Glossary

A

Admin Tags #

A non-hierarchical keyword or term assigned to an entry to help describe it and allow it to be found again through a search by an administrator. Admin tags can only be added by the system administrator.

AGPL v3 #

The Affero General Public License, version 3. Kaltura CE is licensed under AGPL v3.

API Admin Secret #

A unique administrator-level security string assigned to a specific Kaltura Partner. This is used by the Kaltura servers as a key for authenticating admin API sessions initiated by client-side applications utilizing Kaltura technology.

API User Secret #

A unique end-user-level security string assigned to a specific Kaltura Partner. This is used by the Kaltura servers as a key for authenticating end-user API sessions initiated by client-side applications utilizing Kaltura technology.

Aspect Ratio #

The ratio between the width and the height of a video. Most common ratios are: 4:3 – normal screen, 16:9 – wide screen. Read more: Best Practices For Multi-Device Transcoding.

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B

Bumper video #

Typically refers to a linear video ad with a clickable call-to-action; format is usually shorter than full linear ads (i.e. 3-10 seconds) and the call-to-action can usually load another video or can bring up a new site while pausing the content.

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C

CDN #

[Wikipedia, Akamai] A content delivery network or content distribution network is a system of computers networked together across the Internet that cooperate transparently to distribute content for the purposes of improving performance and scalability.

CMS #

Content Management System. [Wikipedia]

Codec #

Compressor/decompressor. Technology used to compress and decompress computer data, such as audio or video files. Read more: Best Practices For Multi-Device Transcoding.

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D

Decision Layer #

An independent chunk of code that contains the logic for choosing between multiple courses of action according to a given input. In Kaltura, the media transcoding decision layer, is the party that automatically decides which encoder engine to use and how given a source media file and desired set of output media flavors.

Destination #

A media provider or video sharing site.

Distribution #

Publishing media entries in a destination site.

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E

Entry ID #

A string identifier generated by the Kaltura servers to uniquely identify assets (Entries) in the Kaltura Platform.

Entry Point #

(Live video) The nearest physical location where a CDN network can ingest a live feed to the delivery network.

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F

Flavor #

A rendition of an entry with specific attributes, such as bitrate and dimensions. The entry may be a video, audio, image, or a document. See: , How to use the flavors tab? and How to convert videos into multiple flavors?.

FLV #

Flash Video is a file format used to deliver video over the Internet using Adobe Flash Player or other browser plug-ins. One of the most popular formats for embedded video on the web. [Wikipedia]

FMLE #

Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder is video capture software and audio capture software designed to capture live audio and video while streaming it in real time. [Adobe]

FMS #

Flash Media Server (FMS) is a proprietary data and media server from Adobe. [Adobe] Alternatives to FMS include Red5, Wowza and Mammoth.

FOSS #

[Wikipedia][OSI]
Free and Open Source Software.

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G

Gallery #

A Kaltura Gallery is a simple application that provides an efficient visual display of media entries, hosted on a Kaltura server.

GPL #

GNU General Public License.

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H

HTML5 #

HTML5 is a set of web standards being developed by the "Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group". The HTML5 standard includes many new features for more dynamic web applications and interfaces. One such component being specified and implemented is the element. Using Kaltura's HTML5 Javascript Library, your videos can be played back on the latest mobile devices and even on older browsers that require Flash. See http://html5video.org/ .

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K

Kaltura Admin Console #

An application for administering the Kaltura system, including administration of Kaltura publisher accounts, users, batch processes and more. The Admin Console is typically accessed by system administrators and the IT team.

Kaltura Advanced Editor - KAE #

Kaltura semi-professional video editing software.

Kaltura API #

Kaltura provides server APIs for every core feature. You can use the Kaltura API to incorporate Kaltura features in web applications and web sites. Read more: Kaltura API Documentation Set

Kaltura API Client Libraries #

Kaltura client libraries are SDKs in numerous programming languages that provide easy access to the Kaltura API and facilitate developing Kaltura applications. Read more: Introduction to Kaltura Client Libraries.

Kaltura Application #

Self-contained, client-side combination of Kaltura widgets and server APIs, tailored to support specific media workflows or as an extension to a specific web content platform.

Kaltura Client Notifications #

HTTP POST requests that are sent upon specific media events from a specific Kaltura widget to a URL on partners' host servers. Kaltura client notifications enable partners to integrate with Kaltura’s technology in a way that is synchronized with media events occurring on Kaltura’s servers as well as with Kaltura widgets' control events. An example of a Kaltura client notification is the entry_add notification, sent by the Kaltura Contributor Wizard (KCW) widget upon the completion of the entry uploading widget step. Partners can process this notification and enable partner specific metadata settings for this entry on their web site, aligned with the KCW widget’s steps.

Kaltura Cloud Edition #

Kaltura’s Cloud Edition allows you to host your own edition of Kaltura’s Video Platform Software on one of our commercial cloud partners, including Amazon Web Services and the Rackspace Cloud. Learn More.

Kaltura Community Edition #

Kaltura's free, open-source, self-hosted version of the platform, supported by the Kaltura Community. The Community Edition is developed through the combined efforts of Kaltura and the community. The platform and its source code are available for free at www.kaltura.org.

Kaltura Contributor Wizard (KCW) #

Kaltura Contributor Wizard, Kaltura widget for content ingestion, also known as the Kaltura Uploader; a flash wizard that provides an easy to use, friendly, and customizable user interface for uploading and importing media and content.

Kaltura Dynamic Player - KDP #

Kaltura widget for media playing, providing graphics and direct API access for media streaming, playing, sharing, sound control, advertising and more.

Kaltura Entry #

Kaltura's representation of a digital asset entity and its metadata. Kaltura Entry types include base (Abstract), media, video, audio, image, data, document, playlist and more. Entry metadata includes type, storage location, title, tag, rating and etc. [API: KalturaBaseEntry, KalturaMediaEntry]

Kaltura Management Console (KMC) #

The KMC is a rich-media management system that enables you to ingest, manage, publish, distribute, monetize and analyze your media – all in one intuitive interface. You can use the KMC as an independent application, or as an administrative interface supporting other Kaltura applications. To see it in action sign up for a free trial.

Kaltura MediaSpace #

Create your own Campus or a Corporate YouTube™, with Kaltura MediaSpace - an out-of-the-box video portal. Kaltura’s MediaSpace application, allows publishers to instantly launch a video-centric website, where users can search, browse, watch, share and upload videos, and video presentations, with full user management, and moderation options. Learn more: Kaltura MediaSpace™

Kaltura Metadata #

"Data about other data". This term is commonly used within Kaltura documentation to describe the information being stored within the Kaltura database with relation to a specific entry. This may include: name, tags, admin tags, creation/modification dates, description, partner data etc. Kaltura's Metadata is a complex XSD driven multi-profile schema of fields.

Kaltura On-Prem Edition #

Kaltura's full featured self-hosted Video Platform Software installed on your own servers or cloud and supported and maintained by Kaltura. The On-Prem Edition is offered either under an Enterprise license for organizations that need an online video platform for their own media, or under an OEM license for organizations that want to offer their own OVP services. Both licenses are offered with Kaltura maintenance and support services. Learn More.

Kaltura SaaS Edition #

Kaltura's full-featured Software-as-a-Service video platform, including full Kaltura support and services such as tier-1 hosting, streaming, delivery, transcoding, syndication, distribution, advertising, security, monitoring and more. Start a Free Trial.

Kaltura Server Notifications #

HTTP POST requests that are sent upon specific media events from the Kaltura servers to a URL on partners' host servers. Kaltura server notifications enable partners to integrate with Kaltura’s technology in a way that is synchronized with media events occurring on Kaltura’s servers. An example of a Kaltura server notification is the entry_add notification, sent upon the completion of entry creation on the Kaltura servers. Partners can process this notification and enable or display this entry on their web site, only once it was actually added to the Kaltura servers. Read more: How To Handle Kaltura Server Notifications in PHP.

Kaltura Session (KS) #

The KS is used to authenticate users and admins when calling the Kaltura API. To learn more read the Introduction to the Kaltura API Architecture.

Kaltura Simple Uploader - KSU #

Kaltura flash widget, with no user interface, for content upload.

Kaltura Standard Editor - KSE #

Kaltura standard video editing widget.

Kaltura Widget #

Self-contained client-side components encapsulating graphics, media functionality and events control along with direct access to Kaltura APIs.

kuser #

Kaltura User. An object representing end-user with various permissions or roles. [API Kaltura User]

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L

Latency #

[Wikipedia] Live video - The delay that a viewer experiences between delivery of a video image and its audio signal. Media player - The delay that a viewer experiences between pressing Play and viewing a video.

LMS #

Learning Management System. [Wikipedia]

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M

Media Filter #

A set of media entry related parameters and a specific querying logic used for conditional selection of media entries from the Kaltura database. Media filters are commonly used in gallery implementations for displaying media according to different criteria, such as: media uploaded after a specific date, media tagged with specific tags, media created by a specific user, etc.

Midroll #

A linear video spot that appears in the middle of the video content.

MRSS #

Media Really Simple Syndication (or Media RSS file format). [Yahoo! MRSS specifications]

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O

OEM #

Original Equipment Manufacturer. Kaltura can be licensed under a commercial OEM license, allowing partners to launch their own self-hosted, white labeled, customized online video platform services using their data center or cloud or choice. Read more about Kaltura OEM and Partners Program.

Open Source #

[wikipedia][OSI]
Open source is a development method for software that harnesses the power of distributed peer review and transparency of process. The promise of open source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in.

ORM #

Object-relational mapping. Allows access to a database using a set of objects. Kaltura uses open source Propel as its ORM solution.

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P

Partner ID (Publisher ID) #

A numeric identifier that uniquely identifies an account in Kaltura. The Partner ID can be retrieved through the KMC Integration Settings.

Playlist #

A list of playable media entries (video, image, audio). A Kaltura Playlist can be created according to a static list of entries or a rule-based dynamically generated list. It can be randomized or ordered according to rules. The Kaltura Players also have a special UI plugin for rendering playlists, allowing playback navigation and search in the playlist.

Postroll #

A linear video spot that appears after the video content plays.

Preroll #

A linear video spot that appears before the video content plays.

puser #

An entity used to describe a publisher's end-user. This is not a Kaltura User, but a user identified via external publisher systems such as company's LDAP or SSO systems.

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S

Scrubber #

A scale line in a media player. Usually used as a progress bar and for moving/seeking withing the video playback.

Streaming #

[Wikipedia] Transmission of digital audio or video, or the listening and viewing of such data without first storing it. Streaming is mostly measured by the amount of bandwidth consumed while serving content.

Sub Partner ID #

A numeric identifier originally defined to enable sub partitioning of Kaltura accounts. The value of the Sub Partner ID is always 100 X Partner ID (100 multiplied by the Publisher ID).

Sunrise #

In Scheduling, the time that an entry becomes accessible to end users in the destination site.

Sunset #

In Scheduling, the time that an entry becomes inaccessible to end users in the destination site.

SWF #

[Wikipedia] ‘Small Web Format’ by Adobe. This is the dominant format for displaying "animated" vector graphics on the web, also supporting audio, video and many different possible forms of interaction with the end-user.

SWFObject #

An open-source JavaScript library used to embed Adobe Flash content within web pages while dealing with player version detection and avoiding broken SWF content. [project page]

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T

Tags #

A non-hierarchical keyword or term assigned to an entry to help describe it and allow it to be found again through a search.

Thumbnail #

A small version of an image, or an image representing a video, commonly used for preview purposes. Read about Kaltura's Thumbnail API.

Transcoding #

Direct digital-to-digital conversion of one encoding to another. [Wikipedia]

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U

UGC #

[Wikipedia] User-generated content. Kaltura provides tools such as the KCW, KRecord and KUpload to simplify the development of UGC sites, allowing end-users to contribute content.

uiConf #

This term is commonly used within Kaltura documentation to describe the internal configuration xml of a specific Kaltura widget. This xml includes the settings of the widget’s appearance and functionality.

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V

VAR #

Value-Added Reseller. Kaltura can be licensed under a commercial VAR license, allowing partners to launch their own white labeled, customized online video platform services. Read more about Kaltura's Partner Program.

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W

White Labeling #

The ability for a publisher to re-brand the Kaltura solutions as its own. Read more about Kaltura's Partner Program.

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