Enveu Media & OTT Glossary

A custom OTT app is a streaming application built from scratch by an operator's engineering team — offering maximum control over UX, features, and architecture, at significantly higher cost and longer timeline than white-label alternatives.

User profiles are individual viewer accounts within a shared OTT subscription — each with their own watch history, recommendations, continue watching, and parental control settings.

Youbora is NPAW's Quality of Experience (QoE) analytics platform for OTT streaming — providing real-time monitoring of playback quality, viewer behaviour, and content performance across all devices and CDNs.

Push notifications are real-time alerts sent by an OTT app to a viewer's device — used to drive re-engagement, promote new content, and bring subscribers back to the platform without them opening the app first.

Content recommendation is the algorithmic process of surfacing relevant titles to individual viewers based on their viewing history, preferences, and behaviour — the engine behind "what to watch next" on every OTT platform.

TVOD (Transactional Video on Demand) is a pay-per-access monetization model where viewers pay individually for each title, rental, or live event — rather than through a recurring subscription.

Bitrate is the amount of data transmitted per second in a video stream — measured in Mbps or Kbps — and is the primary lever controlling the tradeoff between video quality and bandwidth consumption in OTT streaming. is the amount of video data transmitted per second, directly impacting video quality and bandwidth usage.

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is Apple's adaptive bitrate streaming protocol that delivers video over standard HTTP by breaking streams into small segments — the most widely supported streaming protocol across OTT devices globally.

A CDN (Content Delivery Network) is a globally distributed network of servers that caches and delivers video content from locations close to viewers — reducing latency, buffering, and origin server load at scale.

Download to Go is an OTT feature that lets subscribers download content to their device for offline viewing — watching without an internet connection, within a rights-defined availability window.

SSAI (Server-Side Ad Insertion) is a technique that stitches ads directly into a video stream on the server before delivery — making ads indistinguishable from content and immune to ad blockers.

The Google Play Store is Google's official app distribution platform for Android devices — the primary channel through which OTT platforms publish, update, and distribute their Android apps to viewers globally.

An OTT platform is a software infrastructure that delivers video content directly to viewers over the internet — without cable, satellite, or broadcast intermediaries.

DRM (Digital Rights Management) is the technology that protects video content from unauthorized access, copying, and redistribution — enforcing who can watch what, on which devices, and for how long.

High Definition (HD) is a video resolution standard of 1280×720 or 1920×1080 pixels that delivers sharper, clearer images than standard definition — widely used across broadcast TV, streaming platforms, and digital content to enhance viewer experience.

Media Orchestration is the automated coordination and management of video content workflows across encoding, packaging, delivery, and monetization systems to ensure seamless multi-platform distribution.

Cloud Playout is a software-based system that schedules, assembles, and delivers linear TV channels over the internet — replacing traditional broadcast hardware with cloud infrastructure for flexible, scalable channel operations.

AV1 is a royalty-free, open-source video codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media that delivers better compression efficiency than H.265 — making it the next-generation codec for bandwidth-efficient OTT streaming.

Full HD (FHD) is a video resolution standard of 1920×1080 pixels (1080p) that delivers sharper detail and better clarity than HD — the most widely adopted resolution across modern streaming platforms, broadcast TV, and consumer displays.

4K is an ultra-high-definition video resolution of 3840×2160 pixels, providing four times the detail of Full HD for premium viewing experiences.

Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) is a method of inserting targeted advertisements into video streams in real time based on user, device, or contextual data.

LTV (Lifetime Value) is the total revenue a subscriber generates for an OTT platform from their first payment to cancellation — the single metric that ties acquisition cost, retention, and monetization together.

Rebuffering occurs when video playback stops and restarts due to insufficient data in the player buffer.

A/B testing compares two variants to optimize performance.

Continue Watching lets viewers resume content from where they left off, across sessions and devices.

Feature Flags allow OTT platforms to enable or disable features dynamically without redeploying apps.

Content Scheduling controls when content becomes available or expires.

H.264 is a widely used video compression standard.

Device Management tracks and controls which devices can access an OTT account.

Attribution is the process of identifying which marketing channels, campaigns, or touchpoints contributed to a user action such as an install, signup, or subscription.

Ad-supported streaming is a content delivery model where viewers watch video content for free or at a lower cost in exchange for viewing advertisements.

Direct-sold advertising is a monetization model where ad inventory is sold directly by a publisher or platform to advertisers through negotiated deals rather than automated auctions.

User acquisition refers to the strategies and activities used to attract new users to an app or platform and convert them into registered or active customers.

Retention measures a platform’s ability to keep users engaged and active over time after their initial signup or first interaction.

Social Login is an authentication method that allows users to sign in to an app or platform using existing accounts from third-party providers such as Google, Apple, or Facebook.

Single Sign-On (SSO) is an authentication method that allows users to log in once and access multiple applications or services without re-authenticating.

Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or device before granting access to an application, platform, or service.

Authorization is the process of determining what an authenticated user or device is allowed to access or perform within an application or platform.

Offline access in Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) allows users to continue accessing selected content and app features even when there is no internet connection or limited network availability.

Connected TV (CTV) refers to television devices that are connected to the internet and can stream video content through apps, platforms, or built-in operating systems.

Platform ownership refers to the level of control a business has over its OTT platform, including data, technology stack, roadmap, branding, and customer relationships.

Programmatic advertising is the automated buying and selling of digital ad inventory using data-driven technology and real-time bidding instead of manual ad placements.

CTV Advertising refers to video advertisements delivered on Connected TV devices through OTT and streaming applications instead of traditional broadcast television.

Cohort analysis is an analytics method that groups users based on shared characteristics or actions and tracks their behavior over time to understand engagement, retention, and churn patterns.

Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) is a payment method that lets users pay for OTT subscriptions and digital content by charging the cost directly to their mobile phone bill — no credit card required.

Content Restrictions define where, when, and how content can be accessed.

Concurrency Control limits how many simultaneous streams an account can play.

Live to VoD is a pipeline that automatically converts a live stream into an on-demand video asset — making broadcast content available for catch-up viewing immediately or shortly after the live event ends.

Session Management controls how user playback sessions are created, tracked, and validated.

Engagement Rate measures how actively users interact with content or an OTT app over a period of time, relative to total viewers or sessions.

Low latency streaming reduces the delay between live video capture and playback.

Parental Controls restrict content access based on age ratings, profiles, and viewing rules.

Content Personalization tailors the OTT experience by showing users relevant content based on their behavior, preferences, and context.

Engagement Metrics measure how users interact with content and features on an OTT platform.

Latency is the delay between video capture and playback.

Buffering occurs when video playback pauses to load more data.

Video QoE measures the end-user experience during video playback.

Startup time measures how long it takes for a video to start playing.

A codec compresses and decompresses video for streaming and playback.

Time-shifted TV lets users pause or rewind live broadcasts.

Geo-blocking restricts content access based on location.

Bookmarking lets users save videos to a personal list so they can easily find and watch them later.

H.265 is a high-efficiency video codec that reduces bandwidth usage.

Edge caching stores content closer to users to reduce latency.

Audience segmentation groups users based on behavior and attributes.

Catch-Up TV is a feature that lets viewers watch previously broadcast content on demand — after it has aired on a linear schedule — within a defined availability window.

Rights management controls legal usage of video content.

A recommendation engine is the algorithmic system that analyzes viewer behaviour and content attributes to predict and surface the most relevant titles to each individual viewer — powering personalized content discovery on OTT platforms.

Release Management is the process of planning, scheduling, and controlling application releases across app stores and devices.

An Ad Server manages, selects, and delivers video advertisements based on targeting and campaign rules.

Pay Per View (PPV) is a content monetization model where viewers pay a one-time fee to access a specific video or event — such as a live concert, sports broadcast, movie, or premium show — without needing a subscription. In the OTT industry, PPV is widely used for exclusive live events (e.g., premieres, sports matches, concerts) and special releases that audiences are willing to pay extra for. Unlike subscriptions where users pay for ongoing access, PPV focuses on single-event or single-asset transactions, making it ideal for high-value, time-sensitive content.

Churn measures the rate at which users cancel or stop using an OTT service.

ARPU measures the average revenue generated per user over a defined period.

Entitlement defines whether a user is authorized to access specific content.

A Headless CMS manages content centrally and delivers it via APIs to multiple platforms.

A Video CMS is a CMS built specifically for managing video content and metadata.

Content ingestion is the process of bringing video assets and metadata into an OTT platform.

Live streaming delivers real-time video content to viewers over the internet.

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming dynamically adjusts video quality based on network conditions.

MPEG-DASH is an adaptive streaming protocol for delivering video over the internet.

Video encoding converts raw video into digital formats suitable for streaming.

Video transcoding converts encoded video into multiple formats and bitrates.

QoS measures the performance and reliability of video delivery networks.

CSAI inserts ads on the client side during video playback using the video player.

Ad monetization is the process of generating revenue from video ads.

An ad break is a scheduled point in video playback where ads are shown.

Ad targeting delivers ads to viewers based on audience and contextual data.

Subscription management handles plans, billing, renewals, and access control.

Payments enable users to purchase subscriptions or transactional content.

Renewals manage recurring subscription continuation.

Content Discovery is the set of features and systems that help viewers find relevant content to watch on an OTT platform — through recommendations, search, editorial curation, and navigation.

Personalization tailors content experiences to individual users.

Content publishing makes video content available to end users.

Content workflow manages review, approval, and publishing processes.

Localization adapts content for different languages and regions.

Content availability defines when and where content can be accessed.

Metadata enrichment enhances content data for better discovery.

Just-In-Time Packaging (JITP) is a video delivery technique where streaming formats like HLS or MPEG-DASH are generated dynamically at request time instead of being pre-packaged.

UGC (User-Generated Content) is video, audio, or written content created and uploaded by viewers or community members — rather than by the platform or professional studios — and published on an OTT or streaming platform.

An origin server is the primary source server that stores and serves the master copies of video content — the upstream source that CDN edge nodes pull from when a requested segment is not already cached.

Xcode is Apple’s official integrated development environment (IDE) used to build, test, and publish iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and macOS applications.

Zero-Latency Streaming is a live streaming approach designed to deliver video to viewers with near-real-time delay, minimizing the gap between content capture and playback.

Quality of Experience (QoE) measures how end users perceive the overall quality of video playback, including startup time, buffering, video clarity, and playback stability.

Transcoding is the process of converting a video file into different formats, resolutions, and bitrates to support multiple devices and streaming conditions.

EPG (Electronic Program Guide) is a digital interface that displays scheduled programming information, allowing viewers to browse, navigate, and select live TV content across channels and time slots.

A hybrid app uses web technologies wrapped inside a native container to run across multiple platforms.

OTT apps deliver video content directly over the internet without traditional cable or satellite infrastructure.

Smart TV apps are applications built specifically for television operating systems to deliver content on large screens.

A Progressive Web App combines web accessibility with app-like features such as offline access and push notifications.

An application built specifically for devices running the Android operating system.

An application designed to run on Apple devices using the iOS operating system.

An app built for television devices running the Android TV operating system.

An application built for Apple TV devices using Apple’s tvOS platform.

An app built for Amazon Fire TV devices.

An application built for Roku streaming devices and Roku TV.

An application accessed through a web browser without installation.

The App Store is Apple’s official marketplace for discovering, downloading, and updating iOS and tvOS applications.

App Publishing is the process of submitting, reviewing, approving, and distributing an application on app stores like Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

A white-label OTT app is a pre-built, fully functional streaming application that a media brand adopts, customizes with their own branding, and launches as their own product — without building from scratch.

The App Review Process is the evaluation performed by app stores to ensure an application complies with technical, security, and content guidelines before approval.

App Versioning is the practice of managing and tracking different releases of an application over time.

Advertising-based Video on Demand where users watch content for free with ads.

Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) is a streaming model where viewers pay a recurring fee to access a library of content.

Playback Analytics tracks how users consume video content, including play events, buffering, pauses, completions, and errors during playback.

VOD (Video on Demand) is a content delivery model that lets viewers watch video content whenever they choose — on any device, without being tied to a broadcast schedule.

FAST is a streaming model where users watch free, linear TV-like channels supported entirely by advertisements.

Linear TV is a traditional broadcast model where content is scheduled and delivered to all viewers simultaneously on a fixed timetable — you watch what's on, when it's on.

Micro Drama is a short-form, episodic video format designed for mobile-first consumption, featuring highly condensed storytelling in episodes typically lasting under 5 minutes.

Short-form video refers to brief, highly engaging video content typically lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes, optimized for mobile-first consumption.

Vertical video is a video format designed for portrait orientation, optimized for mobile-first viewing experiences.

A Content Management System (CMS) is a software platform used to create, manage, organize, and publish digital content without requiring deep technical knowledge.

Long-form video refers to extended video content, typically longer than 10 minutes, designed for in-depth viewing and sustained engagement.

Structured information that describes, organizes, and enables discovery of video content on OTT platforms.

A Video Player is a software component that decodes, renders, and controls video playback across web, mobile, and OTT devices.

A native app is built specifically for a single platform using its official programming languages and tools.

Key Rotation is a security practice in DRM systems where encryption keys are periodically changed during video playback to prevent content piracy.

Build vs Buy (OTT) is the strategic decision between developing a custom OTT platform in-house or adopting a pre-built OTT solution to balance control, speed to market, cost, and operational complexity.

Multi-CDN is a content delivery strategy where an OTT platform uses multiple CDN providers to distribute video streams, improving reliability, performance, and failover resilience across regions and networks.

Single CDN is a content delivery strategy where an OTT platform relies on one content delivery network provider to distribute video streams to users across regions and devices.