Tektronix, the market leader in broadcast video test, monitoring and analysis solutions, has announced its theme of “Video Content Quality Assurance”.  Highlights for this year’s show include the launch of a new master sync pulse generator, future additions to the award-winning Sentry family for the early detection and diagnosis of video and audio content errors, cutting-edge file-based video QC, video network monitoring solutions, and industry-leading waveform monitors and rasterizers.

SPG8000 Master Sync and Master Clock Reference Generator, an entirely new type of reference generator. Traditional Sync Pulse Generators (SPG) continue to evolve as modern Outside Broadcast, post production, and broadcast facilities now have multiple types of synchronization signals and clock reference signals.

The new Tektronix SPG8000 provides all of the required timing and synchronization signals in a convenient 1RU form factor. It accommodates the critical needs of a very robust master sync and master clock reference signal sources for 24/7 non-stop operation.

Its Stay Genlock capability can maintain the reference clock frequency and phase even when there is a loss of the genlock reference input signal (for example, loss of GPS signal). When the genlock signal is reapplied, the SPG8000 will gradually reacquire lock and thus can effectively eliminate any synchronization shock in the system. The hot-swappable redundant dual power supply system of the SPG8000 with its industry-first daily load test of the backup power supply provides another level of assurance for zero disruption in operations.

SNMP and Web UI support of the SPG8000 enable easy integration into modern automation, central monitoring and control systems. In addition to the optional HD/SD-SDI test signal outputs, 3G-SDI format support can be added as a software upgrade for changing needs in the future. Our innovative products and solutions ensure our customers maintain consistently high quality of their content throughout any workflow.

The SPG8000 now joins the recently launched TG8000, a new generation of multi format test signal generator platform designed to meet the needs of sync pulse generator applications in video content production, post production and broadcast market segments, and test signal generator application in research & design in the manufacturing segment.

It features a full 1RU form factor that can be installed with up to 4 modules, a replaceable power supply, a front USB port, and a 1Gbps Ethernet port designed for sync pulse generator use in broadcasting and test signal generator use in manufacturing.

The 12 total modules cover a wide range of interfaces and functions. They are available to be configured in the TG8000 to fully meet customer requirements, from simple / basic SPG applications, to GPS locked multi SD/HD/3G SDI TSG applications

This year at IBC, Tektronix will also showcase new additions to the Sentry family – the award-winning, comprehensive content monitoring solution for cable, terrestrial, satellite, IPTV and content providers. Sentry® enables the early detection and diagnosis of video and audio content errors, enabling service providers to deliver services with optimal Quality of Experience.

With the constant growth in the number of channels offered to subscribers, receiving alerts and program QoE information is the key to monitoring the video quality of digital video services, the new Medius Alerts Dashboard aggregates performance information from all the Sentry units registered to it in a video quality network monitoring system.  The new Alerts Dashboard provides three views to help manage this performance information across hundreds of programs simultaneously by providing a denser visual presentation of alert status.

The Alerts Dashboard includes a tile view that provides a quick snapshot of the alert status of all programs or services, with red tiles at the top of the view to highlight programs needing immediate attention; a grid view that shows a program’s alert status across all monitored points in the network for fast identification of the source of video and audio problems and a geographical view that displays which monitoring points have alerts to quickly highlight problem within the region being viewed.

This functionality dramatically reduces the time needed to solve problems. By streamlining – or entirely eliminating in many cases – the need for the traditional “process of elimination” methodology, service providers can dramatically reduce operational costs while ensuring subscribers enjoy a premium quality of experience (QoE).

entry Edge II is a highly-scalable, high-value solution for QAM monitoring.  It detects transport stream and RF modulation errors generated by equipment errors or failures.  The product offers the most needed features – 4 or 8 tuners per unit, QAM A/B/C support, comprehensive and industry-leading high quality RF measurements, tuning to 1 GHz, and high quality MER measurements – at a cost-effective price. With its monitoring density, Sentry Edge II provides a faster way to identify and remediate RF issues and to effectively monitor cable headend and hub outputs.

Alongside, we will be featuring our new complementary compressed video MTS4000 Analyzers which provide in-depth RF & Transport Stream monitoring and diagnostics with a range of network interfaces for RF & MPEG Diagnostics of Satellite, Terrestrial and Cable TV networks.

Our industry leading waveform monitors and rasterizers, include the WFM2200 designed for the operations engineer in mind, addressing needs of portability, without compromising performance.

For file based QC, we will be showing the latest version of our content verification tool Cerify File-based Content Analyzer release 7.5 featuring Automated Audio Loudness Correction.  Audio loudness is a significant issue worldwide with broadcasters and video service providers. With government compliance deadlines approaching, Cerify can now go beyond audio checks by automatically correcting audio loudness in the audio essence(s).

Working with all container types, audio level correction can be applied to the entire essence duration, and can be triggered by non-compliance to EBU R128 or ITU-1770-2 Audio Loudness Recommendations.

Automated loudness correction works for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby-E, PCM audio formats. Following the evolution of the MXF wrapper, Cerify adds additional MXF Container Support and Tests including support for the ratified version of AS-02.

New MXF metadata analysis includes MXF Footer and header partition status checks as well as tests on MXF metadata such as Company name, product name, version, and last modified date.

On the Tektronix stand in Hall 10.D41 at IBC this year they will showcase a set top box technology demonstration of the PQA600A with a HDCP compliant HDMI interface.  With the new PQA600A, engineers can directly evaluate the picture quality of the video stream outputs through an HDMI interface.

Video engineers can effectively model how equipment changes will impact picture quality through the network, across their head-end facilities to the STB. The new PQA600A enables vendors and service providers to perform comprehensive, repeatable picture quality analysis and a direct comparison across alternative supplier’s equipment to verify video quality performance differences.

Categories: Press Releases, Test & Monitor