AMSTERDAM: Tektronix will feature solutions specifically designed to further advance video quality monitoring for production, post-production and broadcast professionals at IBC 2011, Sept. 9-13 in Amsterdam.
Highlights for this year's show include test & measurement solutions for OB vans, production and studio control rooms, editing and special effects, colour correction, and 3D content production. Tektronix will also highlight its new range of video network monitoring solutions for digital video services in video over IP networks.
Tektronix will highlight its new compact WFM5200 waveform monitor and WVR5200 rasterizer, which can be tailored through software options to suit specific applications such as video content production, post-production, and broadcast. The WFM / WVR5200 is the world’s smallest full-featured waveform monitor and rasterizer that can monitor up to four 3G-SDI signals simultaneously, making these products ideal for use in OB vans, studio control rooms, and post-production houses doing editing, special effects and colour correction.
Tektronix is also introducing four new monitoring displays for 3D production teams who are tasked with determining the differences between the left-eye and right-eye images: Anaglyph display, Checkerboard display, Disparity Grid, and Disparity Cursor. The new 3D video monitoring capabilities will be available as standard with all new WFM8300 and WVR8300 instruments and will also be available on the WFM8200 and the WVR8200 instruments with the purchase of Option 3D. Existing WFM8300 and WVR8300 instruments as well as WFM8200 and WVR8200 instruments with Option 3D can also be upgraded with the new features free of charge through the new firmware upgrade available on www.tektronix.com.
Tektronix has added new reporting capabilities to its Sentry digital content monitor. The first new reporting capability integrates Sentry’s Video and Audio QoE Scoring System with the SCTE 168-6 "Recommended Practice for Monitoring Multimedia Distribution Quality," a popular method for reporting program availability. This allows video service providers to take advantage of a popular reporting methodology while identifying and fixing those problems that have a real impact on viewing quality. The second new capability enables video service providers to verify that Closed Captioning content has been included with the program being delivered. Sentry generates Closed Captioning status reports, which video service providers can use with programmers, satellite network operators and operations staff to determine where the fault lies when closed captioning data is missing. The new capabilities are both available in release 5.1 of the Sentry operating software, which is currently available at no cost to existing customers with maintenance agreements.
Tektronix has also announced significant audio test updates to Cerify SW (a software tool for testing file-based video). The new multi-track functionality allows simultaneous measurement of key parameters such as loudness, mutes, clips, silence and true peak levels for multiple tracks with multiple formats. This enables the measurement of multiple audio channels on one track while also measuring multiple audio channels on a different track (e.g. Dolby Digital (AC-3) and stereo PCM channels on another track within a file). The introduction of new software licensing options also enables Cerify run on up to 20 server units for enterprise solutions.
Tektronix now offers PQASW, a software version of its picture quality measurement instrument, the PQA600. The PQASW scales key picture quality measurements, scores and analysis to suit the speed and portability of the analysis platform on which it is being run. For advanced analysis, the Advanced Option (Option ADV) offers designers a 10 bit measurement for evaluating emerging 10 bit encoding algorithms, and a color PSNR measurement with a Vector Display. For evaluation and trials of transcoders with an IP interface, PQASW also includes an embedded reference decoder and IP software interface (option IP) allowing the capture and playout of video streams on an IP interface.
Tektronix has also released an update to its hardware-based PQA600 solution which includes the above capabilities plus simultaneous IP and SDI connectivity, which allows engineers to connect the PQA600 directly to an encoder with SDI input and IP output or a decoder with IP input and SDI output. The new IP generation/capture and embedded reference decoder provides an efficient environment for reliable and convenient picture quality measurements for testing IP video.
Tektronix has added audio to the VQS1000 Video Quality Analysis Software. Building upon the audio loudness measurement capabilities available across its product portfolio, the new software upgrade adheres to the ATSC A/85 Recommendation and ITU-R BS.1770-1/1771 specifications. The upgrade includes capabilities such as an LKFS Audio Loudness Meter, an Audio Loudness Session Display, and trending and alarm reporting information. The VQS1000 targets network analysis, allowing users to troubleshoot QoE problems and trace them back to the underlying QoS root cause.
The Tektronix MTS4EA Elementary Stream Analyzer now features a number of codec enhancements, including an update to the H.264/AVC JM reference codec, support for the AVC Intra profiles and Scalable Video Coding (SVC). The MTS4EA supports the SVC Baseline, High and High Intra profiles. The AVC Intra profiles provide a means for H.264/AVC to be used for production quality, HD video purposes, such as editing, archiving and contribution. The MTS4EA supports the High10, High422, High444 and CALVC Intra profiles.
Visitors to the Tektronix stand will have the chance to get expert advice and hands-on demonstrations. For those who are not able to attend the show, Tektronix will also be shooting product demo and industry viewpoint videos at the stand, which will be posted via twitter (@tektronix) and Facebook.
Tektronix will be in Stand 8.C75.
