Access URL Syntax

This article describes the syntax of Access URLs embedded into yospaceCDS feeds. An access URL provides end-user access to an individual video title. When an Access URL is called, yospaceCDS invokes the yospaceCDS device targeting system, on-the-fly transcoder, and the advertisement splicing system.

Why do I need to understand Access URLs?

Understanding the syntax of an Access URL may be useful, for those who wish to:

  • Programmatically manipulate the URL to adjust the quality and delivery method of a video. This may be needed if the client system has access to additional information about the user's context that may give rise to adjusting the delivery of the video. For example, a handset-based application that is able to detect WiFi versus mobile network coverage.
  • Use yospaceCDS in a hybrid mode, where content is ingested into yospaceCDS using the Web Services API (an unstructured format) rather than using the higher-level feed-based ingestion mechanisms. In this case, yospaceCDS is not able to offer "feeds" of content containing Access URLs, therefore the client software must create the URLs itself.

The Access URL syntax supports two modes for fetching content: content ingested by a Content Management Console Input Feed and content ingested directly into yospaceCDS via the Web Services API.

Access URL Syntax for Input Feed Ingested Content

Direct Access URL Syntax

Content ingested via an Input Feed set-up in the Content Management Console is given a unique identifier known as a Media Item ID. You must use this ID to reference the video in the Access URL

The basic form is:

http://cds1.yospace.com/access/{d|s|a}/quality/u/{0|1}/1/[media item ID][?f={feedID}]

Where:

  • {d|s|a} is one of d, s or a to determine the delivery style. d is for HTTP download (which can include progressive download if the device supports it), s is for RTSP/RTP streaming (see note below on Streaming URLs). a is for audio only. This mode will strip out the video track and provide the audio track as an MP3 download (this style of URL is embedded in Audio Podcast feeds, for example).
  • {quality} should be replaced with the desired quality. yospaceCDS supports 50, 100, 200, 400, 600, and 800 quality thresholds (the numbers refer to the total bandwidth in kbps for the combined audio and video file). If you specify a quality not in this list, yospaceCDS will snap to the closest lower quality (for example, 350 will snap to 200, not 400).
  • {media item ID} is the content ID of the video.
  • {feedID} is the ID of the Output Feed to which the access should be attributed. It is optional, however it allows you to attribute the download to an Output Feed for reporting purposes.

Example

The following example will download a medium quality (200kbps) video without DRM.

http://cds1.yospace.com/access/d/200/u/0/1/17281236482?f=14244563

User Choice Access URL Syntax

The previous example used an Access URL syntax that determines the delivery mechanism and quality. An alternative syntax allows the user to choose the method with which to access the video. Refer to this section for more details on the User Choice page.

http://cds1.yospace.com/access/choice/u/{0|1}/1/[media item ID]?f={feedID}[&stylesheet={stylesheet}]

Where:

  • {0|1} is one of 0 or 1. 1 selects DRM protected download, 0 selects unprotected download (only applies if download mechanism is selected).
  • {media item ID} is the content ID of the video.
  • {feedID} is the ID of the Output Feed to which the access should be attributed. It is optional, however it allows you to attribute the download to an Output Feed for reporting purposes.
  • {stylesheet} is an optional parameter to specify the formatting style of the user choice page. Specify mobile for the default WAP 2.0 style. If you do not set this parameter, XML will be returned. This is useful if you are proxying the choice page through your own formatting system.

Example

The following example offer the same video as the previous example using the User Choice page without DRM.

http://cds1.yospace.com/access/choice/u/0/1/17281236482?f=14244563&stylesheet=mobile

Access URL Syntax for Content Uploaded via Web Services API

Direct Access URL Syntax

If you put content into yospaceCDS using the Web Services API, it is placed in the yospaceCDS store and you are returned a Content Reference. There is an Access URL syntax that allows you to use Content References to the video you want to access rather than the Content IDs you get when ingesting content via a Content Management Console Input Feed.

This form is:

http://cds1.yospace.com/access/{d|s|a}/{quality}/u/{0|1}/1/lo/5002/m/{content ID}

Where:

  • {d|s|a} is one of d, s or a to determine the delivery style. d is for HTTP download (which can include progressive download if the device supports it), s is for RTSP/RTP streaming (see note below on Streaming URLs). a is for audio only. This mode will strip out the video track and provide the audio track as an MP3 download (this style of URL is embedded in Audio Podcast feeds, for example).
  • {quality} should be replaced with the desired quality. yospaceCDS supports 50, 100, 200, 400, 600, and 800 quality thresholds (the numbers refer to the total bandwidth in kbps for the combined audio and video file). If you specify a quality not in this list, yospaceCDS will snap to the closest lower quality (for example, 350 will snap to 200, not 400).
  • {0|1} is one of 0 or 1. 1 selects DRM protected download, 0 selects unprotected download (only applies if download mechanism is selected).
  • {content ID} is the content ID of the video (this is the ID you received from the Web Services API Upload method.

Example

The following example will download a medium quality (200kbps) video without DRM.

http://cds1.yospace.com/access/d/200/u/0/1/lo/5002/m/1/2/3/4/abcd

User Choice Access URL Syntax

The User Choice access method (see above) also supports content IDs provided by the Upload function of the Web Services API: 

http://cds1.yospace.com/access/choice/u/{0|1}/1/lo/5002/m/[{content ID}][?stylesheet={stylesheet}]

Where:

  • {media item ID} is the content ID of the video.
  • {feedID} is the ID of the Output Feed to which the access should be attributed. It is optional, however it allows you to attribute the download to an Output Feed for reporting purposes.
  • {stylesheet} is an optional parameter to specify the formatting style of the user choice page. Specify mobile for the default WAP 2.0 style. If you do not set this parameter, XML will be returned. This is useful if you are proxying the choice page through your own formatting system.

Example

The following example offer the same video as the previous example using the User Choice page without DRM.

http://cds1.yospace.com/access/choice/u/0/1/lo/5002/m/1/2/3/4/abcd?stylesheet=mobile