Product overview

This page provides an overview of MinistraPRO functionality.

MinistraPRO supports the following platforms:

The home screen is the first screen an end user sees when they access the streaming app.

You choose what content is displayed on the home screen, and organize the home screen into sections. For example, you can create a home screen and add separate sections for TV Channels, TV Guide, VOD Video on demand, Radio, and Global Search.

Learn more: Creating screens

TV Channels allow end users to see the list of available channels, and see what each channel is broadcasting.

Using TV Channels, end users can watch the following types of content:

  • Linear TV: Traditional TV where programs are broadcast at specific times on specific channels.

  • Timeshift TV: Broadcast TV that end users can pause and restart.

  • DVR Digital video recording: Recorded content that end users can access at any time for a specific time period.

End users can do the following:

  • Get notified when their favourite shows are starting.

  • Add and remove TV channels to a list of favourites.

  • View TV programs by content type, for example, comedy shows, or news.

  • For DVR Digital video recording, continue playing from where they last stopped watching.

  • Display subtitles and change audio language.

Learn more: IPTV channels

TV Guide allows end users to see the broadcasting schedule and program details for each available channel. For a specific channel, an end user can see the details of the current program and upcoming programs, including the scheduled time and type of content.

Information

To make sure end users have the best TV Guide experience, make sure the electronic programming guide (EPG) is accurate, up-to-date, and contains as much information as possible.

End users can do the following:

  • Get notified when their favourite shows are starting.

  • Watch and record content.

  • Preview content in a in-screen preview player.

Learn more: Adding an IPTV EPG

VOD allows end users to watch movies and TV series when they choose, instead of when they are broadcast.

The following VOD versions are available:

  • Transactional VOD: End users pay to access individual pieces of content, for example, a movie, on a pay-per-view basis.

  • Subscription-based VOD: End users pay a monthly fee for unlimited access to a catalogue of content.

You can add sections to group similar VOD content to help end users quickly find what they want to watch. For example, you can group by favourites, most viewed, genre, and so on.

End users can do the following:

  • Watch content trailers.

  • Continue playing from where they last stopped watching.

  • Display subtitles and change audio language.

  • Change video playback quality according to bandwidth.

Learn more: Video on demand

Radio allows end users to listen to radio stations. You can add an unlimited number of radio channels.

Learn more: Adding radio stations

NPVR allows end users to record live TV programs, movies and other broadcasts to watch later. For example, an end user can record weekly episodes of a TV series to watch later, back-to-back.

End users can do the following:

  • Continue playing from where they last stopped watching.

  • Schedule content to record, for example, a single movie or program, or all of the episodes in a series.

  • Schedule a recording to start and end a few minutes before and after the scheduled time, so no part of the program is missed from the recording.

  • Play, stop, cancel and delete recorded content.

Learn more: Enabling NPVR 

Global Search allows end users to easily search all of their available content to find the content they want to watch. For example, an end user can search for content using the name of a TV channel, TV series or movie, or the name of a cast or crew member.

End users can do the following:

  • See search results displayed in sections that group content in a meaningful way, for example, TV channels, TV series, movies, and so on.

  • Use autocomplete to predict and complete the search term they are typing.

    Information

    For autocomplete to work, an end user must enter at least three characters.

  • Reuse previous search terms without having to type them again.

Learn more: Customizing global search

Cast allows ends users to send the content they are watching to another device. For example, an end user can cast a movie from their phone to their TV to watch it on a bigger screen.

Cast is supported on iPhones and Android devices.

MAGic Remote allows end users to control a MAG Linux STB from the MinistraPRO mobile app.

MAGic Remote is supported on iPhones and Android devices.

Learn more: MAGic Remote

Parental controls allow end users to shield children from inappropriate content by requiring a PIN for accessing age-restricted content.

Parental controls can be created for TV Channel, NPVR Network personal video recorder, and VOD Video on demand content.

Learn more: Manage your subscriber accounts

Configure a range of settings in the MinistraPRO platform to make sure end users have the best experience.

If multiple languages are available, you can deliver content that allows end users to select the language of the audio and subtitles. For example, an end user can choose to watch the original language version of a film, or a translated version.

You can also set the default language in which all content plays.

Learn more: Default audio and subtitle language

Choose which screen an end user sees when they open the MinistraPRO streaming app. For example, you can display the home page, the TV Channels, or the most recent channel the end user was watching.

Learn more: Creating screens

Prevent unnecessary data usage by specifying the length of time content plays without user input. For example, when a playback time limit is reached, the app closes unless the end user confirms they want to continue watching.

If required by a content provider or your operating region, you can prevent end users from fast-forwarding through Timeshift TV and DVR Digital video recording content. After you enable this option, you can select the TV channels for which you want to prevent fast-forwarding.

Limit the number of playback sessions an account can stream at the same time. For example, if the number of max sessions for an account is three, content can be played on three devices at the same time. Before another session can begin, one of the active sessions must end.

Learn more: Max sessions

You can restrict access to platform content by geographical location, for example, city, country, or IP address.

If you are playing content for public consumption, for example, in a hotel or restaurant, you can restrict access to your settings and account details. This prevents end users making unwanted changes, or accessing confidential information.

DRM allows you to add an extra layer of security to your content by encrypting it before it leaves your streamers. The content is only decrypted for an authorised device or user.

MinistraPRO uses the following DRM:

  • Widevine for Android

  • Fairplay for iOS

  • Playready for webOS and Tizen

Learn more: Digital rights management

Specify how end users can access the MinistraPRO streaming app.

End users can access the app in one of the following ways:

  • By entering a username and password.

  • By scanning a QR code with their mobile device.

  • By entering a one-time-password (OTP) they receive by SMS.

With Linux SL set-top boxes, end users can automatically access content without logging in.

Learn more: Device auto-login

Remote management allows you to create actions without end user input, for example, display on-screen messages and update the TV Guide.

As an operator, you can do the following:

  • Send push notifications to force on-screen text messages to display.

    For example, you need to send an emergency alert, or a reminder about a subscription renewal.

  • Remotely reboot Linux SL set-top boxes.

  • Synchronise EPG Electronic programming guide updates to immediately display in the end user device.

Integrate MinistraPRO with your billing platform. This allows you to automate your billing processes, for example, generating invoices, processing payments, and managing subscriptions.

Learn more: Integration with external billing services


Provide additional features by connecting to a range of third-party integrations.

Allows you to automatically include your content's metadata. For example, for VOD Video on demand, you can include all of the data about a movie including the names of the actors, year of production, trailers, and so on.

Allows you to manage your customer subscriptions including recurring billing, invoicing and trials.

Learn more: Chargebee events

Allow you to transcode and stream media content over the internet to your end users.

Learn more: Manage your streaming servers

Allows you to protect and control access to premium video content.

Learn more: Digital rights management

FAST integration allows you to control what adverts are displayed on end user devices.

Learn more: Enabling FAST channels

Distribute your content to smaller operators, also called resellers, by allowing them access to your content. Using the Resellers dashboard, you can control and manage how resellers redistribute that content.

Learn more: Resellers dashboard

View information about the content being watched by end users. For example, you can see which is the most popular TV Channel, VOD Video on demand, and NPVR Network personal video recorder content being consumed.

Monitoring allows you to check the quality of the service your end users are receiving, and the health of the platform components that provide the service.

Check if end users are experiencing issues viewing content, for example, buffering, without needing end users to report it.

Use a comprehensive dashboard to check platform components are working correctly, for example, backend, resellers dashboard, transcoders, streamers, and applications. You can also get notifications to warn you if a service component is down, or reaching a configured limit.

Learn more: Monitoring usage

Roles allows you to control what users assigned a particular role can do. For example, you can create a Technical Support role that allows members of a Technical Support team to view account information but not edit that information.