Suitest, provider of test automation for OTT applications, today announced the full availability of image- and object-based test automation capabilities in a single solution for both UI and functional testing. As a result, OTT device manufacturers, operating system providers, and application developers can write and automate both types of tests with one product rather than having to choose one technology over the other, thereby preserving their investment’s long-term viability and ensuring they satisfy strategic mandates for complete test automation. Suitest still is the industry’s first and only vendor to offer object-based testing for all living room devices and is once again disrupting the market by providing this new dual-testing capability.
Suitest captures images of what’s displayed on the TV screen or provided over HDMI by taking screenshots directly from the device through APIs, by using the Suitest Mobile Camera app, or by HDMI capture with the Suitest WingBox. As part of the test execution process, the image data automatically gets transmitted to Suitest’s cloud servers, where both image- and object-based analysis take place.
“Object-based testing has always been precise and more flexible for evaluating the UI and functionality of OTT applications while requiring less hardware and maintenance. With image-based testing technology to back it up, there is now a way to visually confirm that what was playing on the screen matches the results of the object-based tests,” said Mirko Nedeljković, CEO at Suitest. “Adding image-based testing to the mix makes it possible to double-verify that what we’re seeing is what the device was expected to render.”
Image-based testing drives a range of Suitest capabilities, which will be presented for the first time at IBC2024. These include:
OCR and Image Comparison — New optical character recognition (OCR) and image comparison features make it possible to read text displayed on any OTT device and/or compare displayed images with a reference across multiple devices in parallel. For example, Suitest allows users to compare the status of an app across many devices with different OS versions.
Double Verification — Combining image and object testing means testers can now achieve double verification that an application is performing as expected. Suitest can take screenshots of the app under test for image-based testing, while Suitest’s object-based approach can check element properties and console and network logs.
Latency Testing — Thanks to processing of screen captures, Suitest can measure how fast the video playout is delivered to the user screen on different devices. All it takes is capturing several screens at the same time with a clock running in milliseconds and then simply calculating the difference between the two times.
Ad Insertion Testing — Suitest can test both client- and server-side-inserted ads. Depending on the type of ad, using network logs, element assertion, or OCR/image comparison can provide proof that the ad insertion has been properly executed.
Firmware Testing — Object-based testing can only happen if element properties are accessible. This has been the case for operating system providers such as Titan OS and ZEASN, who have been using Suitest’s object-based testing to evaluate their operating systems bound for consumer televisions. Adding image-based testing means Suitest can now check the firmware of any device.
Device Maintenance Task Automation — Suitest can be used with any OTT device, and new features make it possible to create and schedule regular device maintenance tasks to avoid the need for manual adjustments (e.g., switching the store on a device to a different location).
Localization Testing — Suitest can now verify that an application properly adapts to different regions. For example, if subtitles are embedded in the video itself, Suitest uses OCR to read from the video, translate it into text, and then compare it with what is expected.
Since the WingBox was introduced at the 2024 NAB Show, Suitest customers like live sports streamer DAZN have used it to provide high-quality, ultralow-latency streams from their test devices for live manual testing to their globally spread teams. Also, the WingBox is enabling Suitest’s newly launched Android TV public device cloud for live and automated testing, the first of its kind.
Suitest will demonstrate its dual-testing solution at IBC2024 on Stand 14.B20. Using a notebook computer and live production apps on smart TVs and set-top boxes, Suitest will show how users can create a test, make assertions on elements in the code, and on top make assertions on captured images — all in one test that can easily run in parallel on multiple devices. Visitors will also see a demonstration of streaming capabilities for remote live testing.
“For 10 years, Suitest has been the only OTT test automation provider to offer object-based testing across all OTT devices. Now, we’re the first to offer image-based testing along with it,” Nedeljković said. “Organizations are no longer torn between investing in object-based testing or image-based testing — and taking the risk of picking the wrong one. Instead, they can get the best of both worlds ... only from Suitest.”
Besides adding image-based test automation, Suitest has also built support for object-based testing on Comcast’s Entertainment OS, which powers set-top boxes from Sky in Europe, Xumo Stream Boxes in the U.S., and Hubbl devices in Australia. Suitest is currently working on support for a soon-to-be-released new operating system by a major hardware provider.
