Bridge Technologies Introduce StreamOverview to the VB330

Bridge Technologies announces the release of its newly developed ‘StreamOverview’ functionality, introduced to the VB330 as a part of the version 6.3 upgrade. Reinforcing the role of the VB330 as an all-encompassing monitoring probe which allows for both in-the-moment decision making as well as deeper-dive troubleshooting, StreamOverview represents a new way of obtaining at-a-glance insight into the performance of a single channel, so that it can be assessed and troubleshooted as and when problems occur.

The VB330 as a whole is designed to help media and broadband providers of all types deliver exceptional Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE), and is capable of monitoring IP multicast, video OTT/ABR streaming, video-on-demand unicast and Ethernet trunk microbursts, as well as undertaking PCAP recording, L2TP unpacking and monitoring and general traffic protocol inspection.

Across these network types and a full range of signal formats, it incorporates numerous metrics and insights, including – but not limited to – OTT/ABR QoS transport and manifests, Freeze Frame and signal loss, audio level, QoE MOS score, ETSI TR 101 290 with Gold TS reference, SCTE35/104 ad insertion, IP jitter, packet loss, OTT profile alignment, SRT and closed caption verifications.

The extensive nature of these functions means that, although intuitive to use, the main interface for the probe is based on a series of tabs and click-through menus, which can be slower to navigate. Whilst ideal for engineers seeking to undertake forensic analysis of the network, it is less ideal for first-line engineers aiming to troubleshoot immediate problems.

StreamOverview addresses exactly this. It provides a simplified view of each channel in accordance with the needs of first- and second-line problem solvers, providing exactly the data required and nothing more, in a manner that is instantly accessible and highly intuitive. A high-speed search bar and drop-down list allow for the user to instantly target a problem channel and select it, with that channel’s information automatically updated to show all relevant monitoring data for that channel alone.

The nature of this data changes according to whether the stream in question is RF, IPTV multicast or OTT/ABR. Thus, in the case of IPTV/multicast, the user is presented with a summary of the alarms that have been applied to the channel, their status, a thumbnail and various QoE parameters – including MOS score, along with other relevant data such as the latest SCTE 35 splice events, video resolution, audio/video codecs, and general stream information. In addition, a MediaWindow™ readout is provided (a patented Bridge Technology that displays packet traffic performance in a single, easy-to-read, composite graph), as well as various ETR 290 parameters and a full ETR 290 history graph. For HLS/DASH streams, a summary of alarms is again presented, along with the OTT profile, including information pertaining to elements such as the video resolution and segment numbers, along with an OTT segment overview with profile health over the last 120 minutes.

In essence, StreamOverview consolidates all top-level measurements for a given service into one page, covering all aspects of content behaviour, both video and audio, and thus constitutes an elegant, accessible and highly valuable starting page from which deeper investigation can be undertaken, all with a simple click.

Speaking of this addition to the VB330, Bridge Technologies’ Chairman Simen Frostad said: “Our mission has always been to make the complex simple, but never to compromise on the depth and precision that make our monitoring probes so powerful. The key to achieving this is data presentation; giving users the flexibility to access what they need, when they need it, in a way that suits their task best”.

He continued: “StreamOverview gets to the heart of the matter when it comes to in-the-moment network performance, which is crucial for time-critical error diagnosis. Diagnostic and maintenance engineers can go deeper with the probe, getting into the nitty-gritty, but for those fighting fires, the StreamOverview interface is an invaluable tool, and represents our commitment to creating tools that meet the multi-layered needs of broadcast organisations”.

More information about Bridge Technologies and its products is available at www.bridgetech.tv or by phone at +47 22 38 51 00.