OTT platforms or online media subscriptions are not new to anyone of us, everyone love to watch OTT content not for the sake of performance only, but for the seamless and great experience. So, to be competitive, in this throat-cutting market of OTT platforms, providers need to identify the challenges like traffic overloads, and device compatibility, and how to overcome those all for every time quality seamless user experience.

1. Eliminate OTT Platform
Flaws with Quality
Engineering
OTT stands for ‘Over The Top’, which refers to any streaming
services that deliver media content through the internet by going
over the top of existing internet services. While cable TV
subscriptions used to be the go-to option for people to consume
media earlier, streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime,
Disney+, etc., have taken over in recent years.

2. Thanks to OTT platforms, online media consumption is now more
popular than traditional cable TV. Once the only video content
provider, Cable TV is now available on OTT. However, OTT
platforms’ performance is judged not just by the content they offer
but also by how seamless and smooth the user experience is on
the platform. The success of any OTT platform heavily depends
on its content delivery system, which is determined by how the
platform is designed. Quality engineering and testing must be
prioritized to achieve a highly efficient design. Keep reading to
learn how this can be done.
Role and Importance of OTT Platform
Testing
Consumers are using different OTT platforms to watch the
content. They take several media subscriptions at a time. Today
there are more than 110 media providers in the market. Every
day, competition increases, so every provider wants to
differentiate themselves.
OTT testing involves testing data, voice, video content delivery
quality, and user experience through software performance
engineering. Behind one application of OTT, several application
components, network, and infrastructure setups are linked
together. Hence, different types of testing are also involved in
testing OTT platforms. These applications are tested for the
following capabilities:
 User-friendly and interactive interface
 Compatibility with several devices/browsers
 Content selection
 Feature and functionality testing of the app
 Personalized recommendations for the content

3. OTT platforms should be thoroughly tested to offer excellent user
experience and deliver high and good quality content through
performance engineering. High-quality video streaming is also an
essential requirement. These systems are usually tested for the
following capabilities:
 Playback Quality: Content delivery should not take high
streaming time
 Consistent Delivery: There should be stable delivery of
content
 Compatibility: The OTT applications should be compatible
with almost every device.
 User Accounts Handling: A subscription can usually be
accessed by more than one user on different devices.
Therefore, OTT users should be able to set up multiple
individual accounts with personalized recommendations and
watchlists.
 Offline Accessibility: Sometimes, due to network connectivity
problems, users cannot access data online. For this, OTT
gives the feature to download and view content later. The
apps can therefore be tested for offline mode performance as
well.
 Smart Recommendations: The OTT applications should be
monitored to track the users’ watch history. It helps
recommend suitable content to them and increase their
interest.

4. While most viewers use TV, laptops, or mobile phones to
consume video content, recent surveys state the use of mobile
phones has been rapidly increasing. It makes it crucial that OTT
applications are tested for mobile platforms. The next section
states developers’ challenges while testing OTT apps for mobile
phones.
Challenges in OTT Testing
Today, most content is delivered through streaming rather than
rentals or satellite TV. Therefore, providing quality service to
users through OTT platforms is essential. In addition, OTT testing
ensures that all features of the app work perfectly and ensure a
seamless user experience.
Listed below are some common challenges faced by OTT
testers:
 Cross-Device Compatibility
Ideally, OTT platforms should work with all internet-enabled
devices, including computers, smart TVs, smartphones, tablets,
and more. However, testing OTT application on several devices
is a big challenge because the tester may need access to all
devices and operating systems.
 Reduced Response Time in Different Networks
Internet speed is crucial to run an OTT service uninterruptedly. If
the data transfer rate is low, buffering takes longer, which can
potentially compel users to switch platforms. Therefore, it is
essential to test OTT platform performance on various networks.

5.  Traffic Overloads
Famous events and streaming shows may cause high traffic, and
traffic overload can lead to several glitches, resulting in negative
feedback from customers. Moreover, the traffic load is usually
unpredictable, which makes it challenging for testers to take
precautions beforehand.
The testers may face these and some other challenges. But
application testing is an essential step and can be overcome as
well. So here are some ways to overcome those challenges we
will discuss in the next section.
How to Overcome Testing Challenges?
Now that we know the challenges faced while testing OTT
platforms let us look at how these can be managed or done away
with.
Automated Testing
Most QA issues can be handled and resolved through automated
OTT testing. Automated testing helps in the following ways:
 Maximize the test coverage
 Scale the testing process without hiring additional testers
 Faster debugging in comparison to manual testing
Cross-Device and Browser Testing

6. It involves testing the application for different browsers as well as
devices. Ensuring the OTT application works across other
platforms eases the rendering process.
Load Testing
OTT testers must also test the load limit of the applications. This
way, they can prevent the application from crashing during times
of high demand. In addition, load testing helps maintain the
stability of the application.
Apart from this, several tests like functional testing, UI/UX testing,
security testing, performance testing, and integration testing can
be carried out to test OTT applications.
Wrapping Up…
The rise of OTT platforms has been significant, and so is the
demand for quality check before they are made available to
global users. It is ideal to have a trusted reliable software testing
company with OTT platform expertize to ensure app quality.
Contact ImpactQA, a leading quality engineering expert that has
expanded its service offerings in the media and entertainment
industry.