MANAGEMENT
December 2016
19
Reliable QC and monitoring solutions
are essential in OTT environment
BY KANISHKA TONGYA
Over-the-top (OTT) TV and video
revenues in the Asia-Pacific region are expected to skyrocket to
US$18.4 billion over the next five
years, up from $5.7 billion in 2015,
according to a recent study from
Digital TV Research.
Yet, delivering error-free and
high quality content can be an
issue for broadcasters without a
reliable set of quality control (QC)
and monitoring tools.
From an OTT monitoring perspective, broadcasters should
choose a solution that provides
comprehensive HTTP checks for
both live and linear applications.
Quality of service (QoS) assurance parameters that broadcasters will want to monitor include
content download time, latency,
macroblocking, freeze frames
Figure 1
and black frames.
Beyond video, broadcasters
must also check loudness, silence
and audio levels.
Ultimately, this will ensure that
their viewers can enjoy a highquality video and audio experience
on any device.
Having visibility into the entire
workflow is another key requirement for ensuring optimum QoS
and quality of experience (QoE).
As content in an OTT workflow
is stored on origin servers, content
delivery networks (CDNs), as well
as edge/cache servers, it can be
challenging to detect the delivery
source of QoS problems.
A QC solution with advanced
functionalities such as centralised management, QoS and QoE
checks, and real-time error alerts
for problem detection and troubleshooting will streamline this
process.
OTT technology and require-
ments are always evolving. Broadcasters will want to select a monitoring tool that is flexible and
scalable, enabling easy growth as
well as support of next-generation
technologies and standards.
Finally, there cannot be any
trade-offs between efficiency
and accuracy. Deploying an OTT
monitoring solution that works in
tandem with a file-based QC tool
will allow broadcasters to quickly
and correctly address any issues in
live and linear workflows, all the
way from ingest to delivery. (See
Figure 1.) The result is better QoS
and QoE for OTT viewers.
Finding a QC and monitoring
solution that meets all of these
requirements for video delivery
in the OTT world can be challenging. But poor video quality is not
a risk that broadcasters can take
anymore. Viewers expect a consist-
ent, crystal-clear video experience
across all device types, including
TV, PC, smartphone and tablet.
Using a combination of Interra
Systems’ Orion-OTT monitoring
solution and Baton file-based QC
tool, broadcasters have a complete
video-quality assurance solution
for the OTT landscape that will
ensure an exceptional QoS and
QoE for viewers and enable them
to gain a competitive edge in the
marketplace.
Deploying an OTT monitoring
solution that works in tandem
with a file-based QC tool will allow broadcasters to quickly and
correctly address any issues in live
and linear workflows, all the way
from ingest to delivery.
Kanishka Tongya is senior International Business Development manager at Interra Systems.
Innovation key in technology transformation, says SI
As technology evolves, broadcasters are primarily concerned about
the need for “future-proof” solutions and how these solutions can
help them migrate existing workflows in order to increase workflow
efficiency.
“Future-proof solutions bridge
the gap between current and future technological developments
in the broadcast industry, as well as
changes in the user viewing behaviour,” Andreas Höflich, PR manager
for systems integrator Broadcast
Solutions, told APB.
To demonstrate the possibilities
of how broadcast centres can be
built to suit the needs of today’s
broadcasters and be upgraded to
tomorrow’s requirements, Broadcast
Solutions and event partners IHSE,
Riedel and Zenon Media hosted
the Broadcast Innovation Days
Asia 2016 with a presentation of
the latest technology innovations.
With the theme Think Big —
Start Small — The Power to Scale,
more than 300 broadcast professionals gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia on October 31 and in Hanoi,
Vietnam on November 3, to discuss technological advancements
and solutions that are needed to
cope with the demand for faster
workflows and economies of scale
against the backdrop of increased
competition.
Broadcast Solutions exhibited
its portfolio of future-proof solutions and products, which includes
the streamlined outside broadcasting (OB) van family, slomo.tv’s
multi-channel recording and replay
servers, as well as Satcom antennas
and Robycam stabilised rail and
“flying” camera systems.
Addressing the need to access
equipment at every stage of the
transmission chain, IHSE demonstrated its Draco tera KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) switches,
which allow operators to manage
More than 300 visitors attended the Broadcast Innovation Days Asia 2016 in
Jakarta and Hanoi, which was hosted by systems integrator Broadcast Solutions
and its industry partners.
devices from their workstations.
The main aspect of IHSE’s systems,
according to the company, is its
modularity and expansion features, which enable operators to
expand and extend facilities while
managing a wide range of content
and data.
Designed to simplify workflows
in a radio station, Zenon Media
presented “the modern radio
system”, which handles import
and management of data, playlist,
and playout on multiple channel
broadcast layers.
MicroN, the newest member to Riedel’s MediorNet family, was also showcased at the
events to help broadcasters adapt
to a wide variety of production
Eyeheight LE-2M legalisers return to UK TV series set
Eyeheight LE-2M legalisers were
recently deployed for the production
of the latest series of the UK TV show
I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!
Designed for use in live TV content creation and post production, Eyeheight’s LE-2M
legaliser ensures that incoming signal video
is held within the required broadcast colourspace parame ters, such as EBU-R103. The
SDI or HD-SDI source signal is auto-detected
and the appropriate legalising format then
applied.
The LE-2M incorporates six user memories
plus common presets. Additional legalisation
Eyeheight LE-2M legalisers were
recently deployed for the production of
the latest series of the UK TV show I’m
a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
features include automatic luma overshoot
and undershoot suppression together with
luma and chroma gain, black level adjustment,
hue rotation, adjustable clipping levels and
soft-clipping-knee levels.
An ‘out-of-gamut’ indication feed displays
overshoot or undershoot severity and shows
the user where on the picture any signal correction is being performed.
Automatic real-time control of perceptual
loudness and true peak level are also provided.
Originally developed in Britain by ITV
Studios and first shown in 2002, I’m a Celebrity
... Get Me out of Here! is a reality TV series
produced by ITV Studios and licensed globally.
The latest series features former footballer Wayne Bridge, dancer Jordan Banjo from
Diversity, media personality Carol Vorderman,
Olympian Sam Quek, presenter Lisa Snowdon,
and actors Adam Thomas and Larry Lamb.
challenges. Designed with decentralised routing capabilities
and easy-to-use configuration
options, Riedel believes that the
MicroN-based systems are futureproof solutions broadcasters will
require, as the industry migrates
towards fully IP-based production
environments.
Rajveer Singh, general manager, South-east Asia, Riedel, concluded: “The attendees were keen
to know how these technologies
and new workflows would enable
their daily operations to be more
efficient. The products highlighted
at both events were a good opportunity for attendees to understand
how they can benefit from them
in many ways while relating it into
their own context.
“There was also a good level
of engagement at the demonstration sessions, and the attendees
requested for more seminars so as
to foster in-depth understanding.”