What is the difference between client side ad integration and server side ad integration?

Client side ad integration- In client side ad integration, the video player is responsible for ad presentation. e.g. when the video player reaches an ad marker, it has to work with the adserver to obtain the ad, play the ad and collect ad statistics.

While this technology, works fine for interactive ads and allows for far higher ad data collection compared to other techniques. The drawback is the load on the client device and also a jarry experience in ad playback. Also, the device ad blockers can force the client side video player to skip the ad.

Server side Integration-In server side ad integration, the SSAI(Server Side Ad Integration) or DAI(Dynamic Ad Insertion) server is responsible for ad stitching. When the video player requests for content, the content manifest is provided by the SSAI server. When the video player reaches an ad marker, it reaches out to the SSAI server which in turn reaches out the ad server for ad recommendation. The ad server provides the ad recommendations to the SSAI server which updates the content manifest and provides it back to the video player.

This technology provides a seamless ad playback especially for OTT platforms and reduces the load on device side video player. The drawback is the complexity associated with the SSAI server. With SSAI, the client device cannot block an ad. Collection of ad analytics is difficult with SSAI given the ad stitching is done at the server side.