BLOG
Author : Pratik Bhogaonkar
Date: 14 August 2024
Reports suggest that, on average, 30% of users cancel their OTT subscription because of poor quality and bad user experience.
The digital era we are dueling in is not limited in terms of devices and networks. Every other day, many new devices with multiple versions on multiple networks are introduced. We certainly can’t rely on inefficient manual testing in such a scenario where the testing itself will take years and still lag.
There are numerous OTT applications launching every day. But how many of them are able to stand out or even be in the competition? Users often unsubscribe within a month, citing the following reasons:
What do you think could be the reason? Inefficient manual testing?
Yes, certainly.
It is not possible to manually track so many aspects of testing. And that’s why automating testing is not just another way to ramp up the process; it’s a necessity to ensure quality and a great user experience regardless of devices, versions, networks, or even locations.
Given the rapid technological developments and the launch of new devices every other day, running manual testing for everything is next to impossible. Here, Automated OTT testing is the only way where carefully crafted scripts can run and test your platform irrespective of device, network, location, and all the integrations to your OTT platform.
Different types of OTT testing are performed to ensure that the user experiences flawless content throughout the devices and networks. And they are:
Functional Testing: This involves evaluating the user interface (UI), encoding, video playback, and streaming capabilities of the OTT application. It ensures all features function as intended and provides a seamless user experience.
Performance Testing: Automation testing companies conduct performance tests to assess whether the OTT app can handle high traffic loads without crashing or slowing down. This ensures the platform remains stable and responsive even during peak usage times.
Usability Testing: The OTT testing focuses on the user experience, ensuring the app is easy to use and navigate. It evaluates the app’s design, layout, and overall user interaction to ensure it meets user expectations.
Streaming Quality Testing: Here we ensure that the video and audio streaming quality meet user expectations. It checks for buffering issues, streaming resolution, adaptive bitrate streaming, and audio synchronization.
Content Testing: This verifies that the correct content is delivered to users based on their subscription level, preferences, and regional restrictions. It also checks content availability.
Compatibility Testing: This testing phase ensures that the OTT app is fully functional across various devices and operating systems. It verifies that users have a consistent experience on smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, or desktops.
Location Testing: This involves assessing the app’s performance and content availability across different geographic locations. It ensures that users worldwide have access to content and services, maintaining consistent delivery and performance.
Live Stream Testing: This testing is especially crucial for media, entertainment, and sports companies as it focuses on avoiding technical issues during live streaming events. It helps prevent disruptions that could lead to viewer dissatisfaction.
Browser Testing: This process verifies that the OTT platform is compatible and functions correctly across various web browsers. It ensures a seamless user experience accessing the service via different browser environments.
Localization Testing: This type of testing checks the platform’s localization features, including support for multiple languages, time zones, currency formats, and cultural adaptations. It ensures the app is tailored to meet users’ needs in different regions.
Network Testing: Testers evaluate the performance of OTT streaming services under various network conditions, including slow connections, latency, and high bandwidth scenarios. This ensures that the app can deliver content smoothly regardless of network fluctuations.
Security Testing: This critical testing phase focuses on protecting users’ personal information and data on the OTT platform. It involves checking for vulnerabilities that cyber threats could exploit.
Integration Testing: This ensures that different functional modules of the OTT app work together seamlessly. It verifies that integrated components do not introduce bugs or performance issues.
Each of these testing types plays a crucial role in maintaining the quality and performance of OTT platforms, ensuring a reliable and enjoyable experience for users across the globe.
The success of your OTT platform depends on a consistent user experience, streaming revenue, and loyal users who return to you for quality every time. And Meeting user’s expectations and providing constant quality content is what makes your business thrive and stand out. In this phase, developing an OTT Application is not enough, but quality testing is paramount. Here is why:
Save time and money: Automated tests run faster and more frequently, reducing testing cycles and allowing your team to focus on other critical tasks by reducing manual efforts.
Improve test coverage: Automation helps you test more scenarios, ensuring your OTT app works flawlessly across different devices, platforms, and network conditions.
Enhance quality: Automation helps deliver a higher-quality product to your audience by catching bugs early in the OTT application development cycle.
Increase test efficiency: Repetitive tasks like regression testing can be automated, reducing human error and increasing test efficiency.
Coverage of Boundary conditions: Automation allows you to systematically define and execute edge cases that might be easily overlooked in manual testing.
24/7 Testing Capability: Automated tests can be scheduled to run at any time, even outside of regular working hours.
Better User Experience: By ensuring that the app is thoroughly tested across all aspects, automating OTT testing contributes to delivering a seamless and high-quality user experience.
Automating OTT testing is not just about writing scripts. It requires a strategic approach. Here are some best practices to follow:
Identify the suitable test cases: Focus on critical functionalities like video playback, buffering, audio quality, and device compatibility.
Choose the right automation tools: Select tools that align with your OTT testing needs and integrate seamlessly with your development environment.
Create robust test scripts: Write clear, maintainable, and reusable test scripts that cover various scenarios.
Leverage test data management: Manage your test data effectively to ensure accurate and reliable results.
Integrate with CI/CD pipelines: Incorporate automation into your continuous integration and delivery processes for faster feedback.
Monitor and analyze test results: Review test results regularly to identify trends, improve test coverage, and optimize your OTT testing strategy.
Accurate device testing: While simulators can be helpful, testing on real devices is essential to ensure the compatibility and performance of your OTT platform.
Network emulation: Simulate different network conditions to test your OTT app’s behavior under varying bandwidth and latency.
Enhanced Reporting and Analysis: Automated testing tools provide detailed reports and analytics on test execution, including logs and screenshots.
Automating OTT testing can be challenging, with issues like device fragmentation, network complexities, and content diversity making it complex. However, you can overcome these hurdles by adopting a well-planned approach and using the right tools.
Remember, automation is not a replacement for manual testing. It’s a powerful tool that complements human expertise. By combining both strengths, you can build a robust OTT testing strategy that delivers exceptional user experiences.
To learn more about Automating OTT Testing and enhance the user experience of your OTT platform, write to us at:
Pratik Bhogaonkar, Lead Software Test Engineer
Pratik is a QA professional with 5+ years of OTT testing experience, specializing in functional, Usability, and automation testing. He ensures high-quality streaming across multiple devices, leveraging their deep understanding of the OTT ecosystem to deliver seamless user experiences.
In his spare time, Pratik watches football, listens to music, and binge-shows on OTT apps.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Stay up to date on latest trend in video tech
Related Posts
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © LOGITUIT 2024
To provide the best experiences, logituit.com use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
