videbreak

Videbreak is a term used in digital video production and streaming to refer to a planned interruption or boundary within a video timeline or signal. It marks the point where content may pause, transition to another segment, or accommodate advertising. The term is informal and not tied to a single standard, with its exact meaning varying by organization.

Origin and usage: The word is a contraction of video and break, and is often written as videobreak or video-break in notes and workflow documents. It functions as a cue for editors, distributors, and automated systems to recognize a segment boundary.

In practice, videbreak markers support several functions. They commonly indicate ad insertions in ad-supported streams, but they can also delineate chapters, scene changes, or accessibility navigable markers. In nonlinear editing, videbreak points are represented by markers or timecodes that guide edits and exports.

Signaling and standards: For live and on-demand delivery, videbreaks are frequently implemented using signaling formats such as SCTE-35 splice points or similar metadata, which allow players to fetch ads or switch content without breaking playback. The lack of a universal definition means that the exact data payload and handling depend on the platform and pipeline.

See also: advertisement insertion, timecode, chapter markers, SCTE-35, ad decision, content segmentation.