hnet wrote:

Hey Dean,

Actually I re-wrote my channel it's own the new platform which is "Scene Graph" I'm only running into the problem is how to add the ads into the channel with RAF or VAST. Is it a simple copy and past the code into the manifest or is there more to it. I don't think this was covered in the forum as of yet, unless I need to reach out to the Roku Ad department for best results.

But you are right, I ran into way to many issues when I did run the other .sdk that's why I abandoned it long ago.

John

Ohhh, I wish it was as easy as cut n' paste. I had a deal with an Ad Insertion service, one that I won't name but let's just say they broadcast all over Europe and they even have their own Set Top Box...and these guys gave up on trying to make RAF work with their Ad Server.
Maybe it was all their lazy-fault - I don't know, because I'm a cut n' paste developer myself...

(If you come up with a solution I'd sure love to hear about it...Super important to me, is finding an Ad Server (service) that actually is comfortable with re-designing SDK's to use RAF and providing them to their publishers.)

Hi there,

I have sent an email out to advertise@roku.com to add Ads support in my channel. But haven't heard anything from them so far. Can you please tell me if I should be contacting anyone else in this regard.

Thanks,
Bhrami

bhrami wrote:

Hi there,

I have sent an email out to advertise@roku.com to add Ads support in my channel. But haven't heard anything from them so far. Can you please tell me if I should be contacting anyone else in this regard.

Thanks,
Bhrami

That email sounds correct. I do (think) that a history of doing channels that are popular or are monetized may be a criteria. And of course getting good numbers (subs, ratings) hopefully will lead to getting an offer.

But I have to tell ya, I (assume) getting an AD Server is a criteria too...If you've found a company that knows the difference between an Ad Server and an Ad Pod, then please do share!

hnet wrote:

Hey Dean,

... I'm only running into the problem is how to add the ads into the channel with RAF or VAST. Is it a simple copy and past the code into the manifest or is there more to it. I don't think this was covered in the forum as of yet, unless I need to reach out to the Roku Ad department for best results...

John

I haven't come across a post that addresses how to use Raf in (any) SDK other than the RAF SDK. Maybe something will pop up on Git Hub. Actually, I'd settle for a SDK/demo channel with most any Simulated-Live, Grid, or Horizontal design that would (easily) let me place MRSS feeds between RAF Ad Pods.

The current SDK has a TED mp4 stream, but I have trouble getting multiple Mrss feeds into this SDK build. I sure could use some advice in this area. (Obviously, I'm not a professional software-engineer.)

DeanLach wrote:

EnTerr wrote:

So after all, i can let users opt-out of a video ad! As long as i don't mind getting unpaid for the unfinished ad. That is a bargain i personally will take. Wasting 30 seconds of unwilling viewer's life - or forego a fraction of a penny? Sign me in for the latter!

If I were you I'd check the RAF TOS before inputting that "Skippable" code.

Here's some food 4 thought: I personally can't see why a developer would take the time to code a Channel with RAF only to put in a method to defeat RAF. And I say "defeat" because I'm thinking that if RAF is helping to fill 100% then you as a Developer are promised fresh and appropriate ads for your audience, and skipping an ad destroys the purpose of using ADpods. Doesn't it? Forgive me if I'm wrong...

Respectfully - you don't seem to understand how advertising works at large - nor video ads in particular.

1. The ad-exit capability is there in RAF for a reason. I did not invent it - i advocate developers to use it to improve user satisfaction %.
   
2. The ad buyer does not pay for unfinished ads. If it does not hit final marker, there is no credit (that is, till hopefully something akin to YouTube's TrueView gets available). It's up to the ad seller whether to absorb (or not - in your case) cancelations.
   
3. You might want to take a raincheck on the imaginary "fill 100%... [with] fresh and appropriate ads". Fill rate of 100% is a fantasy. Q&D check today, Roku fills ~80% of the slots. And the ads one sees are repetitive, as RenoJim pointed out. It's not app publisher's fault but we bear the brunt of viewer's dissatisfaction if they are forced to watch the same ad ad nauseam.
   
4. Lastly, to address the fear of ad skipping ability hurting one's bottom line: another reality check - less than 10% are exiting my pre-rolls. That's less than 1/2 the un-filled slots from above. I am happy with such low number and rather shop for better CPM or fill ratios than force every ad onto every viewer.

Fast-forward couple of months later, update: RokuCo fill rates are still ~80%... on a good day. On a bad day they drop below 50%.

My "skip rates" have slowly risen up, maybe up to 40% (based on a small sample check today). I attribute that to 2 things: there are some regular/dedicated users that are habitual skippers (i traced couple over time and those reliably log <1sec reaction time on skipping prestitials). And two, there is only a limited number of leg shaving ads one can watch before developing immune rejection response to it. I will be reining in on these situations by offering a "no ads" optional upgrade

EnTerr wrote:

Fast-forward couple of months later, update: RokuCo fill rates are still ~80%... on a good day. On a bad day they drop below 50%.

My "skip rates" have slowly risen up, maybe up to 40% (based on a small sample check today). I attribute that to 2 things: there are some regular/dedicated users that are habitual skippers (i traced couple over time and those reliably log <1sec reaction time on skipping prestitials). And two, there is only a limited number of leg shaving ads one can watch before developing immune rejection response to it. I will be reining in on these situations by offering a "no ads" optional upgrade

I'm sorry to hear the news. And I do understand how ads work, but I have faith that the FILL rate will get better. As Joel said: "This is a hairy situation. [...] This may have to do with razor thin industry margins. I'm sure it will all gel in the end."

Hi all,

I am trying to understand how to implement a video advert interstitial to monetize a channel.

The example in RAF doc are quite confusing.... is there a full tutorial somewhere step by step (create a DFP/Adsense/DFP/Admob...) account and like it to RAF ?

I understood that Roku can also serve the ads in the channel (if we request a custom uri) ?

Thanks for your help

Arthy74 wrote:

Hi all,

I am trying to understand how to implement a video advert interstitial to monetize a channel.

The example in RAF doc are quite confusing.... is there a full tutorial somewhere step by step (create a DFP/Adsense/DFP/Admob...) account and like it to RAF ?

I understood that Roku can also serve the ads in the channel (if we request a custom uri) ?

Thanks for your help

HI, there are experts on this forum who can give you greater details than I, but to start:
1.  When you're saying "interstitial" it sounds like your referring to a mobile app like something made with Android studio.  Roku instead uses Ad Pods with their RAF SDK's.
2. Nada.  But if you find a tutorial or even a freelance developer who actually speaks English well enough to explain it to you, then I hope you'll share your rescources with me   And regarding Adsense... I've never been paid much from them...There's others in the game if you have the right content.

3.  Yes, this is what RAF does.

DeanLach wrote:

1.  When you're saying "interstitial" it sounds like your referring to a mobile app like something made with Android studio.  Roku instead uses Ad Pods with their RAF SDK's.

"Interstitial" video ad just means mid-roll one. Compare/contrast to prestitial/pre-roll.

Thanks for your explanations, will try to use RAF servers then

Howdy John. We have a channel built with InstantTV. Our channel is not published yet because we selected (My channel contains ads) in the HOW DO YOU PLAN TO MONETIZE YOUR CONTENT? PLEASE SELECT ALL THAT APPLY - section so the PUBLISH option is not available. We would like to be a part of the RAF program. May we have an invite to the RAF program?

Westerns On The Web wrote:

Howdy John. We have a channel built with InstantTV. Our channel is not published yet because we selected (My channel contains ads) in the HOW DO YOU PLAN TO MONETIZE YOUR CONTENT? PLEASE SELECT ALL THAT APPLY - section so the PUBLISH option is not available. We would like to be a part of the RAF program. May we have an invite to the RAF program?

Highly unlikely for RokuJohnC to reply, he hasn't logged in here for over a year.
Are you sure selecting "ads" as monetize option is the reason you cannot publish? 
And not, say, that bundle is not uploaded or submitted for review?

I have enabled advertising on my channel, but the only ads that play are for those viewers in the U.S. The rest of the viewers have ads that don't play. Many of my viewers are in the Spanish-speaking world and many live in Quebec.
Does anybody know if there's an advertising company that has ads for other countries?

Wanda wrote:

I have enabled advertising on my channel, but the only ads that play are for those viewers in the U.S. The rest of the viewers have ads that don't play. Many of my viewers are in the Spanish-speaking world and many live in Quebec.
Does anybody know if there's an advertising company that has ads for other countries?

Hey Wanda, make this a new topic so it gets noticed. (i.e. start a new thread) I am curious about answers as well