Volicon Announces Major New Release of Observer® RPM
BURLINGTON, Mass. — Dec. 16, 2009 — Volicon today announced a significant new release of its Observer® RPM (Remote Program Manager), the company’s post set-top-box (STB) video service assurance solution for cable, IPTV, mobile, and satellite video service providers. The latest release incorporates a range of new features and add-on software modules for ensuring the highest-quality delivery of HD and interactive services, at a price point that makes the solution practical for deploying at edge locations.
“In today’s highly competitive marketplace, operators are looking to assure HD and interactive offerings, raise customer service levels and lower capital and operating costs,” said Andrew Sachs, senior director of marketing for cable, IPTV, and mobile video for Volicon. “With this release, the Observer RPM adds 720p/1080i HD analysis over component and HDMI interfaces to give operators a real view into their critical HD services. Additionally, the RPM enables operators to proactively monitor interactive content and advertising using scripting, decision making, and graphical pattern matching. The RPM is the only tool that can effectively measure post-STB customer quality of experience for HD and interactive content due to its ability to log and stream content in real time.”
Based on the core technology of Volicon’s award-winning Observer broadcast monitoring system, the Observer RPM allows operators to monitor hundreds of channels, troubleshoot real-time video issues, and verify broadcast content and advertising in a 24x7 log. By providing a remote view of the customer’s experience, the RPM enables pay TV operators to identify and troubleshoot problems quickly before they turn into customer complaints and to avoid costly chronic troubleshooting sessions.
Headlining the new RPM release is powerful functionality to enable maximum quality of experience and quality of service for HD and interactive offerings. A new Interactive Services Module (ISM) offers unprecedented capabilities for ensuring the quality of not only linear content, but also on-demand and interactive content and advertising. Through advanced object recognition capabilities and decision-making logic, graphical pattern matching, and multi-tiered testing, the ISM works alongside the continuous RPM lineup scan for linear content. In addition, the RPM is now the first system to offer testing of SD and HD services via component and HDMI inputs scanned at both 720p and 1080i resolutions. By providing frame-by-frame visibility of HD content, operators are able to assure the availability, proper formatting, and quality of the HD programming to meet customer expectations.
Also included with the new RPM release is a Proof-of-Experience module that gives operators post-STB visibility of the customer experience associated with MPEG impairments. With the module, impairments detected by MPEG transport stream analyzers automatically triggers the RPM to dial and record a particular channel for visual analysis. The module enables operators to better leverage their investment in MPEG transport stream analyzers by giving the operators an instant view of which MPEG impairments affect the customers’ experience and which do not.
With the new Scheduled Recording module, the Observer RPM provides verification of advertising and high-value content such as breaking news or sporting events. Driven by an XML schedule file or a GUI selection from an electronic program guide (EPG), the module allows the operator to establish channels and time periods to stay on one service and record it continuously. This content is monitored for A/V impairments while the system creates an easily viewable and exportable clip for archival or forwarding purposes. As-run logs from the program or ad insertion system may also be imported into the RPM system for easy advertising verification and reconciliation.
Other features in the Observer RPM include the ability for a 1RU system to test four simultaneous inputs, for maximum functionality with a minimum footprint, and a manual mode that enables live troubleshooting via an onscreen, graphical “virtual remote control.” Operators can watch live content, dial channels, or activate on-demand or interactive features, and can pause, rewind, or even step through the video frame by frame in the window or full screen. Because the RPM is recording 24x7 at up to full frame rate and resolution, the user is easily able to clip and export content to share with others. The system’s multiview window and synchronization enables easy comparison of the content at different locations from the head end to the edge.
More information about the Observer RPM, ISM, and other Volicon products is available at http://www.volicon.com.
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About Volicon
Volicon is the broadcast and cable industry’s most efficient, reliable, and cost-effective automated multichannel video content logging and monitoring system for compliance, media analysis, content repurposing, and quality of service. Its Observer® real-time, digital video monitoring and logging solutions are based on Volicon’s patent-pending Video Monitoring Architecture (VMA). VMA is comprised of a multichannel video streaming engine, interactive search, content analytics, and service monitoring and alarming capabilities. Volicon products and services meet the demanding requirements of broadcasters, cable and IPTV service providers, and enterprise and government organizations looking to improve broadcast product quality, enhance video management, and lower costs. More information is available at http://www.volicon.com.
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