QC Digital Content

This is a product that I believe will have tremendous impact on how networks and teleports address QC. Typically video and audio are ingested real time from a tape machine, Server or over satellite. The workflow of this operation is time consuming but then to have to go back go back and play that file out through the use of a decoder and a person and some equipment to verify the content and QC.
One of the first products reviews on this blog K-Will Corporation does this in an exceptional manner. This however takes a different approach to the whole workflow. Tektronix makes this product named SyncCertTM.
We are going to be seeing a live demo at a customer site of this product in January and I look forward to adding to this post with some results on what we were able to see with regard to workflow and user functionality.
SyncCert is a system for checking and measuring video & audio synchronization for a file-based digital video content and it can provide an accurate means of detecting sync errors before they are visually detectable. Operating in both standard definition and high-definition both 720p and 1080i and also 4:2:2 and 4:4:4.
SyncCert automatically identifies the video frame number and audio frame number based upon embedded codes. These codes are then used to measure the video & audio sync and report this to the alert mechanism, alert log and in user interfaces. SyncCert can analyze files, which can be captured at any point in the program or broadcast stream, so that you can identify which area of your facility is causing the loss of video & audio sync. SyncCert allows the alert limits on audio lead and lag to be separately specified.

This system can be used by Broadcasters – for checking video & audio synchronization after ingest at any point in the broadcast chain and for Content Providers – To check Production and or the encoding chain to ensure that it is not introducing video & audio sync errors.

This products info is at the link provided below.
http://www.tek.com/site/ps/0,,2A-19980-INTRO_EN,00.html

I am looking forward to seeing more of this product and what it can do. Please feel free to post your opinions and or comments here if you have something to add regarding this or any other products.

Video over IP Delivery

In today’s world of moving video over IP vs. Satellite transmission, there are many new products out there in the marketplace to do just this task. One real problem is that not everyone guarantees the delivery of every packet and even if the packets successfully arrive, there is no guarantee that the packets arrive correctly in order or in a timely fashion for purposes of delivering content. Quality of Service enabled IP networks can achieve a loss-free transmission. However, there are many other factors that can cause failure of one type or another, such as; network delay queuing in routers and or switches. You may experience packet loss and reordering of packets due to link failures that can result in temporary interruption of Service and, or re-routing of packets. In short, there are a number of technical and operational issues to address when using IP networks as a transport delivery stream. The FEC or Forward Error Correction is a way of protecting a data stream across a network where packet loss and delay exist. In the case of the PATH 1 Model Vx8000, an IP video gateway transports real-time digital video over both public and private IP networks. The product has a robust Forward Error Protection methodology by using the Pro-MPEG COP-3 standards-based, and a user-selectable FEC: Pro-MPEG or ClearPath Pro for extra protection. Prior to transmission, the data is put through an algorithm that adds extra packets for error correction at the far end it acts as a shield that protects the video signal from the inherent issues of an IP network, such as packet loss, delay and jitter.

This is a very good paper named “Measuring Packet Reordering”
By John Bellardo and Stefan Savage - Department of Computer Science and Engineering University of California at San Diego http://www-cse.ucsd.edu/~savage/papers/IMW02.pdf

Path 1's Vx8000 2.0 enables you to deliver real-time, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and VC-1 (MPEG-2 TS) video in both Standard and High Definition formats via public and private IP networks. When you consider you can process up to8 DVB/ASI Streams in a 1RU chassis, this is an extraordinary product. This is also a techno-economical product by comparison. This is not the only product that can deliver content over the internet however, presently appears to be best bang for the buck.

I am looking forward to your input about this technology or similar technologies that are in this market Segment.

First launch of this Blog

The first product I would like to pontificate on is made by K-Will Corporation and is named the QuMax2000. I have been following the development of this product for 3+ years. I met the President and Marketing folks of this company in a cab line at NAB, the lines were long so we talked, and they convinced me they had a product worth looking at. With each year, the product got stronger and today it is a product worth discussing.

At the core of this product is a Double Stimulus QC that manages video signals by exception. You monitor the primary network feed, and also monitor the far side down linked distribution feed to cable head ends and MSO’s, single stimulus data about that feed is sent back to the network origination site via a 64kb public internet connection. The data collected and sent back to the origin site is compared real time and discrepancies are reported. Errors detected are unlike any other as this is a double stimulus analysis. No other manufacturer has this capability to date. The algorithms are proprietary and patented. OK, so the best features in this system are detecting lip sync error, content mismatch, and macro blocking errors, to name a few. You can also compare an SDI Origin signal to an analog distribution offset. The system does an auto degradation to allow for the inherent quality differences. The newer system available is HD Double Stimulus.

Everyone is interested in quality of signal delivery, from the Network to Cable Head ends, and from the advertisers to the consumers who watch the final product. This product has huge potential.
(additional info) Thesis: http://www.kwillcorporation.com/technology/thesis.html

I will be talking about another product next week. Thank you and please feel free to ad comments on the blog.