What an online video platform does
- Ingest and encoding: turns an upload into streams at several qualities
- Storage and delivery through a content delivery network
- A player that can be embedded in a website or app
- Basic access control: private links, domain restrictions, passwords
- Analytics: plays, watch time and drop-off
- An API for automating uploads and playback
OVP vs OTT platform
An online video platform solves the video itself: getting a file to play well anywhere. It is used for marketing video, training, news sites and as a component inside other products.
An OTT platform builds a complete consumer service on top of that: a branded storefront, subscriber accounts, subscriptions and rentals, apps for phones and televisions, and DRM. A business that wants to sell access to a catalog needs the second.
When each one fits
- Video embedded in your existing site, free to watch: an OVP
- Internal training or communications: an OVP with access control
- A subscription or rental service under your brand: an OTT platform
- Apps on smart TVs and mobile: an OTT platform
- Licensed content with DRM requirements: an OTT platform
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