Technology Archives - TAG Video Systems

TAG’s Participation in 2023 SRT InterOp Plugfest Results inSRT READY and SRT PLUGGED Status

danna@tagvs.com — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 15:19:11 +0000

TAG sails through device-to-device testing demonstrating proficiency in SRT interoperability
within the streaming industry

Tel Aviv – July 13, 2023 – TAG announces its recent participation in the 2023 SRT InterOp Plugfest, a virtual event for developers to test interoperability and compatibility between different technologies using the Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) open source video streaming protocol. This year’s event, hosted by Haivision and special guest YouTube in May, showcased remarkable interaction and engagement between vendors for an entire week.

TAG received both SRT READY and SRT PLUGGED status resulting from their participation in the pivotal event that optimized extensive device-to-device testing to foster the continued growth of the SRT protocol. SRT READY status is reserved exclusively for SRT Alliance members who have integrated open-source SRT from GitHub into their solutions. SRT PLUGGED status is only granted to SRT Alliance members who have validated interoperability of their products with third-party SRT READY devices and solutions within an SRT Alliance sponsored SRT InterOp Plugfest event.

SRT is an open-source transport protocol originally developed by Haivision that allows for robust transmission of high-quality high-bandwidth video signals over public internet, unmanaged networks and WANs, and similar networks with unpredictable performance without loss or impairments. With minimal latency, SRT can ensure the transport of signals across these networks with no loss of quality while also providing encryption to protect content during transit.

TAG added support for the SRT protocol to its flagship Realtime Media Performance platform as a means to dramatically increase connectivity and signal transport options and open the door to greater collaboration and creativity. Support for SRT strengthens TAG’s customers’ ability to acquire signals from distant sources and transmit multiviewer mosaics to distant viewers. SRT plugins also empower at-home remote workers with desktop monitoring. The company’s support for SRT reflects TAG’s continuous platform enhancement initiative that focuses on providing customers with the quickest possible access to emerging technologies for future-proof workflows.

technologies supporting the SRT protocol. By actively collaborating with other participants in real-time, we improved performance and ensured high Quality of Service (QoS) delivery,” shared Golan Simani, Cloud Solution Architect at TAG.

This year’s Plugfest included numerous milestones including the introduction of YouTube’s “Live Verified Encoder” program, designed to ensure the production hardware of vendors seamlessly interfaces with YouTube Live using SRT. 2023 SRT InterOp Plugfest also saw a significant increase in participants with 32 vendors providing 55 devices and software solutions for testing with other community members, and a total of 2,257 individual device-to-device tests conducted. This incredible growth illustrates the progress and importance of SRT interoperability within the streaming industry.

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TAG Keeps Customers Ahead of the Technology Curve with Major Investment in Expanded R&D Team Including AI Specialist

ilana@tagvs.com — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 15:29:42 +0000

Company remains laser focused on driving innovation, reducing complexity and ensuring customer success

TAG has announced the addition of several new members to the TAG R&D team. This move reflects TAG’s deep commitment to developing and delivering precise solutions that keep customers ahead of the consistently evolving technology curve. Amongst the new R&D team members is a specialist in AI development and an expert in cloud-native applications. Others on the expanded team will focus on enhancing the user experience and ensuring customers optimize their TAG systems.

Noa Magrisso – AI Developer

Noa Magrisso, a software and information systems engineer, has joined TAG as an AI Developer responsible for broadening the Company’s AI capabilities. Magrisso, formerly an AI Algorithm Engineer at Intel, will ensure TAG’s platform incorporates the most cutting edge AI technology available to maximize customers’ business potential and streamline their operational workflows.

Pavel Rozentsvet – DevOps Engineer

Pavel Rozentsvet has assumed the role of DevOps Engineer at TAG, bringing a significant skill set encompassing specialization in cloud-native applications. Rozenstvet will collaborate with the Research and Development team to optimize processes, enhance efficiency and reduce development timelines. This investment in R&D underscores TAG’s dedication to delivering innovative solutions that position customers at the forefront of industry advancements.

Liad Bercovitch – Frontend Software Developer

TAG is ensuring customers experience seamless, intuitive interactions with all elements of the platform by appointing Liad Bercovitch as a Frontend Software Developer. Bercovitch will be focusing on enhancing the user experience of the TAG platform UI, improving the overall customer experience, and ensuring their continued satisfaction.

Ella Maudy and Maxim Rybkin– QA Specialists

Rounding out the enhanced R&D team are Ella Maudy and Maxim Rybkin, TAG’s newest QA Specialists. Maudy and Rybkin are responsible for ensuring each version of TAG’s software releases are packed with new features, functionality, provide format support, and work as planned. This meticulous attention to detail guarantees that TAG’s customers experience the highest quality and can confidently expect the upgrades to function reliably and correctly.

“TAG Video Systems’ unwavering focus on customer satisfaction and innovation is reflected in the addition of these new team members,” said Kevin Joyce, TAG’s Zer0 Friction® Officer. “By investing in top talent and expanding our team, we continue to strengthen the services we offer and enhance the customer experience. Please join us in welcoming Noa, Pavel, Liad, Ella and Maxim to the TAG family. We look forward to their contributions and their participation in driving success for our customers worldwide.”

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TAG Expands EMEA Team to Elevate Customer Experience

ilana@tagvs.com — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 16:28:20 +0000

Key appointments reinforce TAG’s dedication to customer growth and success in the EMEA market

TAG has announced two strategic additions to its EMEA team. This expansion underscores TAG’s commitment to providing tailored solutions and exceptional support to customers of all sizes across the EMEA region.

Benoit Leygnac – Sales Director EMEA

Benoit Leygnac brings decades of sales leadership at Harmonic to his role as Sales Director EMEA for TAG. Leygnac’s in-depth knowledge and experience navigating an evolving broadcast industry underscores his ability to design workflows that align seamlessly with customers’ business goals. With an initial focus on France and Poland, Leygnac will leverage his strong regional relationships to support existing customers and strengthen TAG’s presence.

Benoit Leygnac can be reached at: benoit@tagvs.com

Stefan Schindler – Technical Account Manager EMEA

Stefan Schindler steps into the role of Technical Account Manager EMEA for TAG following ten years as a Broadcast Engineer specializing in live production and streaming, most recently for Riot Games. As a Technical Account Manager, Schindler’s mission is to minimize complexity in customers’ workflows and ensure they maximize TAG solutions to their fullest potential.

Stefan Schindler can be reached at: stefan@tagvs.com

“The new team members demonstrate TAG’s ongoing investment in customer satisfaction and innovation”, said Kevin Joyce, TAG’s Zer0 Friction® Officer. “By expanding our team with top talent, we are enhancing our service capabilities and elevating the overall customer experience. We warmly welcome Benoit and Stefan to the TAG family and look forward to their contributions in driving success for our EMEA customers.”

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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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Monitoring is just the beginning

ilana@tagvs.com — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 15:38:41 +0000

TAG’s Realtime Media Platform goes beyond monitoring

If you google ‘multiviewing’, a mere 847,000 search results pop up. TAG Video Systems is right up there, on the first page. Which is great. However, although TAG is known for its exceptional ultra-low latency multiviewer adaptable to every media workflow, multiviewing is only one small component of the TAG Realtime Media platform – a comprehensive toolset that manages and elevates media performance across operations at any scale, setting TAG in a class of its own. TAG’s unique differentiators enable broadcasters and media companies to unlock significant operational efficiency and flexibility, so we’ve picked a few, outlined below.

Content Matching

Content Matching is TAG’s unique and award-winning process that ensures content is delivered in real time to its intended destination without errors or discrepancies. Content Matching identifies potential issues and confirms signal integrity, leading to increased broadcaster confidence and a high-quality viewer experience.

Content Matching creates a unique fingerprint for video streams to match them across the entire media distribution path. It accurately identifies and correlates audio and video uniqueness regardless of the resolution, bitrate, or framerate, thus enabling a match between two or more points in the workflow. This technology notifies users when the first content inconsistency occurs allowing them to get to the root cause of problems faster and troubleshoot more efficiently. Workflow complexity is dramatically reduced, allowing operators to work more efficiently by reducing “eyes-on-glass” while ensuring consistent delivery of quality content.

Content Matching can be applied to the most requested applications including frame-accurate latency measurement, SCTE ad insertion, AV alignment and audio channel drift validation.

Integration of Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM)

TAG’s platform is designed to deliver an unparalleled viewer experience by combining advanced Quality of Experience (QoE) and Quality of Service (QoS) tools. Based on Content Matching Technology, TAG now supports straightforward, reference-based QoE measures like Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM), an industry-leading algorithm that mimics human visual perception to assess video quality in real time. SSIM is seamlessly integrated with TAG’s Content Matching technology allowing for precise comparisons between reference (e.g., source at acquisition) and other points along the workflow (e.g, before/after encoders/packagers). This standardized evaluation simplifies quality assurance across workflows, ensuring a consistent and high-quality viewer experience.

However, TAG’s commitment to quality goes beyond SSIM. The platform also includes comprehensive QoS features that monitor video and audio parameters, signal loss, jitter, latency, and compression artifacts. Together, these tools provide operators with a comprehensive view of stream quality, ensuring both visual and technical fidelity throughout the entire media workflow.

TAG Bridge

TAG Bridge solves two major problems. It helps reduce the bandwidth needed to deliver uncompressed video from the receiving device to a remote location for multiview generations, and it eliminates the need to process the same source multiple times.
This technology is designed to handle various transport methods, such as 2110 uncompressed video or compressed MPEG TS streams, and many others.

TAG’s Bridge removes the complexity of routing the same stream across multiple locations ensuring efficient resource use with minimal bandwidth and compute requirements. This proprietary technology enables an operator to receive a source once – including video, audio and metadata, analyze it for quality, compliance and errors, pre-scale it to the destination tile size and display it directly on any TAG system, anywhere, regardless of input source, size or format. Compute resources are drastically reduced, and a minimum amount of network bandwidth is consumed, freeing up capacity for the customer.

Managing HDR in Live Broadcasting

High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology is redefining the visual standards of television, offering unprecedented brightness, contrast, and color that dramatically enhance the viewing experience. Across Production, Playout or Distribution, multiple HDR formats are here to stay and co-exist for a while. All have different color volume characteristics, many formats include metadata, and SDR will be present in many places. All these need to be managed correctly end-to-end to ensure that the viewer’s TV makes the right choices in displaying them, and that they arrive with appropriate quality and accuracy. They may traverse many codecs and transports; they may incorporate multiple HDR formats in their composition and provide HDR and SDR versions for some time to come. Monitoring this complexity requires adaptive, flexible, and data-driven tools that provide a comprehensive view of all elements in real time, which can accommodate any combination of source characteristics and provide probing/monitoring / alarming, visualization and rich content data from network to essence in one solution.

TAG Video Systems empowers broadcasters with the tools they need to navigate the HDR transition without dependency on expensive, dedicated hardware. By enabling the integration of multiple HDR formats into a single HDR multiviewer mosaic, these solutions offer an accurate visualization of all sources regardless of type, full monitoring of all metadata and behavior. This allows broadcasters to ensure the highest quality standards while also exploring new opportunities for content monetization through enhanced viewer experiences.

Zero Friction® Licensing

TAG ‘s Zer0 Friction® is an agile licensing model that fits both CAPEX and OPEX budgets, unlocking a world of possibilities with every TAG functionality at your fingertips, in every application and workflow. Zer0 Friction allows dynamic sharing across functions, workflows, and locations maximizing efficiency and adaptability in real time. This level of flexibility ensures that customers can adapt quickly to changing requirements, using the same TAG license to visualize a production in one location today and monitor an OTT data point in a different location tomorrow.

Conclusion

TAG is known for its multiviewers, but that’s just a part of the TAG story. The TAG Realtime Media Platform empowers customers to adapt to the rapid changes in content delivery workflows while ensuring consistent quality and operational efficiency. TAG provides the tools to scale operations efficiently and adapt to new challenges. This article gives a summary of some of those tools, unique to TAG.

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Effective Monitoring and Alarming: Reduces complexity, Enhances Efficiency

ilana@tagvs.com — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 17:52:08 +0000

The broadcast and streaming industry is under constant technology changes, presenting challenges in managing a growing range of media formats and transport protocols. Today’s IP-based workflows must accommodate both uncompressed formats like SMPTE ST2110 and compressed formats such as JPEG-XS, each with its own requirements for latency, bandwidth, and quality assurance. At the same time, protocols like SRT ensure secure and reliable delivery across unpredictable networks. These complexities require precise and efficient monitoring systems to detect issues in real-time without overburdening operators with unnecessary alarms.

Taming complexity with Scalable Solutions

The key to managing these varied workflows is using a single, adaptable monitoring solution that allows all formats and protocols—from high-bandwidth uncompressed streams to bandwidth-efficient compressed formats—to be monitored seamlessly within one system. Effective monitoring systems should seamlessly integrate compressed and uncompressed streams while maintaining real-time oversight. As the industry continues migrating toward IP-native and cloud-based infrastructures, the ability to scale and manage these workflows within a unified system becomes increasingly more important.. Alarms must also be actionable, ensuring that when thresholds are breached, operators have a clear path to resolution, while less critical issues can be analyzed later using historical data.

The TAG solution allows operators to monitor a variety of protocols, both compressed and uncompressed, within a single platform. This approach reduces the complexity associated with managing multiple systems and ensures real-time detection and efficient monitoring without needing separate systems for each format. Consistent Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can be applied across all formats, eliminating the need to toggle between systems and simplifying troubleshooting. Furthermore, TAG’s platform is designed to grow with broadcasters’ needs, supporting the integration of new formats and protocols, such as ZIXI and NDI, without necessarily requiring additional hardware or software. This scalability makes TAG’s system both adaptable and future-proof, enabling broadcasters to keep up with technological advancements while minimizing complexity and costs.

Risking Alarm Fatigue

To address these challenges, effective alarming must be built on a foundation of precision, scalability, and flexibility. Alarming precision ensures that operators are alerted only when issues truly require their attention, reducing the risk of “alarm fatigue,” where too many false positives can lead to critical issues being overlooked. Scalability is essential in an industry where the volume of streams can fluctuate dramatically, requiring a monitoring solution that can scale up or down as needed without compromising performance. Flexibility, meanwhile, allows for the customization of alarms based on the specific requirements of different stream formats, ensuring that each type of content is monitored appropriately.

Best Practices for Implementing Effective Alarming

1. Set those thresholds carefully- Alarms should be configured to trigger only when predefined thresholds are crossed, ensuring that operators are not overwhelmed by constant notifications of minor issues. For example, uncompressed formats like SMPTE ST2110 might require stricter thresholds due to their critical nature, while compressed formats could be monitored with more leniency.

2. Adaptive Monitoring allows adjustments- Adaptive monitoring allows the system to adjust its monitoring intensity based on the current conditions. For instance, during periods of low traffic or when certain streams are deemed less critical, the monitoring system can reduce the frequency of checks, conserving resources while still maintaining effective alarming.

3. Monitoring by Exception identifies the issues- Monitoring by exception eliminates the need to scan every single stream constantly at full intensity. The system focuses on streams that have shown signs of issues, allowing operators to concentrate their efforts where they are most needed. This approach not only reduces CPU load but also ensures that critical problems are addressed promptly.

Trends Driving the Future of Monitoring and Alarming

Looking forward, the incorporation of AI and automation into monitoring and alert systems shows great potential. AI-driven analytics can enhance alarm accuracy by leveraging past incidents and adjusting thresholds dynamically to reduce false positives. Automation can further streamline the monitoring process, allowing systems to automatically escalate issues or even resolve them without human intervention.

Cloud and hybrid workflows are also set to play an increasingly important role. As more broadcasters move to cloud-based solutions, the ability to monitor and alarm across both on-premises and cloud environments is becoming more essential. These hybrid workflows will require monitoring solutions that are not only flexible and scalable but also capable of seamlessly integrating with a variety of cloud platforms.

Conclusion

In conclusion, effective alarming for monitoring streams is becoming increasingly important for modern broadcast and streaming operations to not only remain competitive but achieve and maintain success. The diversity of stream formats, from uncompressed to compressed, demands a versatile and robust monitoring solution that can handle all formats without being siloed. With continuous innovation, the TAG Realtime Media Platform ensures adaptability to keep up with the pace of change in the industry, seamlessly integrating new transports, codecs, and formats as they emerge. Precision, scalability, and flexibility are key to ensuring that alarms are both effective and manageable, reducing the risk of alarm fatigue and missed critical events.

When considering solutions for effective monitoring and alarming, choose one that is IP-native, 100% software, and capable of running on Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) hardware. It should not rely on GPU compute resources but instead use CPU compute, offering a unique advantage in terms of scalability and efficiency. A system capable of handling the full spectrum of stream formats without compromise will ensure comprehensive coverage and reliable performance across the board and unlock unlimited potential for Broadcasters and streaming providers.

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Mastering OTT Monetization: The Future is Monitored

ilana@tagvs.com — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 13:11:40 +0000

Real-time tools amplify streaming efficiency and profit

Efficiency is crucial in the rapidly changing Media and Entertainment industry, especially with the shift to streaming and Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms. Advanced monitoring systems play a critical role in ensuring content quality remains impeccable.

Maintaining good Quality of Service (QoS) requires managing network traffic, reducing latency, and optimizing bandwidth use. These tasks are complex, but prioritizing QoS can result in greater client experience, better customer retention, and profit growth. Software-based solutions that run on-premises, in the cloud, or both are essential to this digital transformation. Innovative monitoring systems today come with built-in capabilities that help you better utilize workflows and reduce operational costs, allowing you to focus on strategic business goals.

Automating the monitoring process reduces the number of trained staff needed to manage thousands of channels, allowing more efficient organization and workflows. Advanced monitoring services can help save on the cost of operating on-prem and cloud-based processing, especially if used under a pay-per-use license. Real-time monitoring tools are essential to optimize operational efficiency. AI and machine learning are utilized by many sophisticated systems, proactively detecting glitches and anomalies, enabling quick intervention, and minimizing disruptions before they reach the viewer, translating into substantial cost savings in terms of staffing and potential revenue losses.

The newer generation of monitoring solutions can probe more deeply, analyzing vast swaths of data to discern patterns and go beyond the expected. By spotting systemic issues and repetitive errors, these solutions offer insights that lead to preventive strategies, enhancing efficiency and reducing operational costs. Achieving high uptime and a short mean time to resolution (MTTR) is crucial for ensuring smooth and reliable broadcasts. Quick, effective troubleshooting will dramatically reduce the time your engineers need to repair issues, allowing the content to start running the way it should without additional effort.

In summary, QoS is critical for the Media and Entertainment industry. Automating monitoring processes and utilizing real-time monitoring tools, AI, and machine learning can help organizations reduce costs, optimize workflows, and achieve greater uptime. Innovative monitoring solutions today come with built-in capabilities that help you better utilize workflows and reduce operational costs, allowing you to focus on strategic business goals. By spotting systemic issues and repetitive errors, these solutions offer insights that lead to preventive strategies, enhancing efficiency and reducing operational costs.

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