Venera Technologies is launching the latest version of its Pulsar Pro automated content verifier at IBC2009 in Stand 8.A28b.
With the inevitable move toward a file-based workflow for acquisition, content generation, transmission, archive and optical disc authoring, Pulsar Pro reduces the dependency on expensive manual testing to provide consistency, improved operational efficiency and reduced costs throughout the entire digital pipeline.
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 fulfils all of these analysis requirements and more.
Pulsar Pro integrates with all broadcast, 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 allows remote monitoring of alarms and problems via e-mail or SMS, for example. In addition to checking codec compliance, the system offers traditional A/V quality analysis using media pattern templates, which verify that content fully complies with systems such as AdStream and IMD in an automated, reliable manner.
A software-only system, a single Pulsar Pro seat analyzes up to four simultaneous streams by making optimum use of generic computer hardware, providing more features than currently available on expensive hardware-based systems.
Pulsar Pro offers cost-efficient, consistent, scalable and automated analysis. Its software architecture offers a cost-effective upgrade path for additional channels of analysis, or features such as new file formats, standards and work practices, without disturbing the running system.
Easily integrated with MAM systems, Pulsar Pro is highly configurable so 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 structure, black/colored frames, silence and peak detection. In addition, accurate modeling of analog meters such as peak program meter and loudness detection (programmable to the variation on BS1770) ensures that users take correct decisions on audio level violations.
Users also can create their own custom media pattern templates, which could include silence zones, black frames or color bars in different parts of the video streams to fully comply with the requirements of external networks.