09 Sep 25
In the large-scale distribution of audiovisual content, ensuring low latency, high availability, and resilience is essential. That’s why the use of CDNs is almost indispensable in the technological strategies of audiovisual media.
Taking advantage of this strategy is a different matter. Have you chosen the best CDN for your needs? Are you taking full advantage of its potential? In this article, we review four aspects that any OTT video service, broadcaster, and telecommunications operator should consider when interacting with a content delivery network.
Among the most widely used options for efficiently managing on-demand (VOD) content is URL purging, which allows you to selectively remove specific objects from the cache and is very useful for performing one-time updates. It’s important that this be done within milliseconds to ensure content freshness.
For bulk operations, tag purging offers a more flexible way to invalidate groups of assets associated with the same content or campaign, reducing errors and execution times. Additionally, next-generation CDNs implement strategies to handle stale content, temporarily serving expired content while the cache is updated to avoid delivery interruptions. These features are critical for broadcasters, who need a balance between update agility and service continuity.
Using Adaptive Bitrate allows the bitrate to be adjusted in real time based on the user’s bandwidth and network conditions, avoiding interruptions and reducing buffering without the need for manual intervention. This means that, in a single stream, each viewer receives the best possible quality for their context, from high-speed connections to limited mobile networks.
Additionally, user-agent analysis allows the CDN to identify the type of device, operating system, and browser, adjusting supported formats, codecs, and resolutions to ensure smooth playback. These combined capabilities ensure efficient and optimized delivery for each user, maximizing Quality of Service (QoE) in high-concurrency environments.
Through tokenization, for example, each request is authenticated and authorized, preventing unauthorized access or improper link sharing. Geoblocking can restrict content viewing to specific regions, complying with licensing agreements and local regulations. And integration with DRM systems guarantees protection against piracy through encryption and granular control over content use.
Finally, automated TLS/SSL certificate management ensures that all transmissions are carried out over encrypted connections, maintaining user privacy. These features safeguard content integrity, guarantee copyright compliance, and ensure an optimal user experience. A dedicated, quality support team also ensures that, in the inevitable unresolved issues, problem resolution is quick and effective for all involved.
Next-generation CDNs, such as Transparent Edge, offer real-time analytics, displaying metrics such as bandwidth usage, number of requests, cache hit ratio, and delivery quality, all accessible from an interactive dashboard that centralizes critical information.
Additionally, for more advanced integrations, APIs facilitate data extraction and automation, allowing broadcasters to incorporate these metrics into their own monitoring systems.
Finally, log management in both batch and streaming formats ensures complete traceability of requests, which is essential for forensic analysis, incident resolution, and performance optimization. These capabilities provide the visibility needed to anticipate incidents, optimize performance, and support strategic decisions based on accurate data.
We could include another parameter that we consider crucial, but we believe it’s important enough to deserve a separate title: good advice. Although it’s not a technological feature in itself, we do believe it’s key when choosing a CDN.
Technology in highly standardized environments like video streaming tends to be very similar across different providers. For a larger or smaller budget, you can access the vast majority of the advanced features you need to optimize video delivery. But having a team of experts on a day-to-day basis is an intangible factor.
Not only because they’ll help you solve any problem, but also because they’ll proactively propose a thousand and one ways to improve the service you provide, tailored to the specific needs and pace of each business. And no technology can match that. Humans 1 – Technology 0.
Our team is very human (and very technical, too). Contact us to learn how we can improve your video distribution.
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