SCTE-35 cues.
Every break marked to the exact frame.
Point Media Tech's Ad Insertion is an SCTE-35 ad-break signaling system: it detects existing cues in SDI / IP signals, generates them where the program has none, and hands frame-accurate SCTE-35 cues downstream to SSAI and your ad decision stack. SCTE-35 is the signaling standard cable and streaming operators use to mark where a break starts, how long it runs and when the program returns; one cue can leave as MPEG-TS in-band, HLS tags and a DASH event, with VAST / VMAP programmatic integration.
SCTE-35Ad marker standard
CueAd-break marking
VAST/VMAPProgrammatic ready
N×Linear channel scale
You can see which frame
the break landed on.
Point Media Tech's Ad Insertion cue console lays the program track against the SCTE-35 track. Breaks tagged "generated" were detected and marked by the system itself; the same cue leaves simultaneously as SCTE-35, SCTE-104, HLS tags and a DASH event: SCTE-104 serves the SDI baseband signal, SCTE-35 the compressed MPEG-TS and streams.
Ad Insertion decides when to break. SSAI decides whose ad goes in, and how it reaches the stream.
Point Media Tech's Ad Insertion handles the first: frame-accurate SCTE-35 cues on your linear signal. To splice ads into the HLS / DASH stream your viewer actually receives, see SSAI server-side ad insertion.
- Linear signal
- Ad Insertion
frame-accurate cues - SSAI
read cue, call for ad, stitch - The viewer's stream
From hand-hit breaks and drifting marks
to automated SCTE-35 signaling.
Automated SCTE-35 cueing fixes unreliable break signaling, so downstream systems know where an ad can go. Legacy break operations: an operator hits the break by hand or fires it from a fixed schedule, so one programming change throws every mark out of position; the source signal carries no SCTE-35, so nothing downstream can tell where an ad is allowed; marks land on whole-second boundaries and clip frames at the cut. Ad Insertion standardizes the break itself: existing SCTE-35 cues are detected from SDI / IP signals, and cues are generated actively where the source has none (paired with Commercial Detection AI); every cue is aligned to HLS / DASH segment boundaries, frame-accurate and drift-free; the result is signaled downstream in standard form to SSAI and your ad decision server.
Hand-hit breaks, fixed schedules, drift
Breaks fired by an operator or a fixed schedule; one programming change puts every mark out of position; the source carries no SCTE-35, so downstream systems cannot see the break; marks land on whole-second boundaries and clip frames at the cut.
Detected, generated, frame-accurate
Existing SCTE-35 cues detected from SDI / IP automatically; cues generated where the source has none; every cue aligned to HLS / DASH segment boundaries, frame-accurate and drift-free; signaled downstream in standard form to SSAI and ad decision servers.
Today · Manual cueing, breaks that do not line up
- Fired by a button press or a fixed clock
- One programme overrun and the whole schedule slips
- No SCTE-35 in the source, so downstream sees no breaks
- Marks land on whole seconds, clipping frames at the switch
After · Automated SCTE-35 cueing
- Existing cues detected from SDI / IP signals
- Where there are none, AI detection generates them
- Cues align to HLS / DASH segment boundaries, no drift
- Emitted in standard form to SSAI and decisioning
Three layers, one continuous
dynamic ad monetization pipeline.
Point Media Tech's Ad Insertion works in three layers: SCTE-35 detection, cue signaling and programmatic integration. Each layer is sized independently, licensed by channel and event volume, and extensible as you grow.
SCTE-35 cue detection & generation · SCTE-35 Cue
Detects existing SCTE-35 cues in SDI / IP streams (cue-out / cue-in / break_duration); generates cues actively where the source has none (paired with Commercial Detection AI); writes cues at HLS / DASH segment boundaries; frame-accurate, drift-free.
- SCTE-35 cue-out / cue-in
- Active cue generation (AI)
- HLS / DASH segment alignment
- Frame-accurate alignment
Cue signaling & downstream handoff · Cue Signalling
Carries detected and generated cues downstream in standard SCTE-35 form: in-band in the MPEG-TS signal, marked in the HLS / DASH manifest, or pushed to packagers and ad decision systems over API / webhook. break_duration, upid, and segmentation_descriptor are preserved end-to-end, so SSAI has everything it needs to stitch.
- SCTE-35 in-band signaling
- HLS / DASH manifest markers
- API / webhook handoff
- Break parameters preserved
Programmatic integration · Programmatic Integration
VAST / VMAP ad tags; integration with Google Ad Manager, Magnite, FreeWheel, PubMatic; personalized targeting (IP / device / geo / behavior); fill-rate and CPM dashboards in real time; ad logs and revenue reports.
- VAST 4.x / VMAP 1.0
- GAM / Magnite / FreeWheel
- Personalized targeting
- Fill rate + CPM dashboards
The ad break is the starting point from content to revenue —
stream in, frame-accurate cues out.
Point Media Tech's Ad Insertion turns the incoming signal into frame-accurate ad events and hands them to SSAI downstream, in five stages: stream in, cue detection, cue signaling, ad decisioning and handoff to SSAI.
- Stream InSDI / IP / OTT origin · multi-stream
- Cue DetectSCTE-35 detect / generate
- Cue SignalIn-band + manifest markers
- Ad DecisionVAST / VMAP · programmatic match
- To SSAIDownstream stitching and delivery
Engineering specifications.
Point Media Tech's Ad Insertion supports SCTE-35 cue-out / cue-in, break_duration and segmentation_descriptor; a full spec sheet and live engineering walkthrough are available on request.
| SCTE-35 support | cue-out / cue-in · break_duration · segmentation_descriptor · upid · active cue generation (AI ad detection) |
|---|---|
| Input signals | SDI / NDI / SRT / RTMP / HLS / DASH origin · MPEG-TS · multi-stream concurrency |
| Ad protocols | VAST 2.0 / 3.0 / 4.x · VMAP 1.0 · integrations with GAM / Magnite / FreeWheel / PubMatic · custom ad servers |
| Cue signaling | SCTE-35 in-band (MPEG-TS) · HLS EXT-X-CUE-OUT / DASH EventStream markers · API / webhook handoff to SSAI and packagers |
| Personalization | IP / geo / device / OS / behavior · creative rotation · A/B testing · cross-device identity |
| Monitoring & reporting | Fill rate · CPM · ad logs (VAST tracking) · real-time dashboards · OpenRTB log export |
| Licensing | Licensed by streaming channels and ad-insertion event volume; software license + annual maintenance; cloud or on-premise |
Three steps, from evaluation to production.
Request a trial
Submit the contact form. A sales engineer will respond within one business day to schedule a consultation.
Integration assessment
Our solutions engineer reviews your stream architecture, ad-server integration, and monetization strategy, then plans cue sources and downstream signaling.
Deploy and go live
After ad-server integration and creative onboarding, we run acceptance tests (cue detection accuracy, break alignment) and phase the rollout to protect existing ad operations.
Frequently asked questions.
What is SCTE-35, and how does it relate to ad insertion?
SCTE-35 is the signaling standard that marks ad breaks in a stream: where a break starts, how long it runs and when the program returns. Point Media Tech's Ad Insertion detects or generates these cues and outputs them as MPEG-TS in-band, HLS EXT-X-CUE-OUT and DASH EventStream. The actual splicing of ads into the stream is done downstream by SSAI or the packager.
Can we still insert ads if the program signal carries no SCTE-35 cues?
Yes: where the program has no cues, Point Media Tech's Ad Insertion can generate SCTE-35 cues using AI ad detection from Commercial Detection. Generated cues align to HLS / DASH segment boundaries, with break_duration, upid and segmentation_descriptor preserved end-to-end. Downstream SSAI gets everything it needs to stitch.
How do automated SCTE-35 cues compare with an operator hitting breaks by hand?
Automated cues stop break positions depending on a button press or a fixed clock, so breaks stay aligned when program length changes. Point Media Tech's Ad Insertion marks breaks with frame-accurate cues and hands them in standard form to downstream SSAI and programmatic ad systems. Ad decisioning and stitching get a consistent, traceable reference.
Can Ad Insertion integrate with our existing OTT playout and ad servers?
Yes: Point Media Tech's Ad Insertion supports VAST / VMAP ad tags and notifies packagers and ad decision systems over API / webhook. It integrates with existing ad servers and OTT platforms, and can chain with Commercial Detection and ScoreCast-AD.
How is Ad Insertion licensed?
Point Media Tech's Ad Insertion is licensed by the number of streaming channels and ad-insertion event volume, for cloud or on-premise deployment. Licensing is a software license plus annual maintenance; contact sales for a quote based on your ad operations.
How can we start evaluating Ad Insertion?
Submit the contact form and a sales engineer will respond within one business day to scope your SCTE-35 cue sources and downstream handoff. The assessment covers stream architecture and ad-server integration. Acceptance testing covers cue detection accuracy and break alignment.
Ready to mark ad breaks
to the frame and hand them on?
Book a demo and see how Point Media Tech's Ad Insertion marks ad breaks to the frame with SCTE-35 cues, then hands them to SSAI.