Volicon showcases Enhanced Observer® 7.1 Logging and Monitoring System at 2013 NAB Show

“Observer 7.1 gives users an array of powerful tools that address current and future monitoring requirements while reducing costs and streamlining key operations enterprise-wide,” said Russell Wise, vice president of global sales at Volicon.

Volicon will demonstrate the latest enhancements to the Observer Loudness module, which now provides a program loudness report (PLR) that reflects measurements for all audio tracks associated with a program and identifies exceptions and violations of standards-based parameters. The module adds 5.1 downmix measurements and support for the Dolby^® Dialogue Intelligence™ algorithm to the Observer’s monitoring capabilities.

To help broadcasters and other operators conform to DPI requirements in SCTE-35/104, Volicon’s new DPI Monitoring module enables the monitoring, logging, and frame-accurate display of content along with the metadata and in/out point markers needed to determine if DPI messages were conveyed properly. With this module, Volicon eliminates the need to measure streams with an in-depth transport stream analyzer and to calculate the frame in which the insertion occurs. Because data related to DPI events is presented in a video overlay, users can see where transition points occur. As a result, even nontechnical staff can monitor and troubleshoot the broadcast signal to ensure that ads are being inserted correctly.

Further aiding in efficient monitoring and troubleshooting, Observer Mobile offers extended functionality to users working with iPad^® or iPhone^® devices. In addition to providing access to content anywhere, anytime, and giving users the ability to play, pause, search, and create logged content on demand, the interface now also supports multichannel viewing and multiple audio tracks. Users can select the best bit rate for their viewing device and network connection.

With the ability to watch multiple streams on a display monitor and, in the event of an issue, instantly grab the suspect stream via the Observer’s desktop interface, users can respond immediately to any issues with audio/video content and metadata, or the transport stream itself. In addition to simplifying network monitoring and troubleshooting operations, this capability facilitates a host of powerful monitoring operations that simply aren’t possible with standard multiviewer systems.

For users at the desktop, Volicon’s new Clientless GUI enables operation of the Observer system without requiring the installation of a local player. For the many broadcasters and other media facilities that leverage Observer throughout their operations, the Clientless GUI enables widespread use with minimal maintenance and support requirements. Upgrades and updates to the Observer interface are reflected automatically in the GUI, giving users throughout the enterprise the immediate benefits of new features and functionality without any intervention from IT staff.