May-June 2017
MANAGEMENT 41
Hybrid QC solutions bring improved quality control and efficiency to broadcast workflows
BY KANISHKA TONGYA
In today ’ s fast-paced , file-based workflow environment , broadcasters are continually looking for new ways to improve quality control ( QC ) and efficiency while maintaining the integrity of content . For many years , that meant relying on automation over manual QC because it was faster and there was less chance for error . Recently , this viewpoint has shifted . Broadcasters are beginning to see the value of a hybrid QC solution that combines automation and manual checks in a single platform .
Auto QC solutions are ultimately incomplete because they produce false positives and negatives . A false positive can occur when an automated , file-based QC solution detects special effects as artifacts in the video frame . When this happens , manual intervention is necessary to gain insight into these irregularities and counteract them , if required .
False negatives happen when errors that need to be reported are ignored by auto QC systems . Under some circumstances , significant issues exist within the video or audio stream that need to be reported but the technology is not available to address them . Manual intervention by the operator is absolutely essential in order to detect problems , such as lip-sync errors , which automated QC solutions alone cannot identify .
Recently , Interra Systems introduced hybrid capabilities for its industry-leading Baton QC solution , allowing operators to detect issues that were previously not possible with auto-only QC systems . Through the platform ’ s media player , broadcasters can view manual QC checks enabled in the test plan , add required errors , and verify manual tasks as they are being reviewed .
The test plan is populated based on broadcasters ’ feedback and by drawing upon regulations from forums such as DPP and EBU-QC . More importantly , broadcasters now have flexibility to register any new custom error for auto or manual checks . By adding manual checks to its Baton QC solution , Interra Systems sets the benchmark for wellintegrated and efficient broadcast workflows .
Interra Systems is one of the first companies to offer a hybrid QC solution that incorporates auto and manual checks . Utilising a hybrid QC solution such as Baton , today ’ s broadcasters can deliver flawless , error-free video on every device in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible .
Stop by the Interra Systems booth 4U2-04 at BroadcastAsia2017 for a live demonstration of Baton with hybrid QC capabilities . Interra Systems will also showcase its end-to-end QC and monitoring solutionscentric approach to ensuring superior online video and audio quality for broadcast and streaming applications , enabling users to focus on other mission-critical content production and delivery tasks , increase customer satisfaction , and boost revenue .
❝ Broadcasters are beginning to see the value of a hybrid QC solution that combines automation and manual checks in a single platform .❞
Kanishka Tongya is Director of Sales , APAC at Interra Systems .
Lynx Technik expands greenMachine family and greenStore
Lynx Technik has developed greenMachine titan , a new hardware component of the company ’ s greenMachine platform .
Complementing the existing green Machine callisto , a two-channel signal processing hardware , greenMachine titan is a four-channel hardware device designed to process up to four 3G / HD / SD-SDI video streams or a single 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) video input . Equipped with 12G processing capability , greenMachine titan is able to support 4K / UHD infrastructure applications while providing the functionality to convert between single link 4K / UHD video and quadlink 4K / UHD video .
Combining general-purpose hardware , software apps and control software , Lynx Technik ’ s greenMachine adopts a threeprong approach to product definition and function . Essentially , greenMachine presents a combination of general-purpose hardware , downloadable apps for customisable functionality and control software .
Lynx Technik has also added four new apps — Colour Matching , SwitchOver , DolbyE Decoder and Teletext — to the greenMachine platform . Users are able to download these apps from the greenStore to suit their applications .
The greenMachine titan from Lynx Technik is equipped with 12G processing capability to support 4K / UHD applications .
Designed to resolve colour-accuracy issues , the Colour Matching image processing app provides colour matching with gain and offset adjustments for a variety of colours .
The Switchover app is a two-channel changeover switch , which can be triggered manually or when an input fails . Switchover , according to Lynx Technik , is ideal for applications that require an emergency switch for backup , or clean switching between two video sources .
For audio decoding , Lynx Technik has added the Dolby E Decoder app , which enables the decoding of the eight audio channels continued in a Dolby E stream to PCM ( pulse-code modulation ) audio .
The fourth app that Lynx Technik has added to the greenStore is the Teletext Viewer , which provides remote monitoring of teletext content within a video stream .
SGL has an established history serving the archive needs of broadcast facilities around the world .
SGL ’ s highly scalable , reliable archive solutions evolve with your business . Discover more about FlashNet Infinity , new FlashNet Lite , our cloud archiving solutions including Amazon S3 and more at Broadcast Asia .
Tektronix ’ s Prism platform offers enhanced hybrid IP / SDI monitoring
Tektronix ’ s software-based , hybrid IP / SDI media analysis platform now includes new features that support “ important industry specifications and help engineers boost IP video network quality , conquer integration and operations challenges , and perform deep-dive analysis for troubleshooting ”.
Previously available as a 3RU product with a built-in display , Prism is now also available in a 1RU form factor for use with external displays . Specifically , Prism ’ s new enhancements include analysis of PTP ( precision time protocol ) synchronisation timing , support for SMPTE ST 2022-7 redundancy and the IGMP V3 protocol , new API ( application programming interface ) support for easy systems integration into network management systems , as well as IP stream capture for deep-dive analysis .
These add to pre-existing features such as a packet interval time ( PIT ) histogram and trend graph , as well as the trend graph of time stamped delay factor ( TS-DF ), as defined in the EBU-Tech 3337 algorithm .
Charlie Dunn , general manager , video product line , Tektronix , said : “ As the broadcast industry goes through the IP transition , engineers need to manage an increasingly complex and evolving hybrid IP and SDI environment . Prism is the first software-based platform with field upgradeability that offers customers longterm investment protection as technology and requirements evolve .”
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