Tektronix Enables Broadcasters to Ensure Quality of Their OTT Services

BEAVERTON, Ore., April 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Tektronix (www.tektronix.com), the market leader in broadcast video test, monitoring and analysis solutions, will show broadcasters attending the upcoming National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) annual conference  in Las Vegas (April 5 – 10) how they can ensure the picture and sound quality of programming they send to viewers via over-the-top (OTT) delivery.  A key component of Tektronix' comprehensive solution is its Sentry ABR (adaptive bit rate) digital content monitor which enables broadcasters and other content creators to ensure the quality of their ABR-based TV Everywhere and over-the-top OTT services.

OTT delivery is increasingly being adopted by broadcasters and content creators as in order to reach consumers directly with a multiscreen TV Everywhere service that can be experienced on TVs, PCs, tablets and smartphones both in the home and on the go.  However, because they do not operate the cable or telecom networks their customers use to receive their programming, broadcasters and content creators cannot guarantee that bandwidth always be sufficient for optimal picture and sound quality.  Using ABR streaming to accommodate bandwidth fluctuations is a proven solution, but proper monitoring is required to ensure programming assets are properly stored and available when requested by viewers.

"Thanks to the combination of OTT delivery and ABR streaming, broadcasters and content creators can achieve their goal of directly reaching viewers anywhere in the country with a full suite of multiscreen services," said Eben Jenkins, general manager, Video Product Line, Tektronix.  "However, delivering video using OTT over unmanaged networks poses quality concerns that our Sentry and Sentry ABR solutions have been specifically designed to address."

Sentry ABR uniquely enables broadcasters and content creators to ensure that all of their OTT video assets are intact and available for immediate streaming when requested by viewers.  Sentry ABR does this by validating all assets, bitrate profiles and manifest files based on a highly parallel HTTP fragment fetching engine.  Sentry ABR supports up to 250 top manifests, which translates into a much higher monitoring capacity as each manifest can support up to 12 profiles of each program. Manifest files and fragments can be fetched from any place on the network – such as origin servers and content distribution network (CDN) caching servers – to simulate a subscriber's request for content.

Tektronix' ABR solutions complement the full suite of Sentry video quality monitoring solutions including Ethernet-based, QAM, ASI, and 8VSB interfaces.  This comprehensive portfolio enables content to be proactively monitored for quality and compliance whether carried from studio to transmitter, over-the-air, or via linear delivery networks.

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About Tektronix
For more than sixty five years, engineers have turned to Tektronix for test, measurement and monitoring solutions to solve design challenges, improve productivity and dramatically reduce time to market. Tektronix is a leading supplier of test equipment for engineers focused on electronic design, manufacturing, and advanced technology development. Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Tektronix serves customers worldwide and offers award-winning service and support. Stay on the leading edge at www.tektronix.com.

Tektronix is a registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

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SOURCE Tektronix