QCloud Automated Video Content Verification System Datasheet

Media workflows are increasingly being operated in the Cloud to take advantage of the instant scalability and usage-based pricing models of Cloud platforms. Due to the significant size of the media files in these Cloud-resident workflows, it becomes cost and time prohibitive to move them back to onsite storage to perform QC. Tektronix has solved this problem by developing a File-based Media QC solution that is optimized to run on Cloud platforms. This solution is based on Tektronix' file-based QC engine with over seven years of field-experience and usage.

Key features

• No upfront CapEx cost
• Instant scalability always ensuring perfect sizing to workflow
• Metered usage billing ensures you only pay for what you use
• QC content from Amazon S3 location
• EBS optimized to ensure persistence of data across instance reboots
• Provides exception-based technical compliance to enable QC teams to focus on problem content and subjective requirements
• Performs consistent and thorough checks of incoming video files against user-defined templates
• Ensures compliance to regulatory requirements such as U.S. CALM Act, EBU R128, Canadian Closed Caption mandates, U.K. Ofcom & Japan NAB Photo-Sensitive Epilepsy (PSE)
• Provides HEVC support to address 4K content testing needs
• Ensures quality of all audio tracks contained in the file simultaneously
• Automatically corrects audio loudness and peak audio level issues to increase workflow efficiency and reduce CapEx/OpEx
• Logs errors, informs automation systems, plus programmable actions such as e-mail user alert, quarantine and move files
• XML-based templates to reduce ingest rejection due to errors
• Integrates with video servers, automation and MAM/DAM systems via Web-services (SOAP) API
• Web-based multiuser interface
• Unlimited scalability from Stand-alone (single server) to Enterprise (multi-instance cluster for higher parallel processing and high availability requirements)
• Human-readable PDF and machine-decodable XML output reports help decisions by operational staff and integrated software
• Partial checks on the file allow you to include or exclude different segments of the file
• Includes profiles for DPP, Netflix, and AS-11 delivery specifications
• Includes comprehensive bitstream, baseband/quality, and container tests
• Supports a wide range of formats and standards for video, audio, and containers

Applications

• Broadcasters and Video Service Providers – Ensuring quality, compliance, and playability of audio and video after encoding, at ingest, after editing, after transcoding, and before playout for terrestrial, satellite, cable, internet, and video-on-demand content, including 4K-⁠HEVC
• Archiving – Ensuring quality, compliance, and playability of archive content before archiving, while in archival or before retrieval from the archive
• Content Providers – Ensuring post production and aggregated content has been correctly encoded and conforms to the required quality and format, including 4K-HEVC

With QCloud you can ensure that your content is ready for delivery

Quality control of file-based video, including 4K-HEVC, that may be ingested from different sources and encoded at different bit rates, formats, and compression standards for SD/HD, VOD, OTT, and IPTV delivery presents considerable operational challenges. QCloud checks for:

• Correct Encoding Syntax: At the digital level, the audio and video must be correctly encoded without errors in accordance with the compression standard, so that it plays out correctly at the playout server and at the customer’s STB/playout device
• Correct Encoding Parameters: The bit rates, playtime, aspect ratio, GOP structure, video color-space, color depth, frame size, frame rate, aspect ratio, and quantization levels
• Correct Baseband and Quality Levels: The analog parameters of signal levels, luma, chroma, gamut, quality levels of black frames, freeze frames, black and color bars, field order, video quality (blockiness), loss of audio, audio clipping, and verification of audio loudness and peak level
• Correct Ancillary Data: Closed captions, teletext, DVB subtitles, and timecode
• Regulatory Compliance: US CALM Act, EBU R128, Canadian CC mandates, U.K. & Japanese PSE regulations

Manual inspection can playout, watch, and listen but is subjective and cannot look inside the encoding to check that the correct syntax and parameters have been used. Moreover, manual inspection is prohibitively expensive, especially given today’s increasing content growth.

QCloud solves these problems, and can be easily integrated with Automation and Asset Management systems using the CeriTalk API; thus feeding them with data required to automatically decide on the next workflow steps or drawing attention to the few assets that need review by experts.

Customer AWS infrastructure

The XML-based test templates can be exchanged between QCloud systems, and applied as the definition of the required test standards between suppliers and broadcasters to establish Service-level Agreements and reduce costly churn (rework of content).

User interface

The easy-to-use Web browser interface shows job status results at the top level.

You can view a summary of each job.

You can view individual alert details.

You can view reports by job, type, date range, file name, etc.

You can view DPP reports.

With just a few clicks, you can quickly "See and Solve" test results.

QCDataSheetLastPage

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For Further Information. Tektronix maintains a comprehensive, constantly expanding collection of application notes, technical briefs and other resources to help engineers working on the cutting edge of technology. Please visit www.tektronix.com.

Copyright © Tektronix, Inc. All rights reserved. Tektronix products are covered by U.S. and foreign patents, issued and pending. Information in this publication supersedes that in all previously published material. Specification and price change privileges reserved. TEKTRONIX and TEK are registered trademarks of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective companies.