Harmonic Unveils Iris 2.0 Advanced Video Quality Analytics Software

Harmonic Inc. has announced Iris 2.0, the newest version of its video quality monitoring and analytics software suite. Featuring an enhanced graphical user interface and integration with several of the industry’s leading monitoring solutions, Iris 2.0 enables service providers to monitor and analyze their use of Harmonic broadcast encoders in real time, using the data to help optimize bandwidth and video quality.

“As service providers expand their lineups and introduce new channels, efficient utilization of available bandwidth becomes increasingly important to maintain cost-effective operations. At the same time, ensuring consistent video quality on each channel is essential to maintaining viewer satisfaction,” said Yoav Derazon, director of software products and solutions, Harmonic. “Using Iris 2.0, operators can better analyze their channel lineup and make changes that both improve video quality and optimize bandwidth. Iris provides objective data that accurately reflects picture quality, giving operators hard data on which to base their decisions.” 

Iris delivers video quality monitoring, global channel availability, and source profiling measurements for hundreds of programs, both in real time and historically for up to one year. Working in tandem with the Harmonic NMX Digital Service Manager video network management system, Iris collects data from Harmonic Electra and Ion encoders and presents it as a comprehensive set of user-friendly charts, reports, and dashboards. As a result, service providers can monitor and analyze their sources and programming over time; achieve better statmux pool balancing, bit rate allocation, and homogeneity of video quality; and ultimately increase end-customer satisfaction.

Iris 2.0 features an intuitive Web-based graphical user interface for real-time monitoring and analytics, as well as post-analytics and reporting, offering a more streamlined experience for analyzing sources and programming. Using a sophisticated combination of monitoring dashboards, high-quality graphs, analytics reports, and interactive channel/pool reports, users can now better visualize complex analysis and monitoring results for quick identification and response to video quality issues.

With the capability to handle any codec and format, the dense IP-based Iris 2.0 system can process and monitor up to 250 services in 1 RU, significantly saving capital and operating expenses for broadcast, cable, and satellite operators. 

Iris 2.0 has been integrated with Sencore’s VideoBRIDGE monitoring solution and the TeleSight test and measurement tool from global MPEG technology provider MiraVid Inc. to deliver an end-to-end video monitoring and analysis solution. Iris collects video quality information at the encoder level and provides it to the end-to-end monitoring systems, adding a deeper layer of data to help operators evaluate the overall health of their systems.

“We’re very excited about this opportunity to work with Harmonic, one of the industry’s best-known technology innovators for video quality and efficient video distribution,” said Jeff Briden, vice president of product management, Sencore. “The integration of our two products will enable Sencore and Harmonic to offer a complete system-monitoring solution for both video quality and network quality, in order to ease our customers’ support burdens and help them increase viewer satisfaction.” 

MiraVid Inc. is known in the video distribution industry for test and measurement products, including TeleSight, MSight, and AutoCheck.

“We are committed to the quality of the consumer viewing experience,” said Hugo Chung, CEO, MiraVid Inc. “Working with companies like Harmonic, who provide a broad range of video delivery solutions, gives us the insight and opportunity to focus our innovation efforts on providing state-of-the-art complementary technologies. We can then empower our customers by providing them with comprehensive solutions for analyzing and monitoring video quality.”