Venera Technologies Solves File-Based Verification Conundrum At IBC

A leading digital multimedia solutions company, Venera Technologies, is launching the latest version of its ground-breaking Pulsar Pro Automated Content Verifier at IBC on Stand 8.A28b.
With the inevitable move towards a file-based workflow for acquisition, content generation transmission, archive and optical disc authoring, Pulsar Pro significantly reduces the dependency on expensive manual testing to provide consistency, improved operational efficiency and reduced costs throughout the entire digital pipeline.
MC Patel, industry veteran and CEO for EAME Operations at Venera, said: "File-based workflows require a different approach to traditional video monitoring and QC. Converting file-based content to video is not economically viable. An increasing number of file formats, wrappers, codecs and metadata need to be supported and integration with broadcast automation and media asset management (MAM) systems is essential. Pulsar Pro easily and efficiently fulfils all of these analysis requirements and more."
According to Patel, Pulsar Pro easily integrates with all broadcaster, post production and service provider workflows and provides analysis of multiple, simultaneous channels from a scalable, software-only architecture that works faster than real time (even for HD content). Pulsar Pro functionality is set up and the results are monitored via an intuitive web browser interface. Pulsar Pro generates its reports in a machine readable XML format and therefore allows remote monitoring of alarms and problems via for example email or SMS.
In addition to checking codec compliance, the system offers traditional AV quality analysis using innovative Media Pattern Templates. These verify that content fully complies with systems such as AdStream and IMD in an automated and reliable manner.
A software-only system, a single Pulsar Pro seat analyses up to four simultaneous streams by making optimum use of generic computer hardware, providing more features than currently available on expensive hardware-based systems.
Unlike manual QC, where reliable results demand constant monitoring by a skilled operator, Pulsar Pro offers cost efficient, consistent, scalable and automated analysis. Its software architecture offers a cost-effective upgrade path for additional channel of analysis or features such as new file formats, standards and work practices without disturbing the running systems.
Easily integrated with MAM systems, Pulsar Pro is highly configurable so that only relevant information is extracted from a wide range of parameter sets, which include a roll call of video attributes such as blockiness, field dominance, GoP (Group of Pictures) structure, black-coloured frames, silence and peak detection. In addition, accurate modelling of analogue meters such as PPM (Peak Program Meter) and Loudness detection (programmable to the newly announced variation on BS1770) ensures that users take correct decisions on audio level violations.
For the first time, users can also create their own Custom Media Pattern Templates, which for example could include silence zones, black frames or colour bars in different parts of the video streams to fully comply with the requirements of external networks.
(KMcA/BMcc)