As the generic video test methodology is to display the source in turns. Our approach VCT shows the pattern one time and at least 24 patterns per frame. The benefit of VCT will save time for 24 times less than the one of traditional methodology. The operation complexity is also lower than generic one.
If we estimate the shipping quantity is one million per year and use six kinds of video sources for test cases, the operation costs two NT dollars per minute. Therefore, the generic method costs twelve million NT dollars. And the VCT approach costs two million NT dollars. As a result, the VCT approach could save up to ten million NT dollars per year.
The concept of guard video improves the accuracy of video measurement. Due to broadcasting system, it is essential to choose video compression standard. The side effect of MPEG compression downgrades the VCT performance between the adjacent patterns.
While the pattern of VCT is over ten scanning lines, we choose the center scanning line of each pattern. The performance of video quality is reliable.
The VCT has been filed as a patent application in Taiwan, US, Europe and China. It also presents in Hon-Hai Precision 3rd R&D Technical Committee.
The Automation Test Measurement System (ATMS) can apply to all STB products.
The ATMS reduces the human resources and test cycles. The benefits of ATMS are also time and cost saving.
In the modern STB and broadcasting network, high-definition contents are more popular. The decoder interface will build in digital video and component interface.
Based on the quality index experience, we will do more research on this topic in the future.
References
[1] Chien-Chin Yen, “Trends of Interactive TV Trends of Interactive TV & Triple Play”, Chunghwa Telecom, The 13th Annual Wireless & Optical Communication Conference, Taipei, 2004.
[2] Jack Krooss, “MediaPump MediaSplice Technology Overview”, Optibase Inc., , http://www.optibase.com/
[3] Radyne ComStream Inc., “Video Performance Measurements in DTV Transmission Systems”, A Tiernan White Paper, May 2001.
[4] D K Fibush, “Video Testing in Modern Television Systems”, International Broadcasting Convention, 12-16 September 1996, Conference Publication No.
428, IEE, 1996.
[5] IEEE Std 511-1979, “IEEE Standard on Video Signal Transmission Measurement of Linear Waveform Distortion”, December 11, 1979.
[6] P Kavanagh, “Patterns For All Formats”,International Broadasting Convension, 14-18 September 1995, IEE 1995.
[7] Tektronix Inc. Ltd., “A Guide to Picture Quality Measurements for Modern Television Systems”, white paper, http://www.tek.com/Measurement/
App_Notes/Technical_Briefs/digital_QoS/25W_14000_1.pdf
[8] Michael Robin; Michael Poulin, “Digital Television Fundamentals: Design and Installation of Video and Audio Systems”, McGraw-Hill, 1997.
[9] Nishida, Y.; Nakasu, E.; Aoki, K.; Kanda, K.; Mizuno, O.;”Statistical analysis of picture quality for the digital television broadcasting”, Broadcasting Convention, International (Conf. Publ. No. 428) 12-16 Sept. 1996 Page(s):337 – 342.
[10] Koga, T.; Yokosawa, K.; Ashizawa, K.; Hontani, H., ”Improvement of degraded picture quality due to scanning frequency difference between TV camera and PC display with CRT”, Circuits and Systems, 2004. MWSCAS '04. The 2004 47th Midwest Symposium on Volume 1, 25-28 July 2004 Page(s):I - 309-12 vol.1, Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MWSCAS.2004.1353989.
[11] Tektronix Inc. Ltd., “NTSC Video Measurements”, white paper.
[12] “Video Reference”, http://www.videotest.com/video_ref.html
[13] Leader Instruments Corp., “Differential Phase and Gain Revised”, Teleproduction Test Volume 1, Number 12.
[14] Harmonic Inc., “Guidelines for Video Quality Evaluations”, white paper.
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[16] David K. Fibush, “Video Testing in a DTV World”, SMPTE Journal, 2000.
[17] Mike Knee, Snell & Wilcox Ltd., “A Single-ended Picture Quality Measurement for MPEG-2”, http://www.snellwilcox.com/
[18] John Watkinson, Snell & Wilcox Ltd., “The Engineer’s Guide to Decoding &
Encoding”, http://www.snellwilcox.com/
[19] John Fletcher, Michael Prior-Jones, “MPEG-2 Video Quality Versus Quantiser Scale”, BBC Research & Development, UK.
[20] George Gazzam, Sam Knight, “USE OF DIGITAL VIDEO TECHNOLOGY FOR REAL-TIME EXERCISE MONITORING AND DEBRIEF OF COLLECTIVE TRAINING APPLICATIONS”, L-3 Communications Link Training and Simulation.
[21] John Watkinson, “Television Fundamentals”, JButterwirth-Heinemann, 1996.
[22] Tektronix Inc. Ltd., “NTSC Systems Television Measurements”.
[23] Tektronix Inc. Ltd., “Measuring Noise in Video Systems”.
[24] Andrew F. Inglis & Arch C. Luther, “Video Engineering 2nd Edition”, McGraw-Hill, 1996.
[25] J. Lauterjung, “A Measurement System For The Test Of DVB Receivers”, International Broadcasting Convention, 14-18 September 1995, Conference Publication No. 413, IEE 1995.
Appendix - Acronyms Definition
AAC Advanced Audio Coding, developed by the MPEG group.
AC3 A way of compressing audio signals to produce Dolby Digital 5.1. surround sound. ie 5 Channels. It is sometimes refered to as a AC3 Codec.
APIB Audio Precision Interface Bus A/V Audio and video
ATMS Automated test measurement system ATSC Advanced Television Systems Committee
CVBS A format designed to provide both video and synchronizing information in one signal.
CPE Consumer promise equipment
DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
Dolby Dolby Laboratories, well-known in consumer audio standard DUT Device under test unit
DVB Digital video broadcasting EPG Electronic program guide
FCC Federal Communications Commission GPIB General Purpose Interface Bus
H.264 H.264, MPEG-4 Part 10, or AVC, for Advanced Video Coding, is a digital video codec standard which is noted for achieving very high data compression. It was written by the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) together with the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) as the product of a collective partnership effort known as the Joint Video Team (JVT). The ITU-T H.264 standard and the ISO/IEC MPEG-4 Part 10 standard (formally, ISO/IEC 14496-10) are technically identical.
HDTV High Definition Television, this term describes several advanced standards proposals to allow high-resolution TV to be received in the home.
IR Infrared
IRD Integrated Receiver Decoder
IRE Institute of Radio Engineers, a unit equal to 1/140 of the peak-to-peak amplitude of the video signal, which is typically one volt.
ISDB Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting KPI Key performance index
MIB Management Information Base MPEG Moving Picture Experts Group MPTS Multiple program transport stream
NIST NIST Net is a network emulation package that runs on Linux.
NTSC National Television Standards / Systems Committee, the color system used in the United States and North America. The field rate for NTSC is 60 Hz with 525 lines per screen and the subcarrier transmission method is a straight phase and amplitude modulation system for chroma using a subcarrier frequency of 3.58 MHz.
RS-170 the United States standard that was used for black-and-white TV (monochrome) , and defines voltage levels, blanking times, the width of the sync pulses, and so forth.
SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol SPTS Single program transport stream STB Set-top box
TFTP Trivial File Transfer Protocol
THD Total Harmonic Distortion, Harmonic Distortion is a means for measuring Nonlinear Distortion .
TS Transport stream TS/IP Transport stream over IP VBI Vertical blanking interval
VC1 Windows Media Video 9 Advanced Profile codec is Microsoft's implementation of the advanced profile of VC1, Microsoft submits into Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) to establish a new video codec specification.
VCT Video combination technique