Terminology

In this topic you will learn about some of the common terms used in the Interactivity module.

What is interactive video?

Interactive video is video that works like the web. You can click it, you can jump to what you want, and it reacts to your actions, making it more engaging. One of the things that businesses like most about interactive video is that it can be measured, so they have concrete evidence about what's effective and can make informed decisions to make it even better.

What are annotations?

Any interactive element you add to a video using the Interactivity module. Overlays, links, hotspots and quizzes are all examples of annotations. An annotation enhances the video and is synchronized to it, so it looks like part of the video and shows up during video playback.

What are tracks?

The term "track" refers to a collection of annotations on a single video. Most people only ever have one track for a video, but in some cases, like branching or personalization, it is possible to have more than one.

What is a project?

A Project contains one video, the tracks for that video, and any unique configuration - like custom styles or language settings.

What is a template?

A Template is a re-usable track that contains annotations you want to show up on dozens or hundreds of videos. Typically, a template is used for common interactions, like adding a clickable image or a call-to-action that isn't specific to one video.

What is an experience?

An Experience is a video with other elements (like synced slides or an e-commerce cart) outside the video player that dynamically interact with video player. Experiences allow you to dynamically communicate between a video and the web page itself, opening the door to a new generation of lean-forward interactive realities for your viewers.

What is an API?

An API is an Application Programming Interface. It's how different software talks to each other. Brightcove Interactivity has a full set of APIs that people use to extend capabilities and to integrate interactivity into their own platforms.