Tektronix Adds RF Measurement Interfaces For MPEG Transport Stream Monitor

Tektronix, Inc.OR -- <%=company%> announced expanded radio frequency (RF) input options for the MTM400 MPEG Transport Stream Monitor. The MTM400 now supports RF monitoring and testing for virtually all of the globally deployed DTV RF modulation schemes. The MTM400 monitors MPEG Transport Streams at both RF and digital interfaces in a single, integrated monitoring platform.

Increasing profitability of DTV services are leading operators to invest in a second wave of DTV services such as Video-on-Demand (VOD). The high network reliability requirements for these services are driving the need for monitoring systems that present a complete picture of the network and can detect signal degradation at both the RF and MPEG layers. Customers must be able to detect faults before the end subscriber is impacted. This can be done by monitoring the transmission of transport streams at multiple points in the network including the RF interface.

"With the increasingly global distribution of DTV services, accurate monitoring and analysis of MPEG transport streams is critical in delivering optimum quality of service," said Todd Biddle, Vice President, Video Product Line, Tektronix. "The MTM400 now provides RF support for virtually every worldwide DTV standard. The combination of high performance RF and MPEG monitoring allows customers to proactively detect signal degradation caused during transmission and distribution. The MTM400's excellent performance provides critical RF measurements such as MER and EVM, which are key early indicators of signal degradation that could be a prelude to visible picture impairment. Tektronix continues to lead in market innovation with the highest performance, most scalable and comprehensive multilayer monitor available."

A variety of different RF interfaces allows direct monitoring of signal quality eliminating the need for a separate RF demodulator/analyzer. The MTM400 allows operators to easily and cost effectively perform rapid multilayer (RF and MPEG) fault detection and diagnostics, minimizing downtime, improving the reliability of networks and reducing or redirecting capital expenditure that would otherwise be allocated to multi unit solutions.

The MTM400 now has RF monitoring capability for terrestrial, cable, and satellite digital television standards. Added support for COFDM (for DVB-T terrestrial broadcast), 8PSK (for satellite broadcast), QAM-B (for US cable) and 8VSB (for ATSC terrestrial broadcast) interfaces, make the MTM400 appropriate for monitoring needs worldwide.

Source: Tektronix