Get started with the IMA DAI SDK

IMA SDKs make it easy to integrate multimedia ads into your websites and apps. IMA SDKs can request ads from any VAST-compliant ad server and manage ad playback in your apps. With IMA DAI SDKs, apps make a stream request for ad and content video—either VOD or live content. The SDK then returns a combined video stream, so that you don't have to manage switching between ad and content video within your app.

Select the DAI solution you're interested in

This guide demonstrates how to play a DAI Pod Serving live or VOD stream, using the IMA DAI SDK for Roku. To view or follow a completed sample integration, download the Pod Serving example.

IMA DAI Pod Serving overview

Implementing Pod Serving using the IMA DAI involves two main SDK components, which are demonstrated in this guide:

StreamRequest.createPodLiveStreamRequest() / StreamRequest.createPodVodStreamRequest(): Creates an object that defines a stream request to Google's advertising servers. These requests specify a Network Code, and Pod Live ima.StreamRequest also requires a Custom Asset Key, and an optional API key.
StreamManager: An object that handles communication between the video stream and the IMA DAI SDK, such as firing tracking pings and forwarding stream events to the publisher.

In addition, you need to make a request to your manifest manipulation server to retrieve the stream manifest for your app to display. The exact process can vary video technology partner (VTP) to VTP.

Prerequisites

Read through our compatibility page to make sure your intended use case is supported.
Download our Roku sample player code.
Deploy the sample player code to a Roku device to verify that your development set up is working.

Play your video

The sample video player provided plays a content video out of the box. Deploy the sample player to your Roku device to ensure your development environment is set up properly.

Turn your video player into an IMA DAI stream player

Follow these steps to implement a stream player.

Create Sdk.xml

Add a new file to your project alongside MainScene.xml called Sdk.xml, and add the following boilerplate:

Sdk.xml

<?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "utf-8" ?>

  <component name = "imasdk" extends = "Task">
  <interface>
  </interface>
  <script type = "text/brightscript">
  <![CDATA[
    ' Your code goes here.
  ]]>
  </script>
  </component>

You need to edit both of these files (MainScene.xml and Sdk.xml) throughout this guide.

Load the IMA DAI SDK Framework

To load the framework, add the following to manifest and Sdk.xml:

manifest

bs_libs_required=googleima3

Sdk.xml

<?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "utf-8" ?>

  <component name = "imasdk" extends = "Task">
  <interface>
  </interface>
  <script type = "text/brightscript">
  <![CDATA[
  Library "IMA3.brs"
  ]]>
  </script>
  </component>

Initialize the IMA DAI SDK

The first step to loading your IMA Dynamic Ad Insertion stream is to load and initialize the IMA DAI SDK. The following initializes the IMA DAI SDK script.

Sdk.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

  <component name="IMASDKTask" extends="Task">
  <interface>
    <field id="IMASDKInitialized" type="Boolean" />
    <field id="errors" type="stringarray" />
  </interface>
  <script type = "text/brightscript">
  <![CDATA[
    Library "IMA3.brs"
    sub init()
      m.top.functionName = "runThread"
    end sub

    sub runThread()
      if not m.top.IMASDKInitialized
        initializeIMASDK()
      end if
    end sub

    sub initializeIMASDK()
        if m.sdk = invalid
          m.sdk = New_IMASDK()
        end if
        m.top.IMASDKInitialized = true
    end sub
  ]]>
  </script>
  </component>

Now start this task in MainScene.xml and remove the call to load the content stream.

MainScene.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

<component extends="Scene" initialFocus="myVideo" name="MainScene">
  <script type="text/brightscript">
  <![CDATA[
  function init()
    m.video = m.top.findNode("myVideo")
    m.video.notificationinterval = 1
    runIMASDKTask()
  end function

  function runIMASDKTask()
    m.IMASDKTask = createObject("roSGNode", "IMASDKTask")
    m.IMASDKTask.observeField("IMASDKInitialized", "handleIMASDKInitialized")
    m.IMASDKTask.observeField("errors", "handleIMASDKErrors")

    m.IMASDKTask.control = "RUN"
  end function

  sub handleIMASDKInitialized()

    ' Follow your manifest manipulator (VTP) documentation to register a user
    ' streaming session if needed.

  end sub

  sub handleIMASDKErrors(message as object)
    print "------ IMA DAI SDK failed  ------"
    if message <> invalid and message.getData() <> invalid
      print "IMA DAI SDK Error ";message.getData()
    end if
  end sub
  ]]>
  </script>
  <children>
    <Video height="720" id="myVideo" visible="false" width="1280"/>
  </children>
</component>

Create an IMA stream player

Next, you need to use your existing roVideoScreen to create an IMA stream player.

Live stream Pod Serving

For live streams, this stream player implements three callback methods: streamInitialized, adBreakStarted, and adBreakEnded.

Also disable trick play when the stream is loaded. This prevents users from skipping a pre-roll in the instant that it starts, before the ad break started event is fired.

Sdk.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

  <component name="IMASDKTask" extends="Task">
  <interface>
    <field id="IMASDKInitialized" type="Boolean" />
    <field id="errors" type="stringarray" />
    <field id="urlData" type="assocarray" />
    <field id="adPlaying" type="Boolean" />
    <field id="videoNode" type="Node" />
  </interface>

  <script type="text/brightscript">
  ...
  sub runThread()
    if not m.top.IMASDKInitialized
      initializeIMASDK()
    end if

    setupPlayerCallbacks()
  end sub
  ...
  sub initializeIMASDK()
    if m.ima = invalid
      ima = New_IMASDK()
      ima.initSdk()
      m.ima = ima
    end if
    m.top.IMASDKInitialized = true
  end sub

  sub setupPlayerCallbacks()
    m.player = m.ima.createPlayer()
    m.player.top = m.top

    m.player.streamInitialized = function(urlData)
      m.top.videoNode.enableTrickPlay = false
      m.top.urlData = urlData
    end function

    m.player.adBreakStarted = function(adBreakInfo)
      print "------ Ad break started ------"
      m.top.adPlaying = true
      m.top.videoNode.enableTrickPlay = false
    end function

    m.player.adBreakEnded = function(adBreakInfo)
      print "------ Ad break ended ------"
      m.top.adPlaying = false
      m.top.videoNode.enableTrickPlay = true
    end function

  end sub
  </script>
...
</component>

VOD stream Pod Serving

For VOD streams, this stream player implements four callback methods: streamInitialized, loadUrl, adBreakStarted, and adBreakEnded. In the streamInitialized callback, make sure to call StreamManager.loadThirdPartyStream(). Failure to do so will result in SDK not triggering the loadUrl function.

In this step, you also request a stream URL from your video technology partner (VTP) with a stream ID obtained in loadAdPodStream(). Then, call StreamManager.loadThirdPartyStream() with the ad pod manifest and any subtitles returned by your VTP.

Also disable trick play when the stream is loaded. This prevents users from skipping a pre-roll in the instant that it starts, before the ad break started event is fired.

Sdk.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

  <component name="IMASDKTask" extends="Task">
  <interface>
    <field id="IMASDKInitialized" type="Boolean" />
    <field id="errors" type="stringarray" />
    <field id="adStitchedStreamInfo" type="assocarray" />
    <field id="adPlaying" type="Boolean" />
    <field id="videoNode" type="Node" />
    <field id="streamParameters" type="assocarray" />
  </interface>

  <script type="text/brightscript">
  ...
  sub runThread()
    if not m.top.IMASDKInitialized
      initializeIMASDK()
    end if

    setupPlayerCallbacks()
  end sub
  ...
  sub initializeIMASDK()
    if m.ima = invalid
      ima = New_IMASDK()
      ima.initSdk()
      m.ima = ima
    end if
    m.top.IMASDKInitialized = true
  end sub

  sub loadThirdPartyStream(adStitchedManifest as string, subtitleConfig as dynamic)
    m.streamManager.loadThirdPartyStream(adStitchedManifest, subtitleConfig)
  end sub

  sub setupPlayerCallbacks()
    m.player = m.ima.createPlayer()
    m.player.top = m.top

    m.player.streamInitialized = function(urlData)
      adStitchedManifest = m.top.streamParameters.VTPManifest.replace("[[STREAMID]]", urlData.streamId)
      loadThirdPartyStream(adStitchedManifest, m.top.streamParameters.subtitleConfig)
    end function

    m.player.loadUrl = function(streamInfo)
      m.top.adStitchedStreamInfo = streamInfo
    end function

    m.player.adBreakStarted = function(adBreakInfo)
      print "------ Ad break started ------"
      m.top.adPlaying = true
      m.top.videoNode.enableTrickPlay = false
    end function

    m.player.adBreakEnded = function(adBreakInfo)
      print "------ Ad break ended ------"
      m.top.adPlaying = false
      m.top.videoNode.enableTrickPlay = true
    end function

  end sub
  </script>
...
</component>

Create and execute a live or VOD Pod Serving stream request

After you have a stream player, you can create and execute a stream request. This example has data for a Pod Serving stream stored in m.testPodServingStream.

Live stream Pod Serving

In the m.testPodServingStream object, store the parameters that Google Ad Manager needs to identify the stream in question, such as a network code and custom asset key. Also store the manifest URL used to access your manifest manipulation server. In this case, the manifest URL needs to have the Google Stream ID added after the stream request is returned.

To be able to support AdUI, such as adChoices icons, you must also pass a reference to the node containing your content video as part of your request.

MainScene.xml

function init()
  m.video = m.top.findNode("myVideo")
  m.video.notificationinterval = 1
  m.testPodServingStream = {
    title: "Test live stream for DAI Pod Serving",
    assetKey: "test-live-stream",
    networkCode: "your-network-code",
    manifest: "https://.../master.m3u8?stream_id=[[STREAMID]]",
    apiKey: ""
  }
  runIMASDKTask()
end function

function runIMASDKTask()
  m.IMASDKTask = createObject("roSGNode", "IMASDKTask")

  m.IMASDKTask.streamParameters = m.testPodservingStream
  m.IMASDKTask.videoNode = m.video

  m.IMASDKTask.observeField("IMASDKInitialized", "handleIMASDKInitialized")
  m.IMASDKTask.observeField("errors", "handleIMASDKErrors")

  m.IMASDKTask.control = "RUN"
end function

Sdk.xml

<interface>
  <field id="IMASDKInitialized" type="Boolean" />
  <field id="errors" type="stringarray" />
  <field id="urlData" type="assocarray" />
  <field id="adPlaying" type="Boolean" />
  <field id="videoNode" type="Node" />
  <field id="streamParameters" type="assocarray" />
</interface>

...

sub runThread()
  if not m.top.IMASDKInitialized
    initializeIMASDK()
  end if

  setupPlayerCallbacks()
  loadAdPodStream()
end sub

sub loadAdPodStream()
  request = m.ima.CreatePodLiveStreamRequest(m.top.streamParameters.assetKey, m.top.streamParameters.networkCode, m.top.streamParameters.apiKey)

  ' Set the player object so that the request can trigger the player's
  ' callbacks at stream initialization or playback events.
  request.player = m.player

  ' Set the video node for the IMA DAI SDK to create ad UI as its child nodes.
  request.adUiNode = m.top.video

  requestResult = m.ima.requestStream(request)
  if requestResult <> invalid
    print "Error requesting stream ";requestResult
    return
  end if

  m.streamManager = invalid
  while m.streamManager = invalid
    sleep(50)
    m.streamManager = m.ima.getStreamManager()
  end while

  if m.streamManager = invalid
    errors = CreateObject("roArray", 1, True)
    invalidStreamManagerError = "Invalid stream manager"
    print invalidStreamManagerError
    errors.push(invalidStreamManagerError)
    m.top.errors = errors
    return
  end if

  if m.streamManager["type"] <> invalid and m.streamManager["type"] = "error"
    errors = CreateObject("roArray", 1, True)
    print "Stream request returns an error. " ; m.streamManager["info"]
    errors.push(m.streamManager["info"])
    m.top.errors = errors
    return
  end if

  setupStreamManager()
  m.streamManager.start()
end sub

VOD stream Pod Serving

In the m.testPodServingStream object, you'll store the network code used in the stream request, so Google Ad Manager can provide a stream ID. Also store the manifest URL used to access the user specific manifest on your manifest manipulation server.

To be able to support AdUI, such as adChoices icons, you must also pass a reference to the node containing your content video as part of your request.

MainScene.xml

sub init()
  m.video = m.top.findNode("myVideo")
  m.video.notificationinterval = 1
  m.testPodServingStream = {
    title: "Pod Serving VOD Stream",
    networkCode: "your-network-code",
    VTPManifest: "https://.../manifest.m3u8?gam-stream-id=[[STREAMID]]",
    subtitleConfig: []
  }
  runIMASDKTask()
end sub

sub runIMASDKTask()
  m.IMASDKTask = createObject("roSGNode", "IMASDKTask")

  m.IMASDKTask.streamParameters = m.testPodservingStream
  m.IMASDKTask.videoNode = m.video

  m.IMASDKTask.observeField("IMASDKInitialized", "handleIMASDKInitialized")
  m.IMASDKTask.observeField("errors", "handleIMASDKErrors")

  m.IMASDKTask.control = "RUN"
end sub

Sdk.xml

sub runThread()
  if not m.top.IMASDKInitialized
    initializeIMASDK()
  end if

  setupPlayerCallbacks()
  loadAdPodStream()
end sub

sub loadAdPodStream()
  request = m.ima.CreatePodVodStreamRequest(m.top.streamParameters.networkCode)

  ' Set the player object so that the request can trigger the player
  ' callbacks at stream initialization or playback events.
  request.player = m.player

  ' Set the video node for the IMA DAI SDK to create ad UI as its child nodes.
  request.adUiNode = m.top.video

  requestResult = m.ima.requestStream(request)
  if requestResult <> invalid
    print "Error requesting stream ";requestResult
    return
  end if

  m.streamManager = invalid
  while m.streamManager = invalid
    sleep(50)
    m.streamManager = m.ima.getStreamManager()
  end while

  if m.streamManager = invalid
    errors = CreateObject("roArray", 1, True)
    invalidStreamManagerError = "Invalid stream manager"
    print invalidStreamManagerError
    errors.push(invalidStreamManagerError)
    m.top.errors = errors
    return
  end if

  if m.streamManager["type"] <> invalid and m.streamManager["type"] = "error"
    errors = CreateObject("roArray", 1, True)
    print "Stream request returns an error. " ; m.streamManager["info"]
    errors.push(m.streamManager["info"])
    m.top.errors = errors
    return
  end if

  setupStreamManager()
  m.streamManager.start()
end sub

Add event listeners and start the stream

Live stream Pod Serving

After requesting your stream, there are only a few things left to do: add event listeners to track ad progress and forward Roku messages to the SDK. It's important that you forward all messages to the SDK to ensure correct ad playback. Failure to do so results in ad views being improperly reported.

In this step, you also add a function to replace the [[STREAMID]] macro with the stream ID and pass the completed manifest request URL to the video player. This implementation gets the stream ID in this step, but depending on your VTP integration, it may be available before this step.

MainScene.xml

function runIMASDKTask()
  m.IMASDKTask = createObject("roSGNode", "IMASDKTask")

  m.IMASDKTask.streamParameters = m.testPodservingStream
  m.IMASDKTask.videoNode = m.video

  m.IMASDKTask.observeField("IMASDKInitialized", "handleIMASDKInitialized")
  m.IMASDKTask.observeField("errors", "handleIMASDKErrors")
  m.sdkTask.observeField("adStitchedStreamInfo", "loadAdStitchedStream")

  m.sdkTask.control = "RUN"
end function

sub loadAdStitchedStream(message as object)
  print "Ad pod stream information ";message
  adPodStreamInfo = message.getData()
  manifest = m.testPodservingStream.manifest.Replace("[[STREAMID]]", adPodStreamInfo.streamId)
  playStream(manifest, adPodStreamInfo.format)
end sub

sub playStream(url as string, format as string)
  vidContent = createObject("RoSGNode", "ContentNode")
  vidContent.url = url
  vidContent.title = m.testPodservingStream.title
  vidContent.streamformat = format
  m.video.content = vidContent
  m.video.setFocus(true)
  m.video.visible = true
  m.video.control = "play"
  m.video.EnableCookies()
end sub

Sdk.xml

sub runThread()
  if not m.top.IMASDKInitialized
    initializeIMASDK()
  end if

  setupPlayerCallbacks()
  loadAdPodStream()
  if m.streamManager <> invalid
    runLoop()
  end if
end sub

sub runLoop()
  m.top.videoNode.timedMetaDataSelectionKeys = ["*"]

  ' IMPORTANT: Failure to listen to the position and timedmetadata fields
  ' could result in ad impressions not being reported.
  m.port = CreateObject("roMessagePort")
  m.top.videoNode.observeField("position", m.port)
  m.top.videoNode.observeField("timedMetaData", m.port)
  m.top.videoNode.observeField("timedMetaData2", m.port)
  m.top.videoNode.observeField("state", m.port)

  while True
    msg = wait(1000, m.port)
    if m.top.videoNode = invalid
      print "exiting"
      exit while
    end if

    m.streamManager.onMessage(msg)
    currentTime = m.top.videoNode.position
    if currentTime > 3 And not m.top.adPlaying
      m.top.videoNode.enableTrickPlay = true
    end if
  end while
end sub

sub setupStreamManager()
  m.streamManager.addEventListener(m.sdk.AdEvent.ERROR, errorCallback)
  m.streamManager.addEventListener(m.sdk.AdEvent.START, startCallback)
  m.streamManager.addEventListener(m.sdk.AdEvent.FIRST_QUARTILE, firstQuartileCallback)
  m.streamManager.addEventListener(m.sdk.AdEvent.MIDPOINT, midpointCallback)
  m.streamManager.addEventListener(m.sdk.AdEvent.THIRD_QUARTILE, thirdQuartileCallback)
  m.streamManager.addEventListener(m.sdk.AdEvent.COMPLETE, completeCallback)
end sub

sub startCallback(ad as object)
  print "Callback from SDK -- Start called - "
end sub

sub firstQuartileCallback(ad as object)
  print "Callback from SDK -- First quartile called - "
end sub

sub midpointCallback(ad as object)
  print "Callback from SDK -- Midpoint called - "
end sub

sub thirdQuartileCallback(ad as object)
  print "Callback from SDK -- Third quartile called - "
end sub

sub completeCallback(ad as object)
  print "Callback from SDK -- Complete called - "
end sub

function errorCallback(error as object)
  print "Callback from SDK -- Error called - " ; error
  m.errorState = True
end function

VOD stream Pod Serving

After requesting your stream, there are only a few things left to do: add event listeners to track ad progress and forward Roku messages to the SDK. It is important that you forward all messages to the SDK to ensure correct ad playback. Failure to do so will cause ad views to be improperly reported.

MainScene.xml

sub runIMASDKTask()
  m.IMASDKTask = createObject("roSGNode", "IMASDKTask")

  m.IMASDKTask.streamParameters = m.testPodservingStream
  m.IMASDKTask.videoNode = m.video

  m.IMASDKTask.observeField("IMASDKInitialized", "handleIMASDKInitialized")
  m.IMASDKTask.observeField("errors", "handleIMASDKErrors")
  m.sdkTask.observeField("adStitchedStreamInfo", "loadAdStitchedStream")

  m.sdkTask.control = "RUN"
end sub

sub loadAdStitchedStream(message as object)
  print "Ad pod stream information ";message
  adPodStreamInfo = message.getData()
end sub

sub playStream(url as string, format as string, subtitleConfig as object)
  vidContent = createObject("RoSGNode", "ContentNode")
  vidContent.title = m.testPodservingStream.title
  vidContent.url = url
  vidContent.subtitleConfig = subtitleConfig
  vidContent.streamformat = format
  m.video.content = vidContent
  m.video.setFocus(true)
  m.video.visible = true
  m.video.control = "play"
  m.video.EnableCookies()
end sub

Sdk.xml

sub runThread()
  if not m.top.IMASDKInitialized
    initializeIMASDK()
  end if

  setupPlayerCallbacks()
  loadAdPodStream()
  if m.streamManager <> invalid
    runLoop()
  end if
end sub

sub runLoop()
  m.top.videoNode.timedMetaDataSelectionKeys = ["*"]

  ' IMPORTANT: Failure to listen to the position and timedmetadata fields
  ' could result in ad impressions not being reported.
  m.port = CreateObject("roMessagePort")
  m.top.videoNode.observeField("position", m.port)
  m.top.videoNode.observeField("timedMetaData", m.port)
  m.top.videoNode.observeField("timedMetaData2", m.port)
  m.top.videoNode.observeField("state", m.port)

  while True
    msg = wait(1000, m.port)
    if m.top.videoNode = invalid
      exit while
    end if

    m.streamManager.onMessage(msg)
    currentTime = m.top.videoNode.position
    if currentTime > 3 and not m.top.adPlaying
      m.top.videoNode.enableTrickPlay = true
    end if
  end while
end sub

sub setupStreamManager()
  m.streamManager.addEventListener(m.sdk.AdEvent.ERROR, errorCallback)
  m.streamManager.addEventListener(m.sdk.AdEvent.START, startCallback)
  m.streamManager.addEventListener(m.sdk.AdEvent.FIRST_QUARTILE, firstQuartileCallback)
  m.streamManager.addEventListener(m.sdk.AdEvent.MIDPOINT, midpointCallback)
  m.streamManager.addEventListener(m.sdk.AdEvent.THIRD_QUARTILE, thirdQuartileCallback)
  m.streamManager.addEventListener(m.sdk.AdEvent.COMPLETE, completeCallback)
end sub

sub startCallback(ad as object)
  print "Callback from SDK -- Start called - "
end sub

sub firstQuartileCallback(ad as object)
  print "Callback from SDK -- First quartile called - "
end sub

sub midpointCallback(ad as object)
  print "Callback from SDK -- Midpoint called - "
end sub

sub thirdQuartileCallback(ad as object)
  print "Callback from SDK -- Third quartile called - "
end sub

sub completeCallback(ad as object)
  print "Callback from SDK -- Complete called - "
end sub

sub errorCallback(error as object)
  print "Callback from SDK -- Error called - " ; error
  m.errorState = True
end sub