# Analytics Swift Nielsen DCR Plugin

Nielsen Digital Content Ratings (DCR) respond to the shifting and complex multi-platform, multi-device, and multi-distribution landscape by providing comprehensive measurement of digital content consumption—including streaming video, static web pages and mobile apps—across all major devices and platforms. The [Analytics-Swift Nielsen-DCR Plugin](https://github.com/segment-integrations/analytics-swift-nielsen-dcr) tracks sessions via for [Analytics-Swift](https://github.com/segmentio/analytics-swift).

## Getting started

To get started with Nielsen-DCR and retrieve an appid to configure this integration, you must complete the following prerequisite steps with Nielsen:

* Fill out your company info and work with a Nielsen representative.
* Sign a license agreement on the Nielsen engineering portal.
* Sign an NDA to sign prior to accessing the download.
* Complete a pre-certification process with your Nielsen representative before shipping this implementation to production.

> \[!TIP]
>
> This plugin simply adds session data for Nielsen-DCR, and events are sent via Cloud Mode.

## Adding the dependency

### via Xcode

In the Xcode **File** menu, click **Add Packages**. You'll see a dialog where you can search for Swift packages. In the search field, enter the URL to this repo.

```text
https://github.com/segment-integrations/analytics-swift-nielsen-dcr
```

You then have the option to pin to a version or specific branch and select which project in your workspace to add the package to. Once you've made your selections, click the **Add Package** button.

### via Package.swift

Open your Package.swift file and add the following to the `dependencies` section:

```text
.package(
            name: "Segment",
            url: "https://github.com/segment-integrations/analytics-swift-nielsen-dcr.git",
            from: "1.0.0"
        ),
```

## Using the plugin in your aPp

Open the file where you set up and configured the Analytics-Swift library. Add this plugin to the list of imports.

```text
import Segment
import SegmentNielsenDCR // <-- Add this line
```

Under your Analytics-Swift library setup, call `analytics.add(plugin: ...)` to add an instance of the plugin to the Analytics timeline.

```text
let analytics = Analytics(configuration: Configuration(writeKey: "<YOUR WRITE KEY>")
                    .flushAt(3)
                    .trackApplicationLifecycleEvents(true))
analytics.add(plugin: NielsenDCRDestination())
```

Your events now contain Nielsen-DCR session data and flow to Nielsen-DCR in device-mode.

## Screen / Page

Segment supports translating Screen or Page to Nielsen as a Static App Measurement event. Segment translates the following properties to the expected Nielsen metadata:

| Segment Property Name | Nielsen    | Nielsen Description                     |
| --------------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------- |
| `type`                | `type`     | Required. Segment hardcodes `'static'`  |
| `name`\*              | `section`  | Required. Section of site               |
| integration option    | `segB`     | Required (optional for web). Segment A. |
| integration option    | `segC`     | Required (optional for web). Segment B. |
| integration option    | `crossId1` | Standard episode ID (mobile only)       |

\* On web and mobile, you can map a custom property to `section` using the **Custom Page/Screen Section Property Name** setting. If this setting is left blank, Segment will fallback on the top-level `name`.

## Track

Segment only supports sending Track events as outlined in the [Video Spec](/docs/segment/connections/spec/video/). To get started tracking video content through Segment, make sure you are using a media player that has an API which allows you to detect the player state such as video or ad plays. For example, you would not be able to collect ad plays using YouTube since their YouTube SDK does not expose any hooks into player states during ad plays.

> \[!WARNING]
>
> If you do not implement the Segment [Video Spec](/docs/segment/connections/spec/video/) properly with key lifecycle events, this integration will not behave properly.

Again, also refer to the [Video Spec](/docs/segment/connections/spec/video/) and implement video tracking as outlined there. Segment maps the semantic events and properties to Nielsen's relevant methods and metadata.

### Heartbeats

Nielsen expects a heartbeat called with `playheadPosition` during session play every second until the stream is completed, paused or interrupted (due to ad breaks or buffering). The playhead position is the current location in seconds of the playhead from the beginning of the asset. For livestream, Segment expects a negative integer that represents the offset in seconds in relation to the current timestamp. For example, if content is being livestreamed at 8PM but the viewer is 30 seconds behind, the value of this property should be -30. You can override this and pass the current time in seconds to Nielsen by toggling the `Enable Default to Current Time for Livestream Playhead Position` setting.

Segment will set a timer to call this heartbeat event (`–(void) playheadPosition: (long long) playheadPos)`, `setTimeout (web)`) every second in background. You do *not* have to call the Segment equivalent heartbeat event (`Video Content/Ad Playing`) each second. You should follow the spec and call the Segment heartbeat event every 10 seconds (recommended). While Segment keeps the state of its playhead position for these background hearbeats, when Segment receives an explicit heartbeat event, Segment respects its `properties.position` and restarts the background heartbeats from that position.

### Playback events

When you call `Video Playback Started` and `Video Playback Resumed`, Segment calls the Nielsen-DCR `play` method with the relevant `channelInfo`:

```text
NSDictionary *channelInfo = @{
                                      // channelName is optional for DCR, if not present Nielsen asks to set default
                                      @"channelName" : options[@"channelName"] ?: @"defaultChannelName",
                                      // if mediaURL is not available, Nielsen expects an empty value
                                      @"mediaURL" : options[@"mediaUrl"] ?: @""
                                      };
(void) play: (id) channelInfo;

```

From there, Segment maps to the relevant events on the instance:

| Nielsen-DCR Spec                           | Segment Video Spec                |
| ------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------- |
| `–(void) stop` and Heartbeat timer stopped | `Video Playback Paused`           |
| `–(void) stop` and Heartbeat timer stopped | `Video Playback Interrupted`      |
| Heartbeat timer stopped                    | `Video Playback Buffer Started`   |
| Heartbeat timer updated                    | `Video Playback Buffer Completed` |
| Heartbeat timer stopped                    | `Video Playback Seek Started`     |
| Heartbeat timer updated                    | `Video Playback Seek Completed`   |
| `-(void) end` and Heartbeat timer stopped  | `Video Playback Completed`        |

For playback events, Segment's video spec expects either `ad_asset_id​` or `content_asset_id​` depending on whether the video is an ad or content. Segment will default to mapping `ad_asset_id` to Nielsen's ad metadata `assetid` and `content_asset_id` to Nielsen's content metadata. The default Segment property can be overridden in your integration settings: `Custom Content Asset Id Property Name` or `Custom Ad Asset Id Property Name`.

### Content events

| Nielsen-DCR Spec                    | Segment Video Spec        |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------------------- |
| `–(void)loadMetadata:(id)metadata;` | `Video Content Started `  |
| Heartbeat timer updated             | `Video Content Playing `  |
| `–(void) end` and `-(void) stop`    | `Video Content Completed` |

**Content Properties (Labels)**

| Nielsen-DCR metadata | Segment Property        |
| -------------------- | ----------------------- |
| `assetid`            | `asset_id`              |
| `program`            | `program`               |
| `title`              | `title`                 |
| `segB`               | `options.segB`          |
| `segC`               | `options.segC`          |
| `airdate`            | `airdate`               |
| `isfullepisode`      | `full_episode`          |
| `length`             | `total_length`          |
| `pipmode`            | `options.pipmode`       |
| `type`               | `'content'` (hardcoded) |
| `adLoadType`         | `options.adLoadType`    |
| `hasAds`             | `options.hasAds`        |
| `crossId1`           | `options.crossId1`      |
| `crossId2`           | `options.crossId2`      |

`camelCase` is expected for Android.

### Ad events

The Segment-Nielsen-DCR integration has logic to check for `type` in case of a preroll ad. If the `type` is `preroll`, Segment calls Nielsen's `loadMetadata` method with metadata values for content followed by loadMetadata with ad (preroll) metadata. Otherwise, Segment simply calls `loadMetadata` with the ad metadata.

| Nielsen-DCR Spec                                                | Segment Video Spec   |
| --------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- |
| `–(void)loadMetadata:(id)metadata;` and Heartbeat timer started | `Video Ad Started `  |
| Heartbeat timer updated                                         | `Video Ad Playing `  |
| `–(void) stop` and Heartbeat timer stopped                      | `Video Ad Completed` |

| Nielsen-DCR Ad metadata | Segment Property |
| ----------------------- | ---------------- |
| `assetid`               | `asset_id`       |
| `type`                  | `type`           |
| `title`                 | `title`          |

| Nielsen-DCR Ad Content metadata | Segment Property       |
| ------------------------------- | ---------------------- |
| `assetid`                       | `asset_id`             |
| `adloadtype`                    | `options.ad_load_type` |
| `type`                          | `content` (hard coded) |
| `title`                         | `title`                |
| `program`                       | `program`              |
| `segB`                          | `options.segB`         |
| `segC`                          | `options.segC`         |
| `airdate`                       | `airdate`              |
| `isfullepisode`                 | `full_episode`         |
| `length`                        | `total_length`         |
| `pipmode`                       | `options.pipmode`      |

`camelCase` is expected for Android.

## Integration specific options

See the following example for passing destination specific values in Swift:

```swift
let options: [String: Any] = [
    "integrations": [
        "nielsen-dcr": [
            "pipmode": "2017-05-22",
            "adLoadType": "c3 value",
            "channelName": "c4 value",
            "mediaUrl": "c6 value",
            "hasAds": true,
            "crossId1": "cross id1 value",
            "crossId2": "cross id2 value"
        ]
    ]
]
```

#### PiP mode

Current state of picture-in-picture (PiP) mode on device. Pass in `true` if the video measurement is displayed in PiP mode. Otherwise, Segment defaults to `false` if no value is present.

#### Ad load type

Type of ad load. Pass in `dynamic` to indicate Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI). Otherwise, Segment defaults to linear.

#### Channel name and media URL

The SDK is started by calling the play API with the `channelName` and `mediaURL` parameters. If no value is passed in, Segment defaults to `defaultChannelName` for `channelName` and an empty String for `mediaURL`.

#### Cross ID 1

Standard episode ID.

#### Cross ID 2

Content originator ID. This value is only required for distributors.

## FAQs

#### How do you determine app name?

For Android, Segment retrieves the name of the application package from the [PackageManager](https://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/Context.html#getPackageManager\(\)).

#### How do you determine app version?

Segment-Nielsen-DCR retrieves the application version from your app's `Info.plist` application bundle name as returned by `CFBundleVersion`.

For Android, Segment retrieves the version of the application package from the [PackageManager](https://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/Context.html#getPackageManager\(\)).

#### What are the Nielsen-DCR `clientId` and `subbrand` values?

The Parent Client ID and Sub-Brand (VCID) values are automatically populated through the AppID, which is Nielsen Supplied. By default, `clientid` and `subbrand` are set up in Nielsen backend configuration to capture brand and sub-brand information. The fields get populated from backend for a registered client `appid`.

#### Can I override the Nielsen-DCR `clientId` and `subbrand` values?

In the event that your app contains multiple brands and sub-brands, Segment lets you override the `clientId` and `subbrand` values, to give credit to another brand or sub-brand. In your Segment dashboard, under "Client Id Property Name", indicate a payload property to be mapped to the Nielsen `clientId`. To override a `subbrand`, indicate a payload property to mapped to Nielsen `subbrand` under "Subbrand Property Name".