MPEG Test Systems

Features & Benefits

• Industry’s Fastest Analysis Engine enables Reduced Time to Insight, Rapid Development, Evaluation, Deployment, and Diagnostics of Next-generation DTV and IPTV Systems and Services
• A Wide Range of DTV Standards are Supported, including MPEG, DVB, ATSC, ISDB, and ISDB-TB (Brazil). Specific SI for Terrestrial, Cable, and Satellite, plus Regional Variations of these Standards are also Supported
• Range of Interfaces and Analysis Capabilities provide the Necessary Connectivity to Diagnose Problems Anywhere in the Network Environment, whether that be Transmission Links (RF or IP Layer) or Content Processing (TS Layer)
• Connect to both IP Version 4 and 6 Networks, including those using IGMP and MLD Multicast Protocols Respectively
• Analyze both Constant and Variable Bit Rate Streams (CBR and VBR)*¹
• Integrated Cross-layer Fault Analysis and Logging provides One-box Solution for Fault Diagnosis, Reducing Time to Insight when Troubleshooting
• Playout Functionality provides Stimulus with Parametric Capabilities and IP Multisession Replication to Characterize Behavior of Network or Device Under Test
• CaptureVu™ Technology Captures and Analyzes System Events in Real Time and Deferred Time to Debug the Intermittent and Complex Problems that Traditional Analyzers Miss
• Innovative Program-centric User Interface brings Expert Power to the Novice User
• H.264 Buffer Analysis, Multiplexing, and ES Compliance Checking provide the Most Powerful Suite of Tools for Creation and Analysis of Transport Streams containing H.264 Content
• Both Buffer Analysis and Multiplexing are Now Available for MPEG-4 AAC, a Mandatory ISDB-TB Audio CODEC. These compliment the existing MPEG-4 AAC ES Compliance Checking
• Try Before You Buy: Demo Versions of the TSCA, Multiplexer, and Buffer Analyzer are Available to Download

Applications

Equipment Manufacturers – Research & Development

• CaptureVu™ Technology allows Rapid Isolation and Debugging of Equipment and System Faults
• High-performance Line Rate Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) IP Connectivity and Integrated Cross-layer Analysis enable Diagnosis of Complex Timing Problems in Video over IP and IPTV Network Equipment
• Multiplexer/Remultiplexer allows Flexible Test Stream Creation and Modification
• Rapid and In-depth Analysis of Selected Elements of Transport Streams to Confirm Functionality and Compliance to Standards
• Set-top Box Buffer Testing and Verification
• Elementary Stream Analysis Option for Codec Design and Optimization

*¹ Some timing-related measurements are not possible with VBR streams.

Summary of MTS430 Standard Tools

Further details of individual tools are available within the Additional Resources.

Transport Stream Compliance Analyzer (TSCA)

The TSCA offers significant enhancements over traditional software­based deferred-time (stored streams) MPEG analyzers. The combination of an innovative high-speed analysis engine and built-in intelligence, allows ultra-fast pinpointing and debugging of intermittent faults in MPEG Transport Streams used in next-generation DTV and IPTV systems and services.

The TSCA also provides real-time analysis of Transport Streams received through the MTS430’s stream interfaces, including IP and RF. The real-time analysis includes Cross Layer time-correlated IP and TS measurements, alarms, and error logging together with stream recording.

The TSCA includes the CaptureVu™ technology and PCR measurement and graphing capabilities. CaptureVu™ technology captures and analyzes system events in real time and deferred time to debug the intermittent and complex problems that traditional analyzers miss.

Standards compliance is ensured through built-in customizable scripting supporting the broadest ranges of ratified and evolving DTV standards, including ATSC, DVB-C, DVB-H, DVB-S, DVB-T, ISDB-S, ISDB-T, ISDB-TB, and MPEG. To maintain compatibility with the latest standards, flexibility is the key. New standards and proprietary tables can easily be catered for by loading Tektronix-supplied updates, or creating your own custom scripts.

Users can configure the TSCA software to display stream information in user-selected fonts. This feature enables you to view stream information in your local language or to use custom fonts.

Duplex operation of the real-time TSCA and Player allows end-to-end system test (maximum aggregate bit rate is 214 Mb/s for simultaneous input and output operation)*²

*² Duplex is not available for Transport Streams over IP.

Playout (Transport Stream Generation) and Recording

The Player tool provides a Transport Stream stimulus for a device under test through the ASI, SMPTE310, LVDS (DVB Parallel), or IP stream interfaces. Continuous playout of looped streams is possible at up to maximum ASI rate of 214 Mb/s with automatic updating of time stamps. Playout rate can be automatically determined from file PCRs or manually set. Simultaneous playout and recording (duplex operation) for end­to­end system test is supported with the ASI/SMPTE310M and LVDS interfaces.

Playout through the IP interface provides stimulus with parametric capabilities and multisession replication to characterize behavior of a network or device under test. This capability enables equipment manufacturers developing hardware or software solutions for video distribution over IP and IPTV to ensure quality and performance of products, resulting in reduced development costs and accelerated roll out of next-generation IP broadcast services.

Multiplexer and SI Table Editor

When testing network elements or set-top boxes, a Transport Stream of the representative type needed is often not available. Even if there is a similar one, vital components within it may be missing or suffer from a lack of SI (Service Information) or other tables, or are multiplexed to the incorrect Transport Stream rate for the application.

Use the Multiplexer/Remultiplexer/Demultiplexer application to create and modify multiprogram Transport Streams with custom SI/PSI/PSIP information for DVB, ATSC, ISDB*³, and MPEG-compliant Transport Streams.

Video and audio Elementary Streams may also be multiplexed into a Transport Stream. H.264 streams both with and without SEI timing messages are supported. Bit rate and frame rate auto-detection features aid the import process.

This enables the user to create their own test streams that they can use to validate and debug their designs more quickly, and also to create errored streams to perform parametric stress testing and ensure robustness and quality of their MPEG-2 or H.264 implementation.

The Make Seamless wizard is provided with the Multiplexer. When looping a Transport Stream to simulate continuous playout, errors can be generated at the loop point caused by discontinuities in timing information. The Make Seamless wizard provides the opportunity of creating a seamless version of a Transport Stream file by adjusting SI and ES components within the stream.

*³ This includes ISDB-TB (Brazil) and Single Segment mode.

Buffer Analyzer

When developing professional and consumer equipment, particularly encoders and set-top boxes, the characteristics of the test streams being either generated or used as stimulus need to be ascertained. Of critical importance amongst these characteristics is adherence to the buffer model. That is, when the stream is processed by a receiver, will any of the internal buffers be caused to either under- or overflow. Consequences of these conditions will be freeze frames and receiver resets.

There are two types of buffer model; the one to use by the receiver is signaled within the Elementary Stream itself. The T-STD method is based upon the DTS values within the PES header and can be used for any contained CODEC type. Additionally, certain video CODECs such as MPEG-2 and H.264/AVC may contain buffer parameters within the ES itself. The Buffer Analyzer verifies conformance of a stream to the T-STD model. Verification of the H.264/AVC HRD method is covered by the MTS4EA product.

Packetized Elementary Stream (PES) Analyzer

When developing professional and consumer equipment, particularly encoders and set-top boxes, the characteristics of the test streams being either generated or used as stimulus need to be ascertained. The header associated with each PES packet is of particular interest, as it contains the decode and presentation time stamps (DTS and PTS) for the contained Elementary Stream. Errors in these time stamps may cause resets or picture freeze problems at the receiver in extreme cases. They are more typically the cause of lip sync problems where the time stamps of associated video and audio streams are not synchronized. The PES Analyzer is designed to help address these problems as well as verify conformance of the PES header contents to the MPEG, DVB, and ATSC standards.

Creating, Editing, and Resizing Transport Streams

Two direct stream manipulation packages are supplied as standard with the MTS430. TS Cutter allows resizing of Transport Streams. TS Editor allows direct editing of Transport Streams using a hexadecimal view as well as a header interpretation guide.

Summary of MTS430 Optional Tools

MTS4EA ES Analyzer

Whether developing a new CODEC chip, integrating a CODEC into professional or consumer equipment, or integrating different vendor’s equipment when rolling out new services, the ability to verify the compliance of an Elementary Stream is crucial. This tool checks for compliance of an Elementary Stream to either next-generation VC-1, AVC/H.264, and MPEG-4 standards, or legacy MPEG-2 and H.263. Audio decode and waveform display of MPEG-2 audio (ISO/IEC 13818 parts 3 and 7), AC-3, and MPEG-4 AAC are also supported.

Comprehensive diagnostic capabilities including semantic trace view to determine Frame-by-Frame and Block-by-Block encoder decision making. Synchronized displays allow the user to quickly ascertain the details of each reported error. A bitstream editor allows the effects of planned encoder updates to be quickly understood.

Elementary Stream (ES) Analyzer

The ES Analyzer is intended for CODEC design, optimization, and conformance purposes. It provides the ability to view the moving picture from within a PES stream and carry out a whole range of sophisticated tests on the lower layers of an Elementary Stream within a Transport Stream. In addition, it both analyzes and displays a range of extended media formats, including ATSC Closed Captions, DVB Subtitles, and Teletext associated with video Elementary Streams.

For analysis of MPEG-4, AVC/H.264, and VC-1 as well as MPEG-2 Elementary Streams, please refer to the MTS4EA.

Carousel Analyzer

When developing either data or object carousels for interactive applications, designers not only need to verify the content of carousels, but also whether they are compliant with the relevant standards, and to optimize the settings between transmission bandwidth and responsiveness of the user experience. These settings are mainly concerned with the repetition rates of the various carousel groups. The Carousel Analyzer is designed to address all of these needs for a Transport Stream file containing carousel components. It analyzes carousels compliant with MPEG-2 DSM-CC, DVB (including MHP), DTT (MHEG-5), or ARIB standards.

Carousel Generator

The Carousel Generator product is used for creating object carousel contents within an output Transport Stream. This is particularly useful in test situations where the effects of varying parameters, such as individual repetition intervals, may be quickly ascertained. The generator will create object carousels conforming to the MPEG-2 DSM-CC, DVB, DTT (MHEG-5), or MHP standards.

Performance You Can Count On

Depend on Tektronix to provide you with performance you can count on. In addition to industry-leading service and support, this product comes backed by a one-year warranty as standard.