Eye to Eye: Whats even newer in test and measurement 2010

A year is a long time in broadcast test & measurement, which is just as well because that is when this column previously focused on it. Given the current push to establish 3D as a permanent feature of the broadcast landscape, one might reasonably expect T&M kit designers to be heading along the same road. Hamlet and Omnitek certainly are but it seems early days for rest. Meanwhile you see producers who should know better bleating in the popular press that there are no decent guidebooks to 3D production. There is certainly one: Bernard Mendiburu's '3D Movie
Hamlet's Vidscope-3D is a Windows program which analyses stereoscopic video sources from standard capture cards or Firewire inputs. The software is designed to be run under direct user control and displays on standard monitors. It can either be used on-set for camera setup and alignment or in post for checking image quality levels at pre or post edit. One of the Vidscope-3D modes is to composite both left and right channels in a single red/green anaglyph on-screen display. This allows stereoscopic imaging to be checked without requiring a 3D display device. Left and right channels can be viewed simultaneously and differences identified in real time. The displays can be scaled and arranged as six or eight panels on one or two PC monitors with user preset buttons storing up to 20 different configurations.
Harris' QuiC Media Analysis Server is a fully automated file-based test and measurement server platform that verifies the quality of compressed digital content. Files to be tested are copied to the QuiC server via FTP. When used at ingest, audio and video content files can be delivered to a folder which creates an analysis queue. Controls are provided to modify file priorities within the analysis queue. QuiC accepts mixed HD and SD content without need for conversion or reconfiguration. It also tracks file status and creates a database of test results along with any changes made.
Leader introduced the LV7380 rasteriser at BVE 2010. It supports two simultaneous SDI signals as well as dual link. Also announces was the LV7800-01 remote control which can be used with the LV7800 modular rasteriser and the LV5800 (which has a built-in-display). Ethernet cabling connects to the controller, allowing use over much longer distances than normal.
Phabrix' SxD dual link is a hand-held multi-format combined generator, analyser and monitor compatible with SD-SDI, HD-SDI, Dual link HD-SDI and 3G-SDI. It supports SMPTE 425-A and SMPTE 425-B along with the new SMPTE 372M format allowing engineers to test for bit-rates up to 2.970 Gbit/s. Two input and two output BNCs support dual link testing for video and 16 channels of embedded audio. The SxD can handle various colour spaces including 4:2:2 YUV, 4:4:4 RGB, and 4:4:4 YUV at 10/12 bit.
Phabrix has also introduced a programmable zone plate option available for its Sx range. This adds pre-programmed moving zone plate patterns to the standard pattern set. Additional unique moving zone plate patterns can be created and saved. The zone plate is particularly useful for testing up/down converters and compression chains. Frequency sweep is also available. By feeding in the signal generated, the output of the device can be sent back into the waveform monitor of the Sx to determine the usable bandwidth of the system.
Prism Sound has becomes global sales and support agent for Loudsoft, Danish manufacturer of loudspeaker simulation and analysis tools. This partnership allows Prism to combine Loudsoft's loudspeaker design and acoustic-testing tools with its own dScope Series 3 audio analyser platform, catering for product design right through to production line testing.
Rohde & Schwarz' SFE Broadcast Tester is a compact unit designed to handle all digital and analogue television and audio broadcasting standards. Features include real-time signal generation, an integrated transport stream player and an arbitrary waveform generator.
Tektronix recently announced two new waveform monitors and rasterisers for studio and on-location applications: the HD WFM5000 and SD WFM4000. The half-rack-width WVR5000 and WVR4000 bring the same capabilities. All are designed for confidence monitoring of SDI video and uncompressed digital audio compliance checking. WFM5000 features include AC/DC power, 10,000 events error log, Ethernet port and monitoring capacity for 16 channels of embedded audio (up to 8 simultaneously) plus 1 AES audio input. A high-brightness display allows indoor and outdoor operation.
Z Technology, based in Beaverton, has introduced the DSS5600T/H Drive Test System to its range of digital television signal coverage measurement systems. The DSS5600T/H allows full signal coverage analysis of the existing DVB-T and the new DVB-H signal formats. Users can decode and perform measurement routines applicable to the unique parameters found in both the DVB-T and DVB-H modulation formats. The new DVB-H parameters can also be recorded to data files and are available for plotting against GPS latitude and longitude.