In-stream ads that run as pre-roll or mid-roll should not exceed 30 seconds, according to new guidelines of the Interactive Advertising Bureau released Tuesday. The final guidelines, released by the
IAB in conjunction with its broadband committee, also recommend at least 200 Kbps for encoded bit rates--and state that at a minimum, viewers should be able to start and stop the ads and adjust the
volume. The guidelines also say it's "recommended and acceptable" to give users the ability to fast-forward, rewind, pause, and zoom during the ads--but also state that the fast-forward button need
not be enabled while the ad is playing. -- Gavin O'Malley
