November 1, 2006 -- In an effort to ensure a high-quality IPTV viewing experience, while reducing the cost and speeding the deployment of service providers' IPTV roll-outs, IneoQuest Technologies has introduced its Cricket IPTV quality measurement device, an interactive IP video monitoring, analysis, and remote troubleshooting tool aimed at validating and resolving IPTV quality issues at the network edge and customer premise.
According to the company, designed for use in early IPTV field trials and service roll-outs, the device allows IPTV viewers to register their perception of a bad picture by simply pushing a button located on the device or on their remote control. This customer action timestamps the event, correlates it with all ongoing measurements that device is logging, and notifies the service provider's network operations center (NOC). Alerted to a specific IPTV fault at a specific TV, the service provider can then proactively correct the situation. The company claims that use of the device may lead to reduced call center traffic volume for the service provider.
The physical unit incorporates 2 x 10/100-Mbit Ethernet ports for both network connection and in-band management, as well as a USB port for local control via PC. The Ethernet ports automatically function in either active TAP mode or as an end point device. The company says the Cricket is ideal for installation inline with a customer's set-top-box for validating or remotely monitoring IPTV quality during service installation, or for collecting trending information over time to aid in troubleshooting IPTV quality issues.
The company notes that because the device is small and easy to deploy, it can be mailed overnight to the customer premise to begin automatically measuring and logging real IPTV statistics that are sent back to the service provider. In many cases, service providers can start measuring issues faster than it takes to issue a work order and "roll a truck." Also, unlike traditional handheld tools that are designed to troubleshoot active problems with a technician on-site, the company says the Cricket device has been designed to accommodate the nature of IPTV, tracking periodic problems over time by watching what the customer is watching in real time.
Used in conjunction with IneoQuest's iVMS IP video management system, the company says the device can provide "a complete real-time view" into the health of the entire IPTV network "by providing total visibility from headend to home, right down to remote troubleshooting at the customer premise."
For more information, visit IneoQuest's Web site, www.ineoquest.com.