Monitoring Archives - TAG Video Systems

2025 NFL Final: For the first time at scale, OTT Streaming Latency Beats Traditional Broadcast for live sport

danna@tagvs.com — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 17:21:18 +0000

Super Bowl LIX marked a historic moment in video streaming. For the first time ever, OTT streaming outperformed traditional broadcast TV we used for this study in terms of latency and overall performance.

By joining forces, Witbe’s real-device video monitoring and TAG Video Systems’ real-time data analysis and Content Matching created a groundbreaking end-to-end video monitoring solution that delivered astonishing results.

OTT Low-Latency ABR is finally becoming reality at scale: Streaming surpasses legacy cable distribution.

One of the biggest surprises of this year’s Big Game was the revelation that OTT streaming platforms delivered the action faster than traditional broadcasters we used for this study Historically, streaming services have lagged behind due to Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) implementation. However, our monitoring showed that select OTT platforms achieved, on average, lower latency than cable feeds—an industry first.

To interpret our real-time measurements, we categorized streaming platform performance into three distinct latency tiers:

Faster than cable broadcast: An ideal experience—you’re in the heart of the action.
Less than 10 seconds behind cable broadcast: A solid performance, acceptable, unless you live near a noisy sports bar or have loud neighbors spoiling the game.
10+ seconds behind cable broadcast (with some platforms reaching 40+ seconds): A significant delay—viewers may want to disable notifications to avoid spoilers.

Key takeaways on the top performers:

Tubi outperformed cable broadcast on multiple devices. According to our tests, the closest to real-time large-screen experience was delivered by Tubi on Fire TV, streaming 2.6 seconds ahead of Spectrum, chosen as the broadcast time reference for our study.
Additionally, during the event, Tubi on iOS over 5G was an additional second ahead. However, since our study focused on large-screen performance, this result was not included in the overall findings.
Tubi on Apple TVshowed slightly more delay, likely due to differences in streaming protocols, or packager configuration choices, with MPEG-DASH potentially offering an advantage over HLS.
Tubi on Samsung TV did not achieve real-time performance, highlighting discrepancies in application behavior across different devices and operating systems. As native smart TV applications gain more users, more Witbe customers are prioritizing testing on these platforms, which were historically considered lower priority. However, this has changed significantly in the past two years.

This analysis underscores the significant variation in latency across distributors, reinforcing the need for real-time monitoring and optimization to ensure the best live-streaming experience.

How did we measure real user streaming Latency During the Superbowl?

Ensuring seamless, low-latency video streaming at scale is a major challenge. Our success in monitoring this large-scale live sport event came down to four key factors:

Real-Device Monitoring – Witbe’s technology tests video streams on actual testing consumer devices (smart TVs, mobile apps, streaming sticks) rather than emulated environments. This approach provides the most accurate representation of what end users experience at the edge of the video service delivery path.

Automated Latency Measurement – By partnering with TAG Video Systems, we leveraged their advanced real-time Content Matching technology to automatically measure true latency from reference point to screen.

Virtual NOC (Network Operations Center) – Witbe’s Virtual NOC enabled comprehensive remote monitoring, allowing us to detect and analyze performance differences across platforms and geographic locations.

Fully Automated Testing – All the results showcased in this article were measured automatically with off-the-shelf Witbe and TAG Video Systems products. (No manual intervention was required—no human was asked to use a stopwatch while streaming and not relying on vendor-specific metadata)

We also captured video recordings and performance analytics in Smartgate, our observability platform providing unparalleled insights into how the game was streamed across different services.

Tested Platforms and Devices

To measure latency across both traditional and streaming providers, we tested widely used large-screen (“lean-back”) devices across multiple locations in North America, covering traditional cable TV providers and satellite broadcasters, and virtual MVPD (vMVPD) / pure streaming platforms.

Virtual MVPD / Pure Streaming Platforms:

Tubi – Tested on AppleTV, Fire TV and Samsung TV
Youtube TV – Tested on Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku
DAZN – Tested in on Fire TV
Fubo TV – Tested on Fire TV and Apple TV

Traditionnal DTV (Cable TV, Satellite, …):

Spectrum
Verizon
Direct TV Stream
Bell Fibe
DVB-S Satellite STB

All streams were launched in 4K when available and all devices used were 4K capable.

Live Event Quality and Availability Performance Analysis

Beyond latency, our monitoring uncovered key insights about quality and service availability during the Super Bowl.

The only notable performance issues occurred at the start of the halftime show, which represents the peak in viewership—both for sports fans and casual viewers. However, there were no major service disruptions.

We observed minor performance degradations during this peak period, with examples below for Fubo TV (latency increasing from an average of 3 seconds to 5.5 seconds) and Tubi.

Congratulations to all technical teams for successfully delivering a smooth streaming experience during one of the most-watched live events of the year.

Both DAZN and Tubi on Samsung TV experienced some failed loading issues during the halftime show. These disruptions occurred during peak viewership, highlighting the challenges of handling high traffic volumes.

The errors and performance degradations we measured once again highlight the importance of testing on real user devices to gain a comprehensive view of the services delivered.

The Future of Live Event Streaming

Our monitoring success during Super Bowl LIX sets a new industry standard for live event streaming.

The implementation of low-latency versions of HLS and MPEG-DASH has been a major industry focus, aiming to bridge the latency gap between traditional DTV and ABR streaming. Today, we can see these advancements live on select platforms and applications. This introduces new risks, and sets new requirements for testing and monitoring strategies to ensure consistent performance.

Take on the Challenge with Witbe & TAG

Learn how Witbe and TAG can help you tackle the challenges of live event streaming?
Contact us for a demo and see how our solutions can optimize your video delivery.

Behind the Scenes

A huge thank you to all the team members from TAG Video Systems and Witbe who contributed to this joint event. Your expertise and dedication made this groundbreaking monitoring possible!

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TAG Video Systems and Techex Win Silver Digital Media World Award for Joint Solution

ilana@tagvs.com — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:28:08 +0000

Strategic Partnership showcases how interoperable solutions guarantee comprehensive workflow control with best-in-breed tools

TAG and Techex, a leading cloud and IP video specialist, have announced that their joint solution has won a Silver award from Digital Media World in the IP Broadcast Solutions category.

The award-winning entry “ACO Workflow – TAG|Techex Integration” provides an immediate, realtime response to signal disruptions in IP-based media workflows. It actively monitors the health of both primary and secondary signal paths, guaranteeing the highest quality content delivery by instantly transitioning to a backup source at the first sign of errors. This preserves the integrity of the broadcast and eliminates the potential for viewer disruption.

“We are thrilled to receive this recognition from Digital Media World,” said Kevin Joyce, Zero Friction Officer at TAG Video Systems. “This award is a testament to the commitment we share with Techex to empower broadcasters with the reliable technology they need to deliver exceptional viewing experience.”

“This win comes to highlight the power of partnership,” said Scott Kewley, CEO at Techex. “By combining our expertise in IP video transport and processing with TAG’s leading monitoring and visualization capabilities, we have created a truly unique and valuable solution for broadcasters.”

The Integration leverages Techex’s tx darwin IP video gateway, which provides high throughput transport protection and monitoring for critical broadcast services. This, coupled with TAG’s real-time monitoring and analytics, allows for immediate detection and resolution of any issues that may arise during transmission or processing.

About Techex:

Trusted by premier global broadcast and media customers with their most valuable live workflows, Techex transports, protects and transforms live video over IP and in the cloud. Its expertise ensures the safe and secure delivery of high value content, where precision, scalability and flexibility are paramount. Using its extensive broadcast experience, Techex supports organisations in transitioning to IP and the cloud.
Techex develops its own award-winning software and partners with market-leading technology companies developing an ecosystem of best-in-class solutions and services which can handle the most challenging scenarios.
In a market where customer expectations continually evolve, content providers require solutions that deliver reliable and high-quality video whilst optimising cost and operational efficiencies. Techex bridges the gap between the rigours of traditional broadcast and the agility of cloud native infrastructure.

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STN Selects TAG Video Systems for Seamless Transition to All-IP Workflow

ilana@tagvs.com — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 15:46:17 +0000

STN, a leading provider of content distribution services, has selected TAG Video Systems’ Realtime Media Platform to ensure the performance and quality of services over its IP networks.

Following their partnership with IKOMG, STN made the decision to move away from traditional SDI infrastructure, embracing innovation and agility. To guarantee the success of this transition, STN turned to TAG, a trusted partner of IKOMG for over a decade and their proven Realtime Media Platform. This cutting-edge solution allows STN to probe, monitor, and visualize feeds in the playout and delivery environment, providing them with complete control and confidence in their new IP-based operations.

“We are excited to partner with TAG Video Systems in our transition to an all-IP infrastructure. The solution that TAG Video Systems provides will be more sufficient in all aspects then conventional SDI based monitoring systems.” added Aleksander Šibila, VP Engineering, STN. “TAG’s Realtime Media Platform gives us the confidence and tools we need to ensure seamless content delivery for our customers. Their expertise and proven technology make them the ideal partner for this important step forward.”

“We are thrilled to support STN in their journey towards a fully IP-based workflow,” said Adi Itzhaki, VP Sales EMEA, TAG Video Systems. “Our Realtime Media Platform is designed to empower broadcasters with unparalleled visibility and control over their media operations. By leveraging our solution, STN can optimize their resources, streamline their teams, and ensure the highest quality of service for their customers.” STN’s decision to adopt TAG’s technology showcases their commitment to innovation and staying at the forefront of the industry. With TAG’s Realtime Media Platform, STN is well-positioned for continued success in the ever-evolving media landscape.

About STN:

STN offers advanced solutions for broadcasters, enabling the delivery of content to any device, anywhere in the world, with security, continuity, and unrivalled service turnaround times.

With a state-of-the-art technology teleport facility in Slovenia and a comprehensive suite of services, STN empowers channel owners to reach global audiences through various delivery methods, including satellite, IP, fiber, OTT platforms, and cloud-based solutions.

At STN, our clients’ business is our top priority. All our solutions are powered by cutting-edge technology and fully supported 24/7 by a team of skilled professionals.

For more information, please visit https://www.stn.eu/

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TAG Video Systems Powers yes’s OTT Expansion with Realtime Media Platform

ilana@tagvs.com — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 14:39:02 +0000

Move from SDI aligns with content provider’s growth initiative and triggers a multitude of financial and operational benefits

TAG has announced that yes, the pay-TV subsidiary of telco Bezeq (TASE: BEZQ) and largest OTT service provider in Israel, has deployed TAG’s monitoring, probing, and alarm system to support its growing OTT delivery platform. yes tapped TAG to replace its former SDI baseband monitoring operations with its multi-level Realtime Media Platform. The platform was installed at the yes headend in Kfar Saba to provide an integrated solution capable of handling its current needs and keeping pace with technology changes as yes launches new services and implements emerging technologies and formats – including HDR, SRT and NDI, to deliver a superior Quality of Experience (QoE) to a subscriber base that consistently evolves with changing consumer preferences.

Initially installed to support yes’s satellite distribution service, the pay-TV provider has since harnessed the power of TAG’s multi-faceted and flexible solution to also accommodate its rapidly growing streaming platforms. The unique end-to-end solution extends from data aggregation to managing content processing and delivery, cutting through multiple complicated workflows with a single, user-friendly web interface. The platform also includes implementing a customized decryption key to bring OTT content and Quality of Service (QoS) monitoring as close to the CDN-edge as possible. TAG’s Zer0 Friction® culture allows yes to access the Company’s entire pool of capabilities through one common license to accommodate each market segment fully. Combined with TAG’s unique Adaptive Monitoring, a feature that allows monitoring in multiple modes on a per-input-source basis in an adaptive manner, yes has the tools to service any of its delivery platforms simultaneously, individually, or not at all for an efficient and economical solution.

“We are honored that yes, Israel’s premier multi-channel TV broadcast provider, chose TAG to play such an important role in their migration to IP and as they expand their OTT services,” said Adi Itzhaki, VP Sales EMEA, TAG Video Systems. “The project illustrates TAG’s commitment to helping customers open doors to new markets and opportunities by providing the tools they need to streamline their operations, implement the latest technologies, and to deliver optimal service quality across multiple platforms. yes is growing again and we are thrilled to be part of their next chapter as they move forward with our new Content Matching technology which will further reduce complexity and increase confidence in their overall operations.”

“The industry is changing so rapidly, with consumer consumption driving the myriad of technologies that support emerging delivery platforms,” said Itzhak Elyakim, VP Engineering & CTO for yes. “Having TAG as our monitoring partner has given us an enormous advantage as they are always one step ahead of technology changes, allowing us to provide the most advanced service for our customers as possible. Their support as we migrated the challenging path from SDI to OTT and IP has been invaluable.”

About YES:

Founded in 1998, YES started broadcasting in 2000 and swiftly became Israel’s premier multi-channel TV broadcast provider via satellite. As industry leaders, they were the first in Israel to introduce UltraHD 4K quality broadcasts, notably for the coveted Spanish league games. In 2019, YES made a groundbreaking transition from satellite to internet broadcasts, unveiling “yes+,” Israel’s most advanced streaming service offering roughly 150 channels and an impressive 130 channels on its expansive Catch Up service. The “yes+” service also features a special interface for children and the low delay service yes+LIVE, allowing viewers to enjoy live broadcasts in real-time.

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TAG to Unveil Transformative Technologies at IBC 2024, Redefining Broadcast Efficiency, Reliability and Scalability

danna@tagvs.com — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 16:15:07 +0000

TAG will introduce several new capabilities at IBC 2024 aimed at strengthening security, reducing human error, increasing confidence and providing a quick path to root cause analysis. Demonstrations will be conducted in TAG’s stand 1.C19.

Enhancing Security and Operational Efficiency with Advanced User Management

At IBC, TAG will present its new advanced user management (RBAC – Role Based Access Control) functionality designed to align its solution with organizational structure as well as increase efficiency and control for large operations with separate systems such as OTT, production, and playout. The advanced user management creates roles and assigns operators their own area of responsibility. It is structured to strengthen security and reduce human error by restricting or permitting access to inputs, outputs, sources (or subsets of sources), and functionalities based on that person’s role in the workflow and the organization. Knowing that access is limited by specific tasks, sources, or networks brings an additional measure of confidence to those managing multiple networks under the same TAG Media Control System (MCS).

Streamlining Troubleshooting with Heatmap

TAG will also be previewing a functionality at IBC designed to simplify the monitoring and troubleshooting of massive media networks. Visitors will get a sneak peek at TAG’s Heatmap – an interactive visual tool accessed directly from TAG’s Media Control System (MCS) interface. Heatmap provides an at-a-glance overview of the entire network’s status, consolidating thousands of sources onto a single screen. The intuitive tile-based display uses color coding to instantly highlight potential issues, allowing operators to quickly assess the overall health of the system.

Heatmap’s real strength, however, is in its ability to zoom in on the root of the problem quickly. A simple click on any group tile allows operators to effortlessly navigate through a structured hierarchy, filtering by various categories to pinpoint the exact source of the issue. This level of precision enables rapid, focused resolution, preventing minor glitches from escalating into major disruptions.

Empowering Engineers with QC Elements

TAG continues to enrich visualization and simplify troubleshooting capabilities with QC Elements (Quality Control Elements). This feature enables a vast array of elements to be arranged on a tile for a comprehensive view of critical technical data, bringing engineers a built-in quality control station within the multiviewer display. Engineers can tailor the information presented on each tile, including details on codecs, frame rates, resolutions, closed captions, audio channels, transport streams, and more. This powerful tool expedites the identification and analysis of technical issues, minimizing downtime and ensuring seamless content delivery. QC Elements represents a continuation of TAG’s expanding capabilities; stay tuned for news of further developments.

Showcasing the Future of Broadcasting: Content Matching and Operator Console Advancements

At IBC, attendees will experience the next generation of content matching technology and operator console, giving broadcasters unprecedented control over content accuracy and an optimized operational workflow.

The advanced content matching technology leverages sophisticated algorithms to automatically verify content accuracy and consistency across all platforms, minimizing errors and ensuring the right content reaches the right audience.

TAG’s operator console, an intuitive touch panel console, provides a live, interactive view of the multiviewer output on any touch-controlled device. Operators can effortlessly switch between layouts, modify tile content, and isolate audio sources for verification. Additionally, they gain instant access to pre-defined and customizable configurations, simplifying complex workflows.

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TAG Revolutionizes Closed Captions & Subtitles Quality Assurance with New Language Detection Feature

ilana@tagvs.com — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 08:10:08 +0000

TAG Video Systems, a leading force in video monitoring solutions, has developed a new Language Detection feature set to transform how operators ensure quality and compliance across large scale operations with multiple closed captions and language subtitles. Unveiled at the recent NAB 2024, this innovative technology offers much-needed automation and precision to the traditionally labor-intensive world of caption quality assurance.

The Challenge of Multi-Language and Large Scale Captions Monitoring

While accurate and compliant captions are essential for a positive viewer experience, operators have long grappled with the complexities of ensuring captions meet the mark. This is particularly true in today’s content landscape, where video is consumed globally across multiple languages. TAG’s Language Detection feature aims to alleviate this burden.

The sheer scale of video content produced and distributed makes accurate caption monitoring an immense task. The resources required to manually track and analyze captions across multiple languages can be overwhelming. Additionally, relying on human operators introduces the potential for errors. Fatigue, distraction, and varying levels of expertise can all contribute to inconsistencies in caption quality, posing a challenge to compliance with accessibility regulations.

How It Works

The core of this technology lies in its ability to automatically pinpoint the language of subtitles within video content. Powered by advanced algorithms, TAG performs a meticulous quality analysis informed by language-specific dictionaries, which in turn provides the data within the multiviewer output in the form of two parameters: identified language, and quality percentage against the identified language’s dictionary. The data can also be aggregated and visualized with data visualization tools to identify trends or centralize large scale operations. This significantly streamlines the caption monitoring process, offering these key benefits:

Frees Up Operator Time: By eliminating manual monitoring of closed captions and subtitles, operators gain valuable time to focus on more strategic and nuanced tasks.

Proactive Problem Solving: Real-time monitoring paired with helpful, informative alerts enables operators to quickly address any potential caption quality problems.
Pinpoint Accuracy: Reliable language identification and quality measurement against a dictionary helps avoid human error and assure accuracy and compliance.
Quality That Meets the Mark: Language-specific analysis ensures captions uphold quality standards and regulations, ultimately enhancing the viewing experience.
Informed Decision-Making: Data visualization tools provide insightful overviews of caption/subtitles quality trends, empowering media operations to make strategic improvements.

“TAG’s Language Detection is a glimpse of the future of quality assurance” says Michael Demb, VP Product Strategy at TAG Video Systems. “Operators no longer need to watch and listen to every channel to deliver quality captions and subtitles. By automating crucial processes, we’re enabling them to focus on higher-level analysis and decision-making, ultimately ensuring a better experience for all viewers.”

Recognized for Innovation

The impact of TAG Language Detection hasn’t gone unnoticed. The feature has already garnered significant recognition within the industry, taking home the following awards:

– NAB Product of the Year 2024
– Future’s Broadcast & Cable Best of Show 2024

The Future of Caption Quality Assurance

TAG Video Systems’ Language Detection feature marks a new era in quality assurance. By injecting automation and precision, it promises to reshape how operators approach this crucial aspect of media production and delivery. As the demand for accurate and accessible multi-language content continues to rise, this technology is poised to become an indispensable tool for ensuring a seamless and inclusive viewing experience for audiences worldwide.

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TAG’s Realtime Media Platform Receives AWS Foundational Technical Review Badge

ilana@tagvs.com — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 07:51:04 +0000

TAG, the leading provider of advanced monitoring & visualization software for live production, playout, delivery, and OTT, announced that its realtime media platform has been awarded the AWS Foundational Technical Review (FTR) badge. The FTR is a rigorous assessment conducted by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that evaluates solutions against AWS security, reliability, and operational best practices, outlined within the AWS Well-Architected Framework.

The TAG platform underwent a detailed assessment across several pillars, including:

Security: Demonstrating strong encryption, comprehensive identity, access management, and robust logging.
Reliability: Highlighting scalability, redundancy, fault tolerance, and disaster recovery processes.
Operational Excellence: Showcasing effective monitoring, alerting, incident management, and continuous improvement practices.

“We’re incredibly proud to receive the AWS FTR badge, as it reinforces TAG’s commitment to providing secure, reliable, and technically superior solutions built on AWS,” said Golan Simani, Director of Cloud and Tech Operations at TAG. “This recognition showcases the strength of our platform and the exceptional capabilities it brings to cloud-based media workflows.”

The FTR badge provides customers with confidence that TAG’s platform adheres to AWS best practices and is well-positioned to support even the most demanding cloud media use cases. This includes: Low latency streamlined live production multiviewing and monitoring (Including remote operations) and reliable playout and delivery probing and monitoring, for both traditional delivery methods and OTT. TAG’s solution was evaluated per individual workflow and proved to be secure, reliable and efficient running on AWS in all workflow environments.

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TAG Video Systems and LiveU Partner to Deliver Enhanced Live Video Quality for News and Sports

ilana@tagvs.com — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 14:09:50 +0000

TAG has announced a strategic partnership with LiveU, a leader in live IP-video and remote production solutions. This collaboration will empower live news and sports broadcasters to deliver exceptional live video experiences with unparalleled quality assurance.

Through this partnership, TAG Video Systems’ comprehensive real-time media performance solutions will seamlessly monitor LiveU’s industry-leading live video transmission feeds, notify for events per custom set thresholds and visualize them in real-time. This integration will be particularly beneficial for live news and sports production, where maintaining pristine video quality and catching issues before they impact viewers is critical.

Broadcasters will gain:

Real-Time Visibility into Live Feeds: Gain real-time insights into the health and performance of live video streams from remote locations, ensuring smooth on-air delivery of breaking news and sporting events.
Proactive Problem Solving: Identify potential issues like signal degradation, allowing for immediate corrective action.
Optimized Transmission for Challenging Networks: Leverage TAG’s robust analysis to optimize LiveU’s resilient transmission, underpinned by its LRT (LiveU Reliable Transport) protocol, maximizing video quality over wire-free networks at sporting events or remote news locations.

“Live news and sports broadcasters operate under immense pressure to deliver high-quality content under tight deadlines,” said Ziv Mor, Chief Growth Officer at TAG Video Systems. “By integrating our solutions with LiveU’s field-proven technology, we are providing them with the tools they need to ensure flawless live productions and maintain viewer trust with a simplified, agile workflow.”

“We are thrilled to partner with TAG Video Systems. Our customers are managing an ever-increasing number of video streams across a range of IP-video protocols and standards, including LRT. By adding TAG to the rich and diverse LiveU EcoSystem we can offer our customers even greater efficiency, while reducing complexity for live news and sports professionals,” said Gideon Gilboa, Chief Product Officer at LiveU. “This collaboration offers a powerful solution for monitoring and optimizing every type of feed from one single service, simplifying even the most demanding live workflows, and helping to guarantee a superior viewing experience for audiences worldwide.”

See the Integrated Solution in Action at NAB 2024

Experience the power of TAG Video Systems and LiveU’s integrated solution firsthand at the upcoming NAB Show in Las Vegas, April 13-17, booth #SL5105 (LiveU) and #W1655 (TAG Video Systems). TAG and LiveU will be showcasing live demos highlighting the benefits for live news and sports production teams.

About LiveU

LiveU’s EcoSystem adds efficiency and shortens workflows across the entire video production chain for news, sports, public safety and other verticals. Reducing complexity, the LiveU EcoSystem delivers an optimized and flexible IP video network for contribution, production and distribution. Building on our global market leadership and innovation, LiveU offers the highest quality, reliable IP-video solutions for all types of live productions – producing more for less. Our rich portfolio, built on the pioneering LRT (LiveU Reliable Transport) protocol, ranges from our portable production-level field units and smartphone apps to next-gen cloud IP management, ingest, production and distribution solutions. With over 5,000 customers in 150 countries, LiveU’s technology is the solution of choice for global broadcasters, sports, public safety and other organizations (including government, education, enterprise, and production houses), streaming live video to TV, mobile, online, and social media. LiveU is a multi-award winner, including Frost & Sullivan for global product leadership and Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards. For more information, visit www.liveu.tv, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn or Instagram.

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TAG and Witbe Partner to Deliver True End-to-End Video Monitoring for a Flawless Viewer Experience

noa@tagvs.com — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 12:46:42 +0000

Companies unveiled Advanced Latency Testing and Stream Performance Analysis During the Big Game 2025

TAG and Witbe (Euronext Growth – FR0013143872 – ALWIT), the leader in post-device automated testing and monitoring for video service providers, today announced a strategic partnership to elevate video monitoring and quality assurance across the entire OTT content delivery chain.

This partnership combines TAG’s advanced monitoring, including its cutting-edge Content Matching technology, and Witbe’s unique Virtual NOC with automated video monitoring on real devices. It brings an unprecedented end-to-end monitoring solution that covers the entire video delivery path — from the source feed to the actual viewer experience across multiple devices and locations.

“This partnership marks another milestone in TAG’s mission to deliver multi-app monitoring at scale through our Realtime Media Platform,” commented Ziv Mor, chief growth officer at TAG. “With Witbe’s unique user-device perspective, we’re closing the loop on end-to-end visibility. Our customers now have critical insight all the way to the viewer’s device, allowing them to track virtually every quality aspect, including latency, across the entire network, from source to screen, and proactively address the ongoing demand for a better and seamless viewer experience.”

As part of their collaboration, TAG and Witbe joined forces to conduct a case study during the Big Game on Sunday, demonstrating the strengths and value proposition of their partnership. The case study showcases their combined technologies in action, assessing both the network and the content delivered at the end-user level — the actual viewer experience. This includes monitoring app performance, initial buffering time, and content matching to verify the stream’s integrity. For the first time, this study also measures latency between the various streaming platforms, which would not be possible without visibility into the end-user stream. Together, the companies conducted comprehensive monitoring of Sunday’s football championship streaming across a number of traditional cable providers and OTT streaming platforms — providing exclusive insights into how major streaming services handled the challenge of delivering a seamless viewing experience during a high-profile live event.

“At Witbe, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of monitoring and automated testing, so our customers can accurately measure the true quality of experience they deliver to their viewers,” said Mathieu Planche, CEO at Witbe. “Partnering with TAG allows us to solve two critical challenges for our customers: accurately measuring the end-to-end latency, and ensuring the correct content reaches end-user devices. With our combined expertise, we can now not only provide content providers and broadcasters with the ability to measure the true quality of their services on real test devices but also gain insights into how their streams perform across the network.”

A Game-Changer for Video Monitoring

The rapid growth of streaming has made it more critical than ever for content providers to deliver consistent, high-quality video experiences across devices and networks. By integrating TAG’s network real-time data analysis with Witbe’s real-time video quality analysis and active monitoring on real devices, the partnership enables service providers to:

Monitor and visualize their entire content delivery workflow from source to the actual viewers devices.
Measure and compare latency across different platforms, from the source all the way to the end user stream, examining video delay between traditional broadcast and OTT streaming devices.
Assess crucial KPIs such as initial buffering time, video quality, macro blocking, and app performance on real devices with Witbe’s technology, while also benefiting from TAG’s extensive suite of additional measurements and inspections, providing continuous, in-depth monitoring and the ability to have visibility and verify viewer potential issues.
Ensure the right content is being streamed across the delivery path, all the way to end-user devices, or verifying content switching to detect any expected or unexpected changes during delivery.

Exclusive Championship Game Insights

During the Clash of Titans, Witbe and TAG will deploy their joint monitoring solution across multiple locations and devices, collecting real-time data on:

Latency differences between platforms (OTT vs. traditional broadcast).
Streaming performance under peak traffic conditions.
Visual and audio quality metrics across different networks and devices.
Real-time error detection and troubleshooting insights.
Content matching.

The results of this monitoring session will be compiled into an exclusive post-event report, providing valuable insights into the evolving challenges of large-scale live streaming.

About Witbe

Witbe (Euronext Growth – FR0013143872 – ALWIT) provides automated real-time testing and proactive monitoring technology for global video service providers. The company’s award-winning technology accurately measure the quality of experience that viewers actually receive at the end of the video delivery path, ensuring flawless video service on any device, over any network, across the world. Witbe’s non-intrusive technology replicates user behavior enabling broadcasters, cable operators and streaming service providers to automatically test and monitor video services from anywhere in the world. Witbe’s technology is trusted by major brands worldwide, including Comcast, Cox, Verizon, and Peacock.

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Latency in End-to-End IP Monitoring: Why It Matters and What to Know

noa@tagvs.com — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:18:14 +0000

As viewers consume media across an increasing array of platforms and devices, the demand for real-time, high-quality video experiences continues to grow. Whether for broadcasts supported by IP networks, OTT video services, or IP-based video networks facilitating video distribution across venues, low latency is a vital enabler of engaging viewing experiences.

In applications such as live production, playout, and content delivery, latency influences both operational success and audience satisfaction. Live production itself requires precise timing and synchronization, and content delivery — a fast-paced sports broadcast, news update, live concert, or worship service, as well as live OTT content in general — demands immediate, near-instantaneous delivery of audio and video. Monitoring latency and keeping delay low thus are vital to maintaining media workflows and compelling viewer experiences.

The Basics of Latency

Latency refers to the delay introduced at various stages of signal processing in media workflows. In studio or media control room (MCR) environments, this delay is measured in milliseconds, reflecting the time it takes for an image to travel from the camera through switchers, encoders, and transport systems to appear on a multiviewer display or another operator monitor.

For operators working in live production, perceptible lag caused by latency can disrupt workflows or cause elements of a broadcast to appear out of sync. This is problematic especially for technical directors (TDs), replay editors, and other operators who rely on immediate feedback from control systems as they create a live show. Delay can lead to repeated commands or confusion that undermines both practical and creative aspects of production.

While latency in live production is measured in milliseconds, latency in OTT delivery often spans seconds — the delay between the instant content is captured or generated and the moment it’s displayed on the viewer’s screen. Latency in OTT delivery arises from the need to buffer for adaptive streaming, multi-device delivery, and content distribution over large networks.

For audiences, higher latencies can compromise the viewing experience, be it in a sports or entertainment venue or on a TV screen, computer, or mobile device. To prevent disorienting delay for fans in a sports arena, for example, end-to-end latency between the action on the field and the image on in-venue displays, such as a Jumbotron, must be minimal. All audio and visual elements must be immediate, and in sync.

For OTT delivery to viewers at home or on the go, highly variable latency causes inconsistent delivery speeds and viewing experiences across different services, platforms, and devices. (And no one wants to receive spoilers through smartphone notifications or hear their neighbors celebrating a goal before they see it themselves!) Addressing this latency involves distinct considerations such as managing CDN performance, reducing segment durations, and optimizing encoding for delivery platforms.

Addressing Latency From End to End

Latency doesn’t originate from a single source; rather, it accumulates across the entire media pipeline.

Providing engineers with comprehensive visibility across the entire production chain, the TAG Realtime Monitoring Platform excels at monitoring latency as it accumulates across workflows. Tools within the TAG platform ensure robust monitoring across the live production and content delivery environments, enabling engineers to track delays and ensure consistent end-to-end performance.

In live production, TAG supports low-latency visualizations (e.g., mosaics) over protocols such as ST 2110 and WebRTC, providing engineers with clear, real-time insights into their workflows. While TAG is not focused on directly reducing latency, the TAG platform does ensure visibility and operational efficiency in environments in which rapid issue identification is critically important. For playout and delivery, where optimizing latency has a direct impact on the viewer experience, TAG provides tools that that support measurement, monitoring, and optimization of latency across the delivery chain.

For specific delay identification and analysis, tools such as TAG’s VALID (Video and Audio Latency Identification and Display) play a role in measuring and verifying workflow performance. VALID embeds unique identifiers or markers into video and audio streams at specific points in the workflow. As these streams traverse the IP network, VALID calculates the latency introduced at each segment. This real-time analysis enables engineers to pinpoint delays, assess synchronization between audio and video, and ensure that the end-to-end workflow adheres to low-latency requirements.

TAG tools help engineers to recognize and minimize latency during distribution. However, once the content reaches the playback platform or device — such as a cable or satellite set-top box, OTT application (e.g., Roku or Apple TV), or a smart TV — the latency becomes influenced by the specific hardware, software, and network conditions of that playback environment. At this stage, delays are often measured in seconds or, in some cases, even longer, depending on buffering requirements and other factors.

Managing Latency in Complex Environments

As content moves from production through the delivery chain, encoding and compression are significant factors, with choices between uncompressed protocols like SMPTE ST 2110 and compressed formats such as SRT or WebRTC directly influencing latency. Uncompressed formats deliver ultra-low latency but come with high infrastructure costs, whereas compressed protocols are more cost-effective but introduce higher delay.

Network and distribution variables also contribute to latency. Factors such as buffer sizes, protocol overheads (e.g., HLS vs. SRT), and CDN configurations affect delivery speed. While they are robust, protocols like HLS can create significant delays due to their segment-based structure. Low-latency streaming alternatives can reduce this delay but require careful tuning of cache and buffer settings. Addressing these factors to facilitate optimized OTT delivery, TAG monitoring tools enable engineers to track latency throughout the workflow, ensuring audio-video sync and consistent playback across platforms.

The complexity of modern workflows amplifies the potential for added latency, particularly because productions today often mix and match formats including ST 2110, JPEG XS, SRT, and NDI. The TAG platform excels in such environments, delivering both flexibility and valuable mixed-format monitoring capabilities.

Unlike traditional monitoring systems optimized for uncompressed formats, the TAG Realtime Monitoring Platform supports a range of protocols, including uncompressed formats like ST 2110 and compressed ones such as SRT, WebRTC, and NDI. This versatility allows TAG users to monitor feeds in their native format before conversion while also handling post-conversion outputs. For example, in a hybrid workflow that combines ST 2110 and SRT, operators can inspect the quality of compressed streams alongside uncompressed ones. This capability helps operators to identify issues early and to maintain operational efficiency.

Balancing Latency and Cost: A Pragmatic Approach

Latency remains a defining factor in the success of modern media workflows. While ultra-low latency may be non-negotiable in top-tier live production, most workflows benefit from a balanced approach that considers both cost and operational flexibility.

Achieving the lowest possible latency comes at a cost, and often a steep one. Workflows using SMPTE ST 2110 and JPEG XS deliver exceptionally low latency but require significant investment in dedicated hardware — costly switches and expensive encoding/decoding channels. This high-end infrastructure is often reserved for major networks or top-tier events.

For mid-tier productions or smaller markets, the balance shifts. While a compressed workflow based on SRT, NDI, or WebRTC may increase latency, it also can reduce costs dramatically, from millions of dollars to hundreds of thousands. For productions or media organizations that do not require ultra-low latency, these trade-offs make compressed workflows a more viable option — and an attractive business solution.

Uniquely versatile in its ability to decode, monitor, and probe across formats and protocols, TAG gives operators and engineers the ability to navigate these trade-offs. Offering unparalleled visibility, the TAG platform is essential for organizations seeking to monitor and optimize their end-to-end IP workflows. Whether for live broadcasts, playout, or OTT delivery, TAG provides — in a single solution — the tools critical to understanding and managing latency in a way that elevates operations and audience impact.

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