Avail-TVN is introducing a new service that eliminates an odd inefficiency in the handling of digital ad insertion (DAI) in VOD assets.

With current practice, VOD systems can keep each video asset for only three days (C3), after which they must replace each asset with an identical copy with new ads (or none). The process makes it more difficult to take advantage of DAI because it necessitates a second round of editing, processing and distribution of the program.

With its Advanced Advertising Insertion and Marking (AAIM) service, Avail-TVN enables the use of the same VOD copy to be used after C3. The company captures the live network feed, performs editing of the tip and tail of the program, encodes the asset into numerous formats – MPEG-2, MPEG-4, SD, HD and adaptive bit rate (ABR) – while retaining the Nielsen watermark, performs quality control and analysis, and simultaneously applies the advertising insertion marks into the asset.

At the end of the C3 window, aka day four or D4, existing ads can be removed, and new ads can be dynamically inserted. Parallel to the marking, Avail-TVN captures, packages and distributes the placement opportunity information service (POIS) representing the business rules around the AAIM marks.

Avail-TVN said it has been testing the AAIM service with both networks and service providers that support the DAI protocols in the SCTE 130 specification and certain proprietary platforms. The first commercial deployment is expected in the first quarter of 2012.