ReelTube - OTT Platform

ReelTube is an enterprise-grade social media and media-sharing platform built for the modern web. It combines the long-form content capabilities of traditional OTT platforms with the fast-paced, highly engaging nature of short-form "Reels" (in the vein of TikTok or YouTube Shorts).

Whether you're a content creator building an audience or a user exploring viral trends, ReelTube delivers a low-latency experience backed by a modern, scalable technology stack.

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Features

1. Advanced Media and Feed System

• Algorithmic infinite scrolling — The "For You" and "Following" feeds load content dynamically as the user scrolls, with no pagination and minimal load times.
• Dedicated Reels player — An optimized, vertical swiping interface built specifically for short-form video consumption.
• Adaptive bitrate streaming (HLS) — Videos are processed asynchronously via FFmpeg and delivered through AWS CloudFront, adapting quality in real time across both 5G and slower connections.
• Rich upload studio — A full creator studio supporting image galleries, standard posts, and video uploads with live previews.

2. Real-Time Social Interactions

• Instant live chat — A Socket.io-powered messaging system for real-time conversations.
• Live presence tracking — Shows when friends are online or typing.
• Instant notifications — Push alerts fire the moment someone likes a post, leaves a comment, or follows a profile.

3. Enterprise-Grade Security

Note: Security follows a zero-trust philosophy — every interaction is validated to protect user data.

• Device and session management — Users can view all active sessions (e.g., "iPhone 14 in New York") and remotely revoke access to unrecognized devices.
• Two-factor authentication (2FA) — Full TOTP support to secure accounts against unauthorized access.
• Graceful account recovery — Automated deletion scheduling with a built-in grace period for users who change their mind.

4. Creator Analytics and Pro Tiers

• Engagement tracking — The backend tracks views, watch duration, and interaction types to refine the discovery algorithm.
• Pro tier automation — Creators are automatically assigned tiers (Star 1 to 5) based on engagement metrics, unlocking premium platform features.

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User Journey

Step 1: Onboarding and Authentication

1. Sign up — Register on the platform with smooth UI feedback via toast notifications (powered by Sonner).
2. Secure the account — Enable 2FA in settings by scanning the provided QR code with an authenticator app.

Step 2: Content Discovery

1. The "For You" feed — The algorithm serves content based on global trends from the moment a user lands on the homepage, adapting further the longer they engage with a given type of content.
2. Explore tab — Search for hashtags, trending creators, or niche communities.

Step 3: Engaging with Content

1. Interact — Double-tap to like a Reel, or open the comment section to leave a comment. The like counter updates instantly, with no page reload.
2. Follow creators — Following a creator's profile triggers a real-time notification to their device immediately.

Step 4: Creating Content

1. Open the studio — Access the Upload Studio via the "+" icon.
2. Upload and process — Drag and drop a high-resolution video for an instant preview. On publish, BullMQ workers transcode the video into multiple resolutions in the background while the user continues browsing.

Step 5: Socializing

1. Messaging — Open the chat drawer to see who is online (indicated by a green dot) and start a real-time conversation.