The Electronic Couch Potato™ is designed to monitor the true customer viewing experience by providing measurements from the end point of the content delivery chain. The ECP™ connects after the Set Top Box (STB) and provides feedback on various service quality parameters to a central site, including but not limited to, network transmission quality, overall service quality and availability.
“The Electronic Couch Potato™ (ECP) and Consolidator™
Mark Hallinger, Editor of TV Technology Europe, said, “STAR awards are given to interesting new products that help a user save money or accomplish a task in an easier way. The products selected help advance the industry - some were chosen because of technical novelty or innovation, some because they filled an important gap in the production or transmission chain, and some because they were just cool products.”
The uniqueness of the ECP™ lies in its ability to simulate a human being by sequentially changing channels on a Set Top Box via a built-in infrared (IR) control mechanism. Service plan verification through switching channels, recording measurements on service quality for each channel and eventually reporting it to a central management console, equips the service provider with an in-depth knowledge of the end-user’s experience. Most importantly, it helps to check whether the channel is actually available in the first place.
The ECP™ takes the raw audio-video output of the STB as its input to make parameter measurements. It utilizes the decoded signal from a consumer-graded STB to make a complete and true evaluation of the end-user’s QoE. The ECP™ also has an Internet Protocol (IP) interface to report telemetry on various parameters of the protocol stack, including the transport and IP layers.
Pixelmetrix develops a host of IPTV and Preventive Monitoring systems that offer unique attributes and versatility, allowing operators to achieve end-to-end visibility and keep tabs on their network architecture.
The STAR Award (Superior Technology Award Recipient) is designed to celebrate and showcase the preeminent technological innovations available to the broadcast industry. TV Technology Europe’s editor reviewed a variety of products, examined the technical applications and their overall contribution to the industry, and then chose 21 winners.
About Pixelmetrix Corporation
Pixelmetrix Corporation is the global expert in Preventive Monitoring for digital television and IPTV networks. The company provides equipment and network intelligence systems to television broadcasters for the management and monitoring of quality of service and quality of experience. Headquartered in Singapore, Pixelmetrix has offices in the United States and Europe.
Pixelmetrix clientele include CNN/Turner Networks, Viacom, Fox, CBS, ESPN, Disney, Univision, Telefutura, USDTV, HBO, NHK, Japan Telecom, KPBS, NTL, Sky PerfecTV! Japan, British Telecom, Canal+ and Télédiffusion de France.
Pixelmetrix has been conferred the Peter Wayne Award for Best Design and Innovation IBC 2000, the TV Technology publication STAR Awards (Superior Technology Award Recipient) 2000, 2004 and 2007, Cable-Satellite/
The terms Preventive Monitoring, DVStation, DVStation-Remote, DVStation-Pod, DVStation-IP3, DVStation Mini, DVStor, DVStorIP, DVStorIP-Gen, DVShift, DPI Auditor, EndGame, Electronic Couch Potato, ECP Consolidator, Video Validator and VISUALmpeg are trademarks of Pixelmetrix Corporation.
For more information about Pixelmetrix, please email to info@pixelmetrix.com or visit www.pixelmetrix.com.
About TV Technology Europe
TV Technology Europe is the region's leading magazine for broadcast technology. The magazine is published by IMAS Publishing, the world’s largest publisher of audio and video publications. Other IMAS products include a US version of TV Technology, Radio World, Pro Audio Review, Audio Media, and a family of country-specific publications and Web sites.
