Systems debug compressed-video streams in real time
By Dan Strassberg -- EDN, April 14, 2005
Tektronix has announced a series of compressed-video test systems that automatically monitor, analyze, and debug live and deferred-time video-transport streams, enabling fast problem resolution on these streams. According to the company, the MTS400 Series provides the market’s highest-performance analysis engine as well as support for real-time video-over-IP (Internet protocol) monitoring, analysis, and recording in broadband-video and video-on-demand applications.
The growing sophistication of compressed-video standards and the transition to high-definition TV require the analysis of increasingly complex transport streams at higher bit rates. The instruments’ program-centric graphical user interface enables developers and evaluators of compressed-video equipment to quickly isolate and investigate protocol faults. The units provide a large collection of test and analysis packages offering monitoring and analysis of live and file-based compressed video, including MPEG-2 (Motion Picture Experts Group), MPEG-4, H.264, and VC-1 (video codec 1).
“The MTS400 Series enables customers to achieve new levels of productivity by significantly reducing the time required to analyze large and complex MPEG-transport-stream files,” says Todd Biddle, vice president of Tektronix’s video-product line. “With the new CaptureVu capabilities, equipment manufacturers and network operators for the first time can pinpoint and resolve compressed-video-transport-stream problems in real time.”
The MTS400 Series comprises two models: the MTS400 with prices starting at less than $30,000 and the MTS430 with prices starting at less than $56,000 (Picture). Both models perform live CaptureVu analysis of video-transport streams received via ASI (Advanced Switching Interconnect), SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers)-310M, or LVDS (low-voltage differential-signaling) physical interfaces. The MTS430 also provides as standard features—and the MTS400 provides as options—CaptureVu deferred-time analysis with support for MPEG-over-IP, PES (packetized elementary stream), buffer analyzer, and multiplexer capabilities.
Tektronix Inc, 1-800-426-2200, www.tektronix.com.
