Real-Time Audience with Quividi AVA

This page describes the configuration of a Broadsign integration with Quividi technology.

Quividi is a camera-based audience measurement system that can define the number of viewers in front of a screen, as well as the audience composition. With the native integration, it becomes possible to:

  • Include an accurate impression count as part of the proof of play of your campaigns.
  • Use dynamic conditions to play ads based on the audience composition.

Note: Broadsign does not distribute the Quividi solution.

Note: It is possible to run Quividi and Broadsign Control Player from two different systems.

Prerequisites

Quividi integration is an advanced feature. We recommend that you be familiar with the following:

Audience Per Content (APC) reports can be provided by Quividi (in VidiCenter) or by Broadsign.

APC requires a communication channel between VidiReports and Broadsign Control Player. This can be achieved in two ways:

  • Using the Quividi Real-Time API (usually used for triggering).

    • The Real-Time API measures Watchers, which are people who turn their face toward the screen. It is supported in Quividi v7 and below. See Configure the Real-Time Audience with Quividi AVA Source for more information.

  • Using the Quividi Programmatic API (from VidiReports v7.1 and later).

    • The Programmatic API measures OTS (Opportunity to See). This is counting all the people who pass by a screen, regardless if they turn to look at it or not. This mode of operation is closest to true "impressions" in programmatic, as the numbers will be higher than just watchers. See Configure the Real-Time Audience with Quividi Programmatic Source for more information.

Broadsign Control Player takes care of obtaining and submitting the audience data. However, it may be useful to leverage Quividi's Programmatic API for other purposes.

Quividi Real-Time API

The Real-Time Audience API has two measurement components:

  • The "prediction" component – Broadsign Control Administrator requests the API to provide, in advance of the slot, estimated or expected audience numbers for when this slot will come up. This can be requested up to 35 seconds in advance and it is included in Broadsign Reach ad requests.
  • The "measurement" component – Broadsign Control Administrator requests the API to measure, during playback of a slot, the actual audience numbers. The measurement starts at the beginning of the slot and stops when playback completes. This information is reported with POPs.

Note: Quividi’s “Real-Time API” feature is required to access audience data in the Broadsign Control reports. It is not required to get APC data sent to VidiCenter.

Quividi Programmatic API

Quividi's Programmatic API is an evolution of the Audience Per Content API and is split in two sub-APIs:

  • Post bid API: when the CMS notifies VidiReports it has ended playing a content, the audience detected during its playtime is returned to it. The audience is split by demographics, in order for the CMS to report on the effective impressions through its own programmatic pipeline.
  • Pre-bid API: this API provides a short term prediction of the audience of this screen, split by demographic (2 genders x 7 age groups), so that DPS or SSPs can decide how to price that slot.

For more information, see Quividi's Programmatic API.

  1. To download the software, go to VidiReports.
  2. To download the license file, go to QuiVidi License File.
  3. On the system running the Quividi application, enable the Periodic Event mode by modifying the configuration file located under:

    4. C:\Users\Public\Quividi\VidiReports\VidiReports\data\vidireports.local.cfg

  4. To allow Broadsign Control Player to connect to the Vidireport's server, and receive audience dynamic measurements with a 300 milliseconds resolutions (enough accuracy for both dynamic conditions and impression metrics), add the following:
    • enable_socket = 1
    • default_event_mode = 2
    • event_send_period = 300
  5. In Broadsign's player configuration profile, configure the relevant information (see Configure the Real-Time Audience with Quividi AVA Source).
  1. To download the software, go to VidiReports.
  2. Access the Control Center (https://localhost:9443/ or http://localhost:9080/) and enter the generic username and password that Quividi has supplied.
  3. Navigate to the “Configure” section of the default camera feed. If you need to add multiple feeds, click the “+” on the home page and follow the add steps.
  4. Access the “Advanced parameters” tab and make sure the options are as follows if you are using the standard setup:

    5. Most of these should be pre-filled, but ensure that the following is added:

    Copy 
    Broadsign_addr (if using localhost): 127.0.0.1
    legacy_socket_port: 1974
    **Disclaimer: For multiple camera instances, you may be required to ensure a unique
    “legacy_socket_port” for each camera instance you have. You will also need to provide
    the Broadsign Frame ID for each camera instance in your Vidireports Control Center
    setup**

  5. In Broadsign's player configuration profile, configure the relevant information (see Configure the Real-Time Audience with Quividi AVA Source or Configure the Real-Time Audience with Quividi Programmatic Source).

To measure Watchers and include this audience data in your reports, enable the Audience source in a configuration profile for your player and select the Real-Time Audience with Quividi AVA source.

To configure the Real-Time Audience with Quividi AVA source:

  1. Create a configuration (see Configurations).
  2. Create a player configuration profile (see Configuration Profiles - Players).
  3. Open the Configuration Profile Properties and go to Integrations > Audience Source (see The Audience Tab).

  4. Configure the Real-Time Audience with Quividi AVA source settings.
  5. Click OK or Apply.

To measure OTS and include this audience data in your reports, enable the Audience source in a configuration profile for your player and select the Real-Time API source.

Note: This is only available with Quividi v7+

To configure the Real-Time Audience with Quividi Programmatic Source:

  1. Create a configuration (see Configurations).
  2. Create a player configuration profile (see Configuration Profiles - Players).
  3. Open the Configuration Profile Properties, and go to Integrations > Audience Source (see The Audience Tab).

  4. Configure the Real-Time Audience API source settings:

    • Enable Audience Source – To enable the source, select this box.
    • Audience Source – Select Use Real-Time Audience API.
    • Associate real-time audience API URL – Click the Add button and enter the URL of your audience source. A valid URL, with macros added, could be:

      • http://192.168.xx.xx:9080/v1/{{action_name}}?frame_id={{frame_id}}&campaign_id={{campaign_id}}&content_id={{content_id}}

      • v1/ must be right after the URL (before the macros).
      • The Frame Criteria scoping is optional.

      • If you need to use the frame_id macro, the corresponding frame_id must also be set in the "Advanced Parameters" configuration of the vidi instance, under "frame_id".

  5. Click OK or Apply.

Perfect synchronization is key for this setup as both Broadsign Control Player and Quividi need to be configured to use the same reference clock to remain in sync. Because Broadsign Control Player is by default configured to keep track of its internal clock and correct it relatively to Broadsign Server, the Time Synchronization option must be changed:

  1. Open your configuration profile properties.
  2. Go to Settings > Core.

  3. Configure the following:
    • If the Quividi application is installed on the same machine as Broadsign Control Player, change the Time Synchronization option to Synchronize player time. Broadsign Control Player will use the Broadsign Server time. The system time will remain untouched.
    • If the Quividi application is on a different machine, they both need to be set up independently using the same Network Time Protocol (NTP). In addition, Broadsign Control Player must use the system time as its internal clock. In this case, set the Time Synchronization options to Do not synchronize time.

You can capture audience information, independently, on both sides of a totem display (that is, a dual-screen with displays on opposite sides of a small tower).

Example: Imagine that you have set up two instances of VidiReports (with cameras attached). The screen on each side of the totem requires its own port, and corresponds to a separate frame with its own criterion ("F1" and "F2").

  1. Under "Map Quividi instances...", select Add. The Select Resources dialogue box opens.
  2. Under the Port tab, enter the port. In our example, we will use "123".

  3. Under Frame Criteria, select the frame criterion that corresponds to that screen. In our example, we will use "F1".

When enabling dynamic conditions, Quividi will inject conditions into Broadsign Control Player based on the audience details being captured. In the configuration, you will specify the Broadsign conditions to map those being returned by Quividi. Only one condition for each type (Age or Gender) will be active at a time. The Broadsign condition that will be activated on the player will correspond with the one matching the majority of people.

For more details about conditions, see Criteria and Conditions.

When enabled, the number of viewers will be tracked using periodic audience measurements. It is important to note that any view intersecting the playback time of an ad copy will be recorded and counted as an impression regardless of time spent looking at the ad. This impression count will be then made available in the Campaign Performance report of the corresponding campaign.

For more details, see: