NAB 2013: Harris to bring new loudness monitoring to Videotek MSA

Harris Broadcast has announced plans for several new Videotek test and measurement products and enhancements, including the addition of loudness monitoring and enhanced multi-image display capabilities for its MSA Series of multi-source analysis software products, enabling more test and measurement functionality in the compressed domain.

At the NAB 2013 Show, Harris Broadcast will demonstrate how engineers can simultaneously test and monitor multiple transport streams in various display configurations.  For example, users can monitor the four most critical signals in quad-split configurations while ‘shadow testing’ other signals in the background — with the ability to quickly bring different signals to the forefront.

ATSC broadcasters and cable/satellite operators will also be able to measure, monitor and log audio levels for multiple program streams — a timely enhancement with the FCC passage of the CALM Act to reduce loudness in TV advertising.  Internationally, new MSA Series capabilities allow DVB-T2 broadcasters to demodulate program-related descriptors and metadata in transmission headends, giving users a more complete picture of content going to air.

“Broadcast and media facilities today require full testing and quality assurance of their transport streams, without being limited to one stream at a time,” said David Guerrero, vice president and general manager, Videotek test and measurement solutions, Harris Broadcast.  “This ensures they can monitor many over-the-air channels, web streams and other video, audio and data signals without hindrance or exception.”

Harris Broadcast will introduce two new Videotek products at the show: the VSG-4TSG test signal generator, ideal for confirming video and audio integrity through 3G/HD/SD/composite test generation; and the DL-870 video legalizer to evaluate and correct 3G/HD/SD signal formats.  The DL-870 helps broadcast, post and production operators confirm how colour space, bit-rates and other characteristics compare across various formats — and what adjustments must be made to “legalize” a signal for use in multiple formats.