The conversion from analog to digital video distribution creates challenges for video service providers and equipment manufacturers needing to verify baseband content. These challenges include not only validating the video and audio quality on a full-time 24/7 basis, but also the auditing of when, where and how content is played.
IneoQuest Technologies has added a new remote content verification technology called VeriFrame to its existing IQPinPoint business development platform that effectively puts a virtual network operations center on your desktop computer.
Leveraging the company’s new iCMS (content management software) and Cricket FrameGrabber hardware probes (boxes), VeriFrame’s distributed video verification technology enables telecom, cable and satellite operators, content providers, network equipment manufacturers and broadcasters to efficiently capture, monitor, audit and verify commercial spots while evaluating baseband content in order to validate the subscriber experience.
A broadcast network might use it to monitor what the programming looks like in the local markets it’s being distributed to. At a central location, an engineer can watch the feeds on the receive end in real time.
VeriFrame targets the lack of a cost-efficient method for verifying that video and audio content is being transmitted reliably. The highly specialized software can be preprogrammed to perform multiple tasks, such as baseband content monitoring, distributed program verification, test and measurement and ad insertion auditing. It also provides a low-cost method of archiving video and audio content for detailed analysis and confidence monitoring.
The technology automatically verifies video and audio content, frame by frame, detecting black screen, luminance levels and freeze frame in addition to audio levels, providing real-time remote QoE metrics. Additionally, VeriFrame provides a unique video frame thumbnail mosaic display for immediate visual confidence monitoring and program playout verification. Incorporating a database architecture, it enables the retrieval and filter navigation of all monitored and archived thumbnail information for post-analysis trending and performance tracking.
All of the program metrics are stored in the FrameGrabber on a real-time basis, and every 30 minutes the data is moved onto a larger database using the system’s content management software. Users can monitors a series of thumbnails of frame grabs from a desired channel. Each thumbnail is recycled about every second, or as often as the user requires. The Cricket FrameGrabber nodes can be programmed to monitor a series of channels per box, or an operator can analyze a single channel from multiple locations within the coverage area.
Other features include real-time monitoring and alarming on every frame and distributed management of multiple probe units, which helps reduce deployment costs.
For more information, visit www.ineoquest.com.
