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VOD supports multiple methods to play back uploaded and transcoded videos, and video playback mainly involves three scenarios: short video, long video, and encrypted video playback.

Short video playback

Short videos generally refer to videos of less than 5 minutes in length, mainly including:

• Videos shared on UGSV social media sites (such as TikTok).
• Product promotion videos shared on ecommerce platforms.
• Videos shared on WeChat Official Account and we media.

Long video playback

Long videos generally refer to videos produced by professional organizations and published on video websites, mainly including:

• Exclusive TV series and variety shows published on video social media platforms (such as Tencent Video, Youku, and iQIYI).
• Course videos published on online education websites (such as Tencent Class and Penguin Tutoring).
• TV programs replayed on online TV platforms (such as CNTV and Mongo TV).

Encrypted video playback

Video encryption is a specific scenario of long video playback scenarios, where copyrighted videos such as exclusive TV series and online courses are encrypted to avoid unauthorized download and distribution.

Playback Architecture

For various video playback scenarios, we recommend you use the Player SDK to play back the output video of adaptive bitrate streaming in VOD. The overall playback architecture is as follows:

1. Upload from server: The business backend uploads a video to VOD through the console, server API, or other means.
2. Trigger video processing: When the video is uploaded, adaptive bitrate streaming is specified. After the video is uploaded, video processing begins.
3. Transcode to adaptive bitstream and write to storage: After the video is transcoded to adaptive bitstream, the output video content is written to the VOD storage.
4. Update the media asset: The output video information is written into the media asset management module.
5. Distribute the signature: The business backend distributes the playback signature generated according to the player signature calculation rule.
6. Request the download address: The player gets the download address of the video from VOD's playback service after the video's FileId is specified.
7. Download the content: The player downloads the content from VOD CDN at the download address.
8. Play back the video: The player plays back the output adaptive bitstream.

Documentation

• For the features supported by the Player SDK, see Feature Description. For the integration method, see SDK Download.
• To help you quickly integrate the VOD Player, we provide an integration guide for the Player SDK to describe the integration steps by way of demos.
• For more information on how video encryption works and the integration methods in video encryption and playback scenarios, see Overview and Stage 4. Play back an encrypted video.