Every CTV ad impression — from the moment a viewer starts watching to the creative playing on screen — passes through a chain of technical systems. A VAST tag is requested and returned. An OpenRTB auction runs in under 200 milliseconds. An SSAI server stitches the ad into the content stream. Standards like VAST, VPAID, and OpenRTB 2.6 define how these systems communicate. This tower covers the infrastructure that makes CTV advertising work: what it is, how it fails, and what it means for buyers and publishers operating in India.
Ad Serving
How video ads are requested, delivered, and tracked — VAST, SSAI, VPAID, and the creative delivery chain.
What is VAST? How the video ad serving standard works in CTV
VAST request sequence, versions 2.0 through 4.x, error codes, and India CDN delivery guidance.
VAST vs VPAID in CTV: why VPAID doesn't work on connected TV
Why VPAID fails silently on CTV native apps, how to diagnose error 405, and VAST 4.x as the correct standard.
What is SSAI? Server-side ad insertion explained
How SSAI stitches ads server-side, why it outperforms CSAI on CTV, and implementation realities for India publishers.
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Auction Mechanics
How programmatic auctions work on CTV — RTB, header bidding, first-price dynamics, and pod auction structure.
Real-time bidding in CTV: how RTB works on connected TV
The RTB auction sequence, how CTV differs from display RTB, bid request signals, and first-price dynamics in India.
Header bidding in CTV: how server-side prebid works
Why CTV header bidding is server-side, how prebid orchestration works, and India publisher adoption realities.
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Standards and Specs
The protocols and specifications that define CTV programmatic — OpenRTB, ads.txt, SupplyChain, and IAB standards.
OpenRTB for CTV: the bid request fields that matter
OpenRTB 2.5/2.6 objects for CTV — imp, app, device, content — and India-specific field coverage and floor pricing.