Case Study Detail

Toffee

Toffee, a dynamic news app, set out to revolutionise user engagement by delivering a personalised news experience. Simultaneously, the challenge was extended to create a seamless video playback experience in the iOS app using AVPlayer, emphasising default functionalities.

  • 1 Months

    Time

  • Communication, Payment

    Industry

Client Overview

Toffee aimed to increase user engagement by implementing a personalised news feed based on individual preferences. Concurrently, the app sought to enhance the video playback experience, ensuring a smooth transition between videos, optimised buffering, and user-friendly controls using AVPlayer defaults.

Challenge: Efficient Video Caching

Identification of HLS Video Streams
  • Recognized videos using the HLS protocol, specifically in m3u8 format, as candidates for caching.
Setup of Local Reverse Proxy Server
  • Implemented a local reverse proxy server dedicated to caching HLS segments, acting as an intermediary between the app and external video sources.
Caching Mechanism
  • Configured the proxy server to cache HLS segments locally, reducing the need for frequent re-downloading.
Cache Expiry and Management
  • Implemented mechanisms to manage cache expiry and update stale segments, ensuring users receive up-to-date content.
Integration with AVPlayer
  • Enhanced video playback logic to seamlessly work with the local reverse proxy server, reducing reliance on external servers.

User Engagement through Personalization

Behaviour Analysis
  • Toffee tracked user interactions to comprehend preferences, analysing the types of news clicked on, time spent on each video, and in-app interactions.
Recommendation Algorithm
  • A robust algorithm was implemented to analyse user data and suggest relevant content, allowing for a tailored news experience.
Personalized News Feed
  • The app curated individualised news feeds for users based on algorithmic recommendations.

Seamless Video Playback with AVPlayer

Smooth Transitions Between Videos
  • Implemented AVQueuePlayer for playlist management, ensuring a fluid transition between different videos without noticeable gaps or delays.
Optimised Buffering
  • News Shots made use of AVPlayer's built-in way of loading and storing video data, tweaking how much data is loaded at once, and setting the limits for the best performance and efficient use of device resources. This adjustment ensured that the app plays videos smoothly without delays or glitches while efficiently using the device's resources.
Handling Network Fluctuations
  • Implemented strategies to gracefully handle network fluctuations, utilising AVPlayer's default functionalities to resume playback seamlessly after interruptions.

User-Friendly Controls and Format Support

Custom Controls
  • Enhanced the user experience by implementing user-friendly controls for play, pause, and seek functionalities, seamlessly integrated using AVPlayer's default UI components.
Support for Different Video Formats
  • Ensured AVPlayer seamlessly handled various video formats, implementing error handling for unsupported formats with clear user feedback.

Achieving Efficient Video Caching with
a Local Reverse Proxy Server

Reduced Loading Times
  • Caching HLS segments locally significantly improved loading times, especially in scenarios with poor network conditions.
Minimised Dependency on Network
  • By storing video segments locally, Toffee's app reduced its dependency on continuous and stable network connectivity. This allowed users to enjoy smoother playback even in low-bandwidth situations.
Enhanced User Experience
  • The integration of the local reverse proxy server seamlessly with AVPlayer contributed to an enhanced user experience. Users experienced uninterrupted video playback with minimised delays.
Optimised Resource Usage
  • The caching mechanism optimised the use of device resources by reducing redundant video downloads, contributing to improved performance and efficiency.

Results

Increased User Engagement
  • The personalised news feed significantly increased user engagement, with users spending more time on the app.
Enhanced Video Playback Experience
  • Users experienced uninterrupted video playback with smooth transitions between videos, optimised buffering, and intuitive controls.
Improved Retention and Satisfaction:
  • The combined focus on personalization and seamless video playback contributed to improved user retention rates, with users reporting higher satisfaction.

Outcome

Key Takeaways
  • Toffee made sure its users had a great time using the app by personalising the news they saw and ensuring videos played without any interruptions. They used a tool called AVPlayer to make the videos work smoothly, and this not only fixed the video issue but also matched Toffee's goal of being a user-friendly and enjoyable app for reading the news.

What Our Client Say