverForInterval:(timeInterval) queue:dispatch_get_main_queue() usingBlock:^(CMTime time){
NSTimeInterval seconds = CMTimeGetSeconds(time);
NSInteger intSec = seconds;
//Sending data dictionary to SDK with updated playHead position.
[nielsenApi playheadPosition:(intSec)];
}];
}
Swift
//Monitor the Playhead position of the AVPlayer
let timeInterval: CMTime = CMTimeMakeWithSeconds(1.0,10)
self.avPlayerViewController.player?.addPeriodicTimeObserver(forInterval: timeInterval, queue: DispatchQueue.main) {(elapsedTime: CMTime) -> Void in
if self.avPlayerViewController.player!.currentItem?.status == .readyToPlay {
let time : Float64 = self.avPlayerViewController.player!.currentTime().seconds;
let pos = Int64(time);
NSLog("New Elapse Time = \(time)");
self.nielsenAppApi?.playheadPosition(pos);
}
}
}
stop
Objective C
[nielsenApi stop];
Swift
nielsenApi.stop()
end
When content stop is initiated and content cannot be resumed from the same position (it can only be restarted from the beginning of stream).
Objective C
[nielsenApi end];
Swift
nielsenApi.end()
Handling Foreground and Background states
For iOS, background/foreground detection is handled by the app lifecylce APIs which are provided by Apple:
Foreground/Background state measurement is a requirement of Nielsen AppSDK implementation which is especially crucial for static measurement.
Interruptions during playback
As part of integrating Nielsen App SDK with the player application, the Audio / Video app developer needs to handle the following possible interruption scenarios:
- Pause / Play
- Network Loss (Wi-Fi / Airplane / Cellular)
- Call Interrupt (SIM or Third party Skype / Hangout call)
- Alarm Interrupt
- Content Buffering
- Device Lock / Unlock
- App going in the Background/Foreground
- Channel / Station Change Scenario
- Unplugging of headphone
In case of encountering one of the above interruptions, the player application needs to
- Call stop immediately (except when content is buffering) and withhold sending playhead position.
- Start sending API calls –
'loadMetadata'and'playheadPosition'for the new viewing session, once the playback resumes.
Please see the Interruption Scenarios Page for more details
Using the NielsenAppSDKJSHandler
There could be a scenario in which a browser page, that is already tagged with the Nielsen BSDK, needs to be loaded via a webview. In this situation it is recommended to use the NielsenAppSDKJSHandler which will allow communication between the AppSDK and the BSDK.
This feature is supported in versions 7.2 and above.
Implementation
- Make sure you have the latest NielsenAppApi.framework from Nielsen containing the NielsenAppSDKJSHandler class.
- Add NielsenAppSDKJSHandler instance as web view message handler object conforming to WKScriptMessageHandler protocol with name: "NielsenSDKMsg".
Objective-C:
self.jsAppSDK = [[NielsenAppSDKJSHandler alloc] init];
[self.webView.configuration.userContentController addScriptMessageHandler:self.jsAppSDK name:@"NielsenSDKMsg"];
Swift:
self.jsAppSDK=NielsenAppSDKJSHandler(apiType: "ggPM")
if let jsAppSDK = self.jsAppSDK{
self.webView?.configuration.userContentController.add(jsAppSDK, name: "NielsenSDKMsg")
This will enable listening to BSDK api calls within the APPSDK. Please make sure your Technical Account Manager is aware that you wish to implement this method so a configuration file can be modified on the Nielsen servers; however, there are no changes required to the Browser page.
Example:
The below is an example of opening a webview with the NielsenApp[SDKJSHandler using Swift 5.0
let jsFunctionNativeMessage = "NielsenSDKMsg"
var jsAppSDK: NielsenAppSDKJSHandler?
override func loadView() {
webView = WKWebView()
webView.navigationDelegate = self
view = webView
}
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
let url = URL(string: "https://nielsen.com/index.htm")!
self.jsAppSDK=NielsenAppSDKJSHandler(apiType: "ggPM")
if let jsAppSDK = self.jsAppSDK{
self.webView?.configuration.userContentController.add(jsAppSDK, name: "NielsenSDKMsg")
webView.load(URLRequest(url: url))
webView.allowsBackForwardNavigationGestures = true
}
}
deinit {
if let webView = self.webView {
webView.configuration.userContentController.removeScriptMessageHandler(forName: jsFunctionNativeMessage)
}
self.jsAppSDK = nil
if let webView = self.webView {
webView.removeFromSuperview()
}
self.webView = nil
}
}
Please note: The page you load into the webview cannot have mixed protocol content. For example, if your page is https:// you cannot have any images on the page as http:// or you will encounter errors.
Pre-Certification Checklists
After the application is ready to be sent for Nielsen Certification, please go through the Digital Pre-Certification Checklist App SDK and ensure the app behaves as expected, before submitting to Nielsen.
Privacy and Opt-Out
There are currently 3 flavors of the Nielsen SDK:
- Global iOS SDK Opt-out - managed by AppTracking or Limit Ad Tracking setting on device (preferred approach).
- Global iOS SDK No Ad Framework Optout - Direct call to SDK. Can be used without the Ad Framework
- Global iOS SDK No ID Optout - Direct call to SDK. Should be used for Kids Category.
Global iOS SDK Opt-out
OS-level Opt-out method available on Nielsen iOS
The Nielsen SDK automatically leverages the iOS's Limit Ad Tracking or AppTracking setting.
- If the User's device is running < iOS 13.x, the Nielsen SDK will check the status of Limit Ad Tracking.
- iOS14 modifies the way Apple manages the collection of a User's Opt-In status through AppTracking. Starting with Version 8.x+, the Nielsen App SDK will check the iOS version during initialization. If the device is running iOS12 or iOS13, the Limit Ad Tracking setting is requested. If iOS14.x +, then AppTracking is utilized.
Webview Element
It is a requirement to display a WebView element whose loadUrl is set to the value obtained from optOutURL. If using the Global iOS SDK, this optOutURL informs the user how to deactivate/activate “App Tracking/Limit Ad Tracking”.
In addition, The following text must be included in your app store description.
"Please note: This app features Nielsen’s proprietary measurement software which contributes to market research, like Nielsen’s Digital Content Ratings. Please see https://www.nielsen.com/tw/en/legal/privacy-statement/digital-measurement/ for more information"
Global iOS SDK No Ad Framework Optout
The User Choice method can be used without the Ad Framework, or in situations where the publisher does not wish to use the App Tracking Transparency Framework. As this flavor of the Nielsen SDK does not use the Ad Framework, so it is necessary to display an Optout Page to the userand capture their selection.
Similar to the Global iOS SDK Flavor, it is a requirement to display a WebView element whose loadUrl is set to the value obtained from optOutURL. This is a special URL that indicates Opt-in, or Opt-out and close the WebView.
This opt-out method works as follows:
- Get the Nielsen opt-out URL via optOutURL
- Display a WebView element whose loadUrl is set to the value obtained from optOutURL
- Detect if the WebView URL changes to a special URL that indicates Opt-in, or Opt-out and close the WebView
- Opt-out if the WebView URL =
nielsenappsdk://1 - Opt-in if the WebView URL =
nielsenappsdk://0
- Opt-out if the WebView URL =
- Pass the detected URL to the userOptOut function
- Example:
NielsenAppApi?.userOptOut("nielsenappsdk://1"); // User opt-out
- Example:
Global iOS SDK No ID Optout (Kids Category)
If you are building an app that will be listed in the Kids Category:
- Ensure that you are using the NoID version of the Nielsen SDK Framework.
- Immediately following the initialization of the Nielsen SDK ensure you call the userOptOut API with Opt out selection:
NielsenAppApi?.userOptOut("nielsenappsdk://1"); // User opt-out
Opt-out example code
Swift
import UIKit
import WebKit
import NielsenAppApi
class OptOutVC: UIViewController, NielsenAppApiDelegate, WKNavigationDelegate {
var nielsenApi : NielsenAppApi!
var webView: WKWebView!
override func loadView() {
webView = WKWebView()
webView.navigationDelegate = self
view = webView
}
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
if let appApi = self.nielsenApi {
//Getting the optPut URL from SDK
if let url = URL(string: appApi.optOutURL) {
webView.load(URLRequest(url: url))
webView.allowsBackForwardNavigationGestures = true
}}}
func closeOptOutView() {
self.dismiss(animated: true, completion: nil)
}
// Uncomment below code if you are using the Global iOS SDK No Ad Framework Flavor. This will receive the user's selection
// From the custom User_Choice opt out page. Only required for non-ad framework or no-id builds
// of the Nielsen SDK
/*
func webView(_ webView: WKWebView, decidePolicyFor navigationAction: WKNavigationAction, decisionHandler:
@escaping (WKNavigationActionPolicy) -> Void) {
print(navigationAction.request.url?.absoluteString as Any) //For debugging to check what is being passed from webpage.
if navigationAction.request.url?.absoluteString == "nielsen://close" {
closeOptOutView()
decisionHandler(.cancel)
} else {
if let url = navigationAction.request.url?.absoluteString, url.hasPrefix("nielsen") {
nielsenApi?.userOptOut(url). //either nielsenappsdk://1 or nielsenappsdk://0
decisionHandler(.cancel)
} else {
if navigationAction.navigationType == .linkActivated {
if let url = navigationAction.request.url?.absoluteString, url.hasSuffix("#") {
decisionHandler(.allow)
} else {
decisionHandler(.cancel)
webView.load(navigationAction.request)
}
} else {
decisionHandler(.allow)
}}}}
*/
}
Objective-C
#import "OptOutVC.h"
#import "NielsenInit.h"
#import <NielsenAppApi/NielsenAppApi.h>
@interface OptOutVC ()
@property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UIWebView *webView;
@end
@implementation OptOutVC
- (void)viewDidLoad {
[super viewDidLoad];
- (void)viewDidLoad {
[super viewDidLoad];
//Getting the optPut URL from eventTracker
[self.webView loadRequest:[NSURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL
URLWithString:self.nielsenApi.optOutURL]]];
}
//Uncomment below code if you are using the Global iOS SDK No Ad Framework Flavor.
// From the custom User_Choice opt out page. Only required for non-ad framework or no-id builds
// of the Nielsen SDK
/*
- (void)webView:(WKWebView *)webView decidePolicyForNavigationAction:(WKNavigationAction *)navigationAction
decisionHandler:(void (^)(WKNavigationActionPolicy))decisionHandler
{
if ([navigationAction.request.URL.absoluteString isEqualToString:kNielsenWebClose])
{ [self performSelector:@selector(closeOptOutView) withObject:nil afterDelay:0];
decisionHandler(WKNavigationActionPolicyCancel);
} else {
if ([navigationAction.request.URL.absoluteString hasPrefix:@"nielsen"])
{[self.nielsenAppApi userOptOut:navigationAction.request.URL.absoluteString];
decisionHandler(WKNavigationActionPolicyCancel);
} else {
if (navigationAction.navigationType == WKNavigationTypeLinkActivated)
{ if ([navigationAction.request.URL.absoluteString hasSuffix:@"#"])
{decisionHandler(WKNavigationActionPolicyAllow);
} else {
decisionHandler(WKNavigationActionPolicyCancel);
[webView loadRequest:[NSURLRequest requestWithURL:navigationAction.request.URL]];
}} else {
decisionHandler(WKNavigationActionPolicyAllow);
}}}
*/
}
Retrieve current Opt-Out preference
Whether the user is opted out via OS-level Opt-out or via User Choice Opt-out, the current Opt-Out status as detected by the SDK is available via the optOutStatus property in the Nielsen SDK API
@property (readonly) BOOL optOutStatus
AirPlay
To implement OTT measurement, report OTT changes to the SDK using public API interface: updateOTT
In order to detect AirPlay and mirroring changes we use AVAudioSessionPortDescription properties that are different on different iOS versions. We found that on iOS versions 8 - 10 AVAudioSessionPortDescription has the following values:
AirPlay: type = AirPlay; name = Apple TV 4K; UID = DC:56:E7:53:72:85-airplay
Mirroring: type = AirPlay; name = Apple TV 4K; UID = DC:56:E7:53:72:85-screen
For iOS 11+ some parameters like name and UID have different values:
AirPlay: type = AirPlay; name = AirPlay; UID = 0eb63aae-5915-45f1-b0f7-0102a0e50d53
Mirroring: type = AirPlay; name = Apple TV 4K; UID = 4335E8A9-1C0A-4251-9000-28CA5FA2F3CF-192731714653291-screen
The following code snipped is suggested for AirPlay / mirroring detection on iOS devices.
Swift
nielsenSdk.updateOTT(currentStatus)
Subscribe to AVAudioSessionRouteChangeNotification
NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self, selector: #selector(handleRouteChanged(_:)), name: NSNotification.Name.AVAudioSessionRouteChange, object: nil)
Handle AVAudioSessionRouteChangeNotification and prepare OTT dictionary:
func handleRouteChanged(_ notification: Notification) {
var currentStatus: [String: String] = ["ottStatus": "0"]
let session = AVAudioSession.sharedInstance()
let currentRoute = session.currentRoute
for outputPort in currentRoute.outputs {
if outputPort.portType == AVAudioSessionPortAirPlay {
currentStatus["ottStatus"] = "1"
currentStatus["ottDeviceModel"] = outputPort.portName
currentStatus["ottDeviceID"] = outputPort.uid
if outputPort.portName == "AirPlay" {
currentStatus["ottDevice"] = "airplay"
currentStatus["ottType"] = "airplay"
}
else {
if outputPort.portName.contains("Apple TV") {
currentStatus["ottDevice"] = "appleTV"
}
else {
currentStatus["ottDevice"] = "other"
}
if outputPort.uid.hasSuffix("airplay") {
currentStatus["ottType"] = "airplay"
}
else if outputPort.uid.hasSuffix("screen") {
currentStatus["ottType"] = "mirroring"
}
else {
currentStatus["ottType"] = "other"
}
}
}
}
// report OTT status update to Nielsen SDK
self.reportOTTUpdate(currentStatus)
}
Report OTT update to the Nielsen SDK
func reportOTTUpdate(_ ottDict: [String: String]) {
if let nielsenSdk = self.nielsenAppApi {
nielsenSdk.updateOTT(currentStatus)
}
}
Objective C
– (void)updateOTT:(id)ottInfo;
Subscribe to AVAudioSessionRouteChangeNotification
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserver:self selector:@selector(handleRouteChanged:) name:AVAudioSessionRouteChangeNotification object:nil];
Handle AVAudioSessionRouteChangeNotification and prepare OTT dictionary:
- (void)handleRouteChanged:(NSNotification *)notification
{
NSMutableDictionary *ottDict = [NSMutableDictionary dictionaryWithDictionary: @{@"ottStatus": @"0"}];
AVAudioSession *audioSession = [AVAudioSession sharedInstance];
AVAudioSessionRouteDescription *currentRoute = audioSession.currentRoute;
for (AVAudioSessionPortDescription *outputPort in currentRoute.outputs) {
if ([outputPort.portType isEqualToString:AVAudioSessionPortAirPlay]) {
ottDict[@"ottStatus"] = @"1";
ottDict[@"ottDeviceModel"] = outputPort.portName;
ottDict[@"ottDeviceID"] = outputPort.UID;
if ([outputPort.portName isEqualToString:@"AirPlay"]) {
ottDict[@"ottDevice"] = @"airplay";
ottDict[@"ottType"] = @"airplay";
}
else {
if ([outputPort.portName containsString:@"Apple TV"]) {
ottDict[@"ottDevice"] = @"appleTV";
}
else {
ottDict[@"ottDevice"] = @"other";
}
if ([outputPort.UID hasSuffix:@"airplay"]) {
ottDict[@"ottType"] = @"airplay";
}
else if ([outputPort.UID hasSuffix:@"screen"]) {
ottDict[@"ottType"] = @"mirroring";
}
else {
ottDict[@"ottType"] = @"other";
}
}
}
}
// report OTT status update to Nielsen SDK
[self reportOTTWithDict:ottDict];
}
Report OTT update to the Nielsen SDK
- (void)reportOTTWithDict:(NSDictionary *)ottDict
{
[self.nielsenSDK updateOTT:ottDict];
}
Going Live
Following Nielsen testing, you will need to:
- Disable Debug Logging: Disable logging by deleting
{nol_devDebug: 'DEBUG'}from initialization call. - Notify Nielsen: Once you are ready to go live, let us know so we can enable you for reporting. We will not be able to collect or report data prior to receiving notification from you.
Removing Simulators (Dynamic Framework Only)
Simulator slices are needed to let clients build and debug their app on the simulators, but they should be removed before sending the app to the AppStore. Here is an example Shell script that could be added as a Run Script phase in the application.
APP_PATH="${TARGET_BUILD_DIR}/${WRAPPER_NAME}"
# This script loops through the frameworks embedded in the application and
# removes unused architectures.
find "$APP_PATH" -name '*.framework' -type d | while read -r FRAMEWORK
do
FRAMEWORK_EXECUTABLE_NAME=$(defaults read "$FRAMEWORK/Info.plist" CFBundleExecutable)
FRAMEWORK_EXECUTABLE_PATH="$FRAMEWORK/$FRAMEWORK_EXECUTABLE_NAME"
echo "Executable is $FRAMEWORK_EXECUTABLE_PATH"
EXTRACTED_ARCHS=()
for ARCH in $ARCHS
do
echo "Extracting $ARCH from $FRAMEWORK_EXECUTABLE_NAME"
lipo -extract "$ARCH" "$FRAMEWORK_EXECUTABLE_PATH" -o "$FRAMEWORK_EXECUTABLE_PATH-$ARCH"
EXTRACTED_ARCHS+=("$FRAMEWORK_EXECUTABLE_PATH-$ARCH")
done
echo "Merging extracted architectures: ${ARCHS}"
lipo -o "$FRAMEWORK_EXECUTABLE_PATH-merged" -create "${EXTRACTED_ARCHS[@]}"
rm "${EXTRACTED_ARCHS[@]}"
echo "Replacing original executable with thinned version"
rm "$FRAMEWORK_EXECUTABLE_PATH"
mv "$FRAMEWORK_EXECUTABLE_PATH-merged" "$FRAMEWORK_EXECUTABLE_PATH"
done
Sample Applications
The below sample applications have been designed to show the Simplified API's functionality and are broken into two distinct categories:
- Basic - To show the functionality of the Nielsen Simplified API using a standard no-frills player.
- Advanced - Nielsen Simplified API integrated into a custom video player.