View session
A view session groups several views by the same viewer in one sitting, such as three episodes watched back to back. It links what happened in the player with what happened at the CDN and on the server, so a problem can be traced end to end rather than inside one video.
Why it matters
Many problems only make sense across several views: a viewer who quits after a second stall, or a CDN fault that hits every episode in a binge. Sessions show videos watched per visit and let teams trace one problem from the player through the CDN to the backend.
How it works
- When a viewer starts watching, a session ID is created for that sitting.
- Each view in the sitting carries the same session ID alongside its own view ID.
- The same ID can be passed to CDN and server logs.
- Analysts then join player, CDN and backend data to trace what happened end to end.
View vs session: what is the difference?
A view is one attempt to watch one video; a session is a group of views by the same viewer in one sitting. Binge-watching three episodes creates three views in one session. Views measure each playback, and sessions measure the whole visit, such as videos watched per visit.
When does a video session end?
A video session usually ends after a set period of inactivity or when the viewer closes the app or tab. The exact timeout varies by tool. Check the rule before comparing sessions across products, since a short timeout splits one evening of watching into several sessions.
Where it's used
OTT services and video platforms use view sessions to see how many videos people watch per visit and to follow a delivery problem from the player back through the CDN.
Where it usually goes wrong, and how FastPix handles it
When player data and CDN logs use different identifiers, teams cannot connect a viewer's stall to the CDN request that caused it.
A view session ID in FastPix Video Data ties one viewing session together across the player, CDN and backend. That lets a team follow one viewer's stall to its cause instead of matching logs by hand.
