VAST Version 4.1: Released June 2018
Updates include: Improved Ad Verification, Server-Side Ad Insertion, Ad Creative Measurement and Integration of Audio Advertising
The majority of gaps found in VAST 4.0 have been addressed and revised in Version 4.1. The Digital Video Technical Working Group has anticipated that VAST 4.1 will be the first version of VAST4 to be widely adopted. Below, we’ve listed some of the highlights and changes introduced in VAST 4.1.
VAST 4.1 Highlights & Changes:
- DAAST (Digital Audio Ad Serving Template) – DAAST has been consolidated within VAST 4.1.
- Ad Requests – VAST 4.1 now includes a simple Ad Request specification, based upon macros. VAST 4.1 has a response protocol.
- Verification – Updates now enable verification to be supported within a non-VPAID architecture (separate from media files). This change includes the ability to work with Open Measurement.
- Server-Side Insertion (SSAI) Changes – In Version 4.1, minor changes have been made to how headers should be displayed. In addition, the new “Ad Request” section is now relevant to SSAI use cases.
- Adjustments to Video Player Ad-Serving Interface Definition (VPAID) – VAST 4.1 will be taking the first steps to officially deprecate the use of VPAID.
- AdServingID – An added field to simplify the process of comparing data about video impressions across various systems involved with the delivery and tracking of the impressions.
- VAST 4.1 Interactive Templates – The ability to address needs for interactive ads, without ad delivered executable code.
- Deprecating Non-Linear Ads – In order to simplify VAST 4.1, Non-Linear ads are being deprecated based on low usage.
- Closed Captioning – VAST 4.1 Standardizes the delivery of Closed Captioning files.