Dimension (video analytics)
A dimension, in video analytics, is any attribute you can group or filter views by: country, device type, browser, CDN, video title, player version. Metrics say how good playback was; dimensions say for whom. Slicing a metric by a dimension is how a vague problem becomes a specific one.
Why it matters
Averages hide problems. A platform-wide buffer ratio can look fine while one ISP or device is failing. Dimensions let teams find the exact audience affected, fix the right thing and explain impact in business terms, such as one market or one device. To find the one network or device hurting viewers, FastPix Video Data captures 56 dimensions per session, from ISP and CDN to device model.
How it works
- Each view is tagged with attributes such as country, device, browser, CDN and video title.
- The analytics tool stores these tags alongside the view's metrics.
- A user filters or groups views by one or more tags.
- Comparing a metric across tag values shows where a problem is concentrated.
Dimension vs metric: what is the difference?
A metric is a number you measure, such as startup time or buffer ratio. A dimension is an attribute you group views by, such as country or browser. Metrics answer how good playback was; dimensions answer for whom. For example, buffer ratio by ISP combines one metric with one dimension.
Which dimensions matter most in video analytics?
The most useful dimensions are usually country and region, ISP, CDN, device type, operating system, browser, player version and video title. Together they separate network, device, software and content problems. Business attributes such as plan tier or course, added as custom dimensions, connect playback quality to revenue.
Where it's used
OTT services and live streamers slice buffer ratio by ISP and device to find out that a problem sits with one telecom in one city, not the whole platform.
Where it usually goes wrong, and how FastPix handles it
Teams often have quality metrics but too few attributes to slice them by, so they know something is wrong without knowing where or for whom.
Dimensions in FastPix Video Data cover geography, ISP, CDN, device, OS, browser, player, video details, stream type, DRM type and connection type, and apps can pass up to 10 custom dimensions. That lets your team tie a quality problem to one market, device or plan tier and fix it there.
