NAB 2017: As Industry Transitions to 4K, IP, and ABR, Tektronix Serves Test/Monitoring Needs
Video test and monitoring solutions provider Tektronix (booth SU5006) will showcase end-to-end solutions that ensure content quality, signal integrity, and regulatory compliance while the industry is embracing the challenges of transitioning to next generation technologies and workflows at NAB Show 2017.
“There’s never been a time like this in the broadcast industry with so many fundamental changes in technology and workflows coming together at the same time,” says Charlie Dunn, general manager, Video Product Line, Tektronix. “An industry driven by rapid change requires more than technical evolution. It requires what we call Revolutioneering™. This means we’re doing more than just accommodating change and new technologies – we’re helping to lead the charge.”
Here’s what Tektronix will be demonstrating at NAB to support critical broadcast industry transitions:
Tektronix PRISM
Transition #1: Live IP Video Production
The broadcast industry is undergoing a transition from an SDI infrastructure to an all-IP infrastructure that will ultimately impact all parts of the broadcast workflow. Tektronix PRISM offers broadcast engineers and IT professionals real time monitoring and analysis of IP streams and the associated content, enabling early identification and diagnosis of network or content issues including intermittent loss of video, audio, or data content.
At NAB, Tektronix will be demonstrating new PRISM capabilities including analysis of PTP synchronization timing, support for SMPTE ST 2022-7 redundancy, IGMP V3 and new API support for easy system integration into network management systems, and IP stream capture for deep dive analysis.
Tektronix WFM8000 series 4K HDR waveform monitors
Transition #2: 4K/UHD with HDR Content
With the increasing adoption of 4K/Ultra High Definition (UHD) with High Dynamic Range (HDR) displays by the consumers and the increasing drive from the content delivery companies to differentiate their product offerings, there is an increasing demand from content providers to produce more content with stunning 4K HDR picture quality.
Tektronix WFM8000 series 4K HDR waveform monitors enable the creation of 4K HDR content starting from content acquisition in production trucks or studio applications to color grading or correction in post production applications, ensuring the highest level of content quality with images that deliver a highly realistic viewing experience. The new HDR capabilities can easily be added to existing WFM/WVR8000 series products.
Sentry ABR
Transition #3: Live, On-Demand ABR Content
Ensuring the availability and quality of both live and file-based content is a critical task for content distributors moving to adaptive bit rate (ABR) delivery models. Tektronix’ Sentry ABR and Aurora file-based QC solutions provide Perceptual Video Quality (PVQ) measurements designed to detect video compression artifacts that affect the viewer’s quality of experience.
In addition to providing PVQ measurements, Tektronix’ Sentry ABR also gives an end-to-end view of the Quality of Experience (QoE) for all profiles by decrypting and decoding the live video and audio from the origin or caching servers for both encrypted and unencrypted content.
Transition #4: Data-Driven Efficiency Improvements
As broadcasters continue to drive for increased workflow efficiency across their media operations, the need to make data-driven decisions becomes critical. Knowing how the network and the associated operations are performing at the local station and group level is vital.
Tektronix Sentry is a scalable monitoring and reporting solution that is capable of monitoring multiple programs simultaneously and in real time. Using a 90-day database of detailed operational data, Sentry can be used to provide operators, engineers, and senior group management with the relevant performance information they need to make informed decisions about their operations and network performance.
Technology Demonstrations
Tektronix will also showcase a number of technology demonstrations including scalable, end-to-end picture quality MOS scoring from content creation to delivery and the ability to monitor cloud workflows with Sentry monitoring an Elemental cloud workflow on AWS.