IPTV Test, Measurement & Monitoring (TM&M)

1. INTRODUCTORY OVERVIEW

• 1.1 Unique Findings of Report

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• 2.1 Defining the Test, Measurement & Monitoring Category
• 2.2 Relationships Between VQ, QoS, QoE and the TM&M Category
• 2.3 Why IPTV Test, Measurement and Monitoring?
  • 2.3.1 Every Part of the IPTV Delivery Infrastructure Affects Video Quality
  • 2.3.2 Maximizing the Quality of Audio Visual Content
  • 2.3.3 Reducing Operational Expenses (OpEx)
  • 2.3.4 Impact of TM&M Upon Capital Equipment Purchases
• 2.4 Segmentation Criteria for Test, Measurement & Monitoring
  • 2.4.1 Segmentation According to Location in the Delivery Chain
  • 2.4.2 Segmentation According to Stage of Deployment
  • 2.4.3 Segmentation According to Content Type
  • 2.4.4 Segmentation According to Depth of Analysis
• 2.5 Summary of Trends, Conclusions and Recommendations
  • 2.5.1 Business Influencers
  • 2.5.2 Overall Technology Influencers
  • 2.5.3 Risks and Opportunities Affecting TM&M
  • 2.5.4 What Should Be Measured and Analyzed?
  • 2.5.5 Where and When Should Video Be Measured?
  • 2.5.6 How Should Video Be Measured?
  • 2.5.7 What Methods Should Be Used?
  • 2.5.8 TM&M Vendor Selection
• 2.6 Summary of Suppliers and Solutions
• 2.7 Research Methodology
  • 2.7.1 Selection Criteria
  • 2.7.2 Data Gathering Process
  • 2.7.3 Survey Tool
  • 2.7.4 Analysis & Development

3. CLASSIFYING IPTV TM&M PRODUCTS

• 3.1 Review of Content Types Distributed in IPTV Deployments
  • 3.1.1 Video
  • 3.1.2 Voice
  • 3.1.3 Streaming and File-Based Data
  • 3.1.4 Non-IPTV Video Data Types
  • 3.1.5 Signaling Traffic
• 3.2 Placement of TM&M Across the IPTV Delivery Chain
  • 3.2.1 End-to-End IPTV VQ, QoS and QoE Factors
• 3.3 IPTV Test Measurement & Monitoring Lifecycle
  • 3.3.1 Pre-Deployment T&M
  • 3.3.2 Post-Deployment T&M
• 3.4 Review of Basic IPTV Video Networking Concepts
  • 3.4.1 7-Layer Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) Model
  • 3.4.2 Digital Video Encoding and Video Transport
  • 3.4.3 The Contents of MPEG Transport Streams
  • 3.4.4 MPEG TS Program Specific Information (PSI)
• 3.5 Types of Video Test, Measurement and Monitoring
  • 3.5.1 Video Testing at the Headend, at Time of Acquisition
  • 3.5.2 Testing Done at Physical, Data Link, and Network Layers
  • 3.5.3 Packet Delivery Testing
  • 3.5.4 Video Encoding and Transport
  • 3.5.5 Video Quality of Experience Analysis
• 3.6 Additional Considerations Relating to Video Analysis
  • 3.6.1 The Importance of Timing
  • 3.6.2 Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)
  • 3.6.3 Deep Content Inspection (DCI)
• 3.7 Policy Management, Service Assurance and Admission Control
• 3.8 Test & Measurement Management Systems
• 3.9 Home Network Testing

4. TEST & MEASUREMENT CASE STUDIES

• 4.1 IPTV Deployment Classifications
  • 4.1.1 Deployment Architecture Models
  • 4.1.2 Deployment Complexity
  • 4.1.3 Service Provider “Tiers”
  • 4.1.4 Correlating Architecture, Complexity and Tier
• 4.2 Deutsche Telekom (Germany) -T-Home Service . Intermediate Tier-One Operator
  • 4.2.1 Simulations Used for Triple-Play Scenarios
• 4.3 France Telecom . Orange (France) IPTV Service . Tier-1 Advanced Deployment
  • 4.3.1 France Telecom QoS/QoE Challenges
• 4.4 Consolidated Communications (United States) . Intermediate . Tier-Two Operator
  • 4.4.1 Consolidated' s Infrastructure
  • 4.4.2 Installation Practices
  • 4.4.3 Video Quality and TM&M Practices
  • 4.4.4 Consolidated Test Measurement & Monitoring
  • 4.4.5 Fault Determination and Isolation
  • 4.4.6 Additional Factors Impacting Video Quality
  • 4.4.7 Key TM&M Influencers for Consolidated

5. MARKET TRENDS AND DRIVERS

• 5.1 Telecom Market and Technology Situations Driving IPTV
• 5.2 Conditions Leading to the Need for TM&M
• 5.3 IPTV Standards Utilized by TM&M Systems
  • 5.3.1 Video Quality Standards
  • 5.3.2 Video Quality of Service
  • 5.3.3 Video Quality of Experience Standards -Perceptual Quality
  • 5.3.4 Quality of Experience Standards . Application Performance
  • 5.3.5 Video Quality and Home Networks
  • 5.3.6 Summary of IPTV Standards Organizations
  • 5.3.7 How an Operator Can Act Upon TM&M Output
• 5.4 Competitive Pressures Within the TM&M Category
  • 5.4.1 Crowded Category
  • 5.4.2 Pricing and Pricing Trends
  • 5.4.3 Competitive Differentiation
• 5.5 Proliferation of New Service Types
• 5.6 The Relationship Between TM&M and “Over-the-Top” Network Traffic
• 5.7 Future Trends
  • 5.7.1 Increased Focus on HDTV
  • 5.7.2 Focus on End-to-End TM&M Solutions
  • 5.7.3 Non-IPTV Video and Non-Video Data Content
  • 5.7.4 Mobile Video
  • 5.7.5 Convergence

6. RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MARKET

• 6.1 IPTV TM&M Platforms Must Be Proven to Scale Cost Effectively
• 6.2 Lack of Quality May Put Subscriber and Content Relationships at Risk
• 6.3 Increasing Vulnerability
• 6.4 Increasing Regulation

7. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

• 7.1 What Should be Measured and Analyzed?
  • 7.1.1 Additional Considerations
  • 7.1.2 Content Identification
• 7.2 Where and When Should Video Be Measured? (Placement of TM&M Solutions)
  • 7.2.1 A Practical Note on TM&M Placement
  • 7.2.2 TM&M Solution Architectures
  • 7.2.3 TM&M Management
• 7.3 TM&M and Considerations for Other IPTV Infrastructure Elements
  • 7.3.1 The Impact of IPTV Middleware
  • 7.3.2 Set-top Box
  • 7.3.3 The Impact of IPTV Content Protection (Encryption)
  • 7.3.4 Impact of the TM&M Equipment Itself
• 7.4 How Should Video Be Measured? Recommended Video Quality Measurement Parameters and Practices
  • 7.4.1 Video Signal/Image and Bit Rate Standards
  • 7.4.2 Data Integrity and Quality of Service
  • 7.4.3 IPTV MPEG Transport Recommendations
  • 7.4.4 IPTV QoE Perceptual Quality Recommendations
  • 7.4.5 IPTV QoE Applications Responsiveness Recommendations
  • 7.4.6 ATIS QoS/QoE Recommendations
  • 7.4.7 Vendor Evaluation Based on an End-to-End TM&M Worldview
• 7.5 Establishing an IPTV Test Plan
  • 7.5.1 Practice Guidelines for Establishing Performance Benchmarks
  • 7.5.2 Developing the Test Plan
  • 7.5.3 Developing a Comprehensive Suite of Test Use-Cases
  • 7.5.4 Choosing TM&M Equipment Based on Standardized Evaluation Criteria
• 7.6 How Available Hardware Resources Impact Costs
  • 7.6.1 Resource Cost of Software Agent-Based Monitoring
• 7.7 Additional Video Quality Considerations
• 7.8 TM&M Helps in Effective Bandwidth Planning
• 7.9 TM&M Requires a Comprehensive Strategy and a Systematic Approach
• 7.10 TM&M is Penny Wise, Not Pound Foolish
• 7.11 Long-Range TM&M Planning Future-Proofs the Deployment

8. VENDOR PROFILES

• 8.1 Agama Technologies AB
  • 8.1.1 Introduction
  • 8.1.2 Agama Situation and Customers
  • 8.1.3 Products
• 8.2 Agilent Technologies, Inc.
  • 8.2.1 Introduction
  • 8.2.2 Agilent Situation and Customers
  • 8.2.3 Communications Test Products
• 8.3 Bridge Technologies AS
  • 8.3.1 Introduction
  • 8.3.2 Bridge Technologies Operations and Customers
  • 8.3.3 Products
• 8.4 Brix Networks
  • 8.4.1 Introduction
  • 8.4.2 Brix Networks' Situation and Customers
  • 8.4.3 Products
• 8.5 Cisco Systems, Inc.
  • 8.5.1 Introduction
  • 8.5.2 Cisco Systems' Situation and Customers
  • 8.5.3 Products
• 8.6 Danaher Corporation
• 8.7 EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc.
  • 8.7.1 Introduction
  • 8.7.2 EXFO' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.7.3 Products
• 8.8 Fluke Networks
• 8.9 Harris Corporation
  • 8.9.1 Introduction
  • 8.9.2 Harris' Situation and Customers
  • 8.9.3 Products
• 8.10 HyC
  • 8.10.1 Introduction
  • 8.10.2 HyC' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.10.3 Products
• 8.11 IneoQuest Technologies, Inc.
  • 8.11.1 Introduction
  • 8.11.2 IneoQuest' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.11.3 Products
• 8.12 Ixia
  • 8.12.1 Introduction
  • 8.12.2 Ixia' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.12.3 Products
  • 8.12.4 Product Roadmap
• 8.13 JDS Uniphase Corporation (JDSU)
  • 8.13.1 Introduction
  • 8.13.2 JDS Uniphase' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.13.3 Products
• 8.14 Mariner Partners, Inc.
  • 8.14.1 Introduction
  • 8.14.2 Mariner Partners, Inc.' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.14.3 Products and Services
• 8.15 Miranda Technologies
  • 8.15.1 Introduction
  • 8.15.2 Miranda Technologies' Situation and Customers
  • 8.15.3 Products
• 8.16 Mixed Signals, Inc.
  • 8.16.1 Mixed Signals, Inc.' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.16.2 Products
• 8.17 Motive, Inc
  • 8.17.1 Introduction
  • 8.17.2 Motive, Inc.' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.17.3 Products
• 8.18 NetHawk Oyj
  • 8.18.1 Introduction
  • 8.18.2 NetHawk Oyj' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.18.3 Products
• 8.19 Pixelmetrix Corporation
  • 8.19.1 Introduction
  • 8.19.2 Pixelmatrix' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.19.3 Products
  • 8.19.4 Product Roadmap
• 8.20 Prosilient Technologies AB
  • 8.20.1 Introduction
  • 8.20.2 Prosilient' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.20.3 Products
  • 8.20.4 Prosilient PTAnalyzer Client
• 8.21 Psytechnics Ltd.
  • 8.21.1 Introduction
  • 8.21.2 Psytechnics' Situation and Customers
  • 8.21.3 Products
• 8.22 Shenick Network Systems Ltd.
  • 8.22.1 Introduction
  • 8.22.2 Shenick' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.22.3 Products
• 8.23 Spirent Communications plc
  • 8.23.1 Introduction
  • 8.23.2 Spirent Communications' Situation and Customers
  • 8.23.3 Products
  • 8.23.4 Product Roadmap
  • 8.23.5 Spirent Communications . Detailed Test Scenarios and Use-Cases
• 8.24 Sunrise Telecom
  • 8.24.1 Introduction
  • 8.24.2 Sunrise Telecom' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.24.3 Products
• 8.25 Symmetricom, Inc. (Incorporating QoSmetrics)
  • 8.25.1 Introduction
  • 8.25.2 Symmetricom' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.25.3 Products
  • 8.25.4 Symmetricom NOC Products
• 8.26 Tektronix, Inc.
  • 8.26.1 Introduction
  • 8.26.2 Textronix Inc.' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.26.3 Products
• 8.27 Telchemy, Inc.
  • 8.27.1 Introduction
  • 8.27.2 Telchemy Inc.' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.27.3 Products
• 8.28 Tollgrade Communications, Inc.
  • 8.28.1 Introduction
  • 8.28.2 Tollgrade' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.28.3 Products
• 8.29 Witbe, Inc.
  • 8.29.1 Introduction
  • 8.29.2 Witbe, Inc.' s Situation and Customers
  • 8.29.3 Products
  • 8.29.4 Product Roadmap

9. APPENDIX 1: IPTV TEST, MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING SOLUTIONS

10. APPENDIX 2: IPTV REFERENCE DEPLOYMENTS (DEFINED BY MRG)

11. APPENDIX 3: ISO/OSI MODEL AS RELATES TO IPTV TEST, MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING

12. APPENDIX 4: LISTS OF COMPANIES

13. APPENDIX 5: IPTV TEST, MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING STANDARDS

14. APPENDIX 6: GLOSSARY OF TERMINOLOGY

15. APPENDIX 7: REFERENCE LITERATURE

16. INDEX OF COMPANIES

• Figure 1-1: Potential Placement of IPTV Monitoring Equipment -at the Headend, at Ingest and Content Processing Points
• Figure 3-1: Potential Placement of IPTV Monitoring Equipment -at the Headend, at Ingest and Content Processing Points
• Figure 3-2: Potential Placement of IPTV Monitoring Equipment -in the Operator' s Network and at the Customer Premises
• Figure 3-3: Potential Placement of Additional TM&M Systems -at Each Headend Location
• Figure 3-4: End-to-End QoS and QoE Contributing Factors from DSL Forum TR-126
• Figure 3-5: ISO/OSI 7-Layer Network Reference Model
• Figure 3-6: MPEG-2 TS Over UDP Over IP
• Figure 3-7: MPEG-2 Transport Over RTP/UDP/IP
• Figure 3-8: Payload Structure of an MPEG Transport Stream
• Figure 3-9: Impact of MPEG Transport Errors on Video Decoding
• Figure 3-10: Impact of Packet Loss Upon MPEG Video Frames
• Figure 3-11: Program Specific Information (PSI) in an MPEG-2 Transport Stream
• Figure 3-12: Detailed View of MPEG TS Header
• Figure 3-13: Testing for Correct Color Gamut
• Figure 4-1: T-Home Phase 1 Single-Tier Network
• Figure 4-2: T-Home Phase 2 Two-Tier Network
• Figure 4-3: Orange (France Telecom) Video Delivery and TM&M Configuration
• Figure 4-4: Orange (France Telecom) TV Subscriber Premises Under Test
• Figure 4-5: France Telecom Vision: “Content Everywhere”
• Figure 7-1: Microsoft MediaRoom Channel Change Process
• Figure 7-2: Packet Loss Ratio Required to Meet Average Time Between Loss Events
• Figure 7-3: DSL Forum QoE Engineering Methodology
• Figure 8-1: Agama End-to-End Monitoring
• Figure 8-2: Agilent N2X in an IPTV Operator Network
• Figure 8-3: Bridge Technologies End-to-End Monitoring
• Figure 8-4: Brix Networks Systems in a Carrier Network
• Figure 8-5: Cisco Admission Control On-Path Signaling
• Figure 8-6: Cisco Access Link Off-Path Admission Control
• Figure 8-7: EXFO IPTV TM&M Products in an IPTV Deployment
• Figure 8-8: HyC TraceBox Monitoring Architecture
• Figure 8-9: Ixia Aptixia IxLoad System
• Figure 8-10: JDSU Net Complete IPTV Solution
• Figure 8-11: Mariner xVu Framework
• Figure 8-12: Mixed Signals Sentry Monitoring System
• Figure 8-13: Pixelmetrix DVStation-IP in an Operator Network
• Figure 8-14: Prosilient Technologies in an Operator Network
• Figure 8-15: Psytechnics Unified Communications Experience Manager
• Figure 8-16: Shenick diversifEye IPTV Test System
• Figure 8-17: Spirent Channel-Change Test (Direct STB Connection)
• Figure 8-18: Spirent Channel-Change Test (STB Connected to VLAN)
• Figure 8-19: Sunrise Telecom Portable Line Test Sets
• Figure 8-20: Telchemy VQmon in an IPTV Network
• Figure 8-21: Tollgrade Products in an IPTV Deployment
• Figure 10-1: “Basic” IPTV Deployment Architecture
• Figure 10-2: “Intermediate” IPTV Deployment Architecture
• Figure 10-3: “Large-Scale” IPTV Deployment Architecture
• Figure 10-4: “Mega-Scale” IPTV Deployment Architecture

• Table 1-1: Quality Test Areas' Relationship to OSI Layers
• Table 1-2: What Should Be Measured By OSI Layers?
• Table 1-3: Sample of Vendors' Test Measurement & Monitoring Solutions
• Table 2-1: Quality Test Areas' Relationship to OSI Layers
• Table 2-2: What Should Be Measured By OSI Layers?
• Table 2-3: The Most Active IPTV TM&M Suppliers
• Table 2-4: Additional IPTV TM&M Suppliers
• Table 2-5: Suppliers of IPTV TM&M Enabling Technologies
• Table 5-1: Summary of IPTV Home Networking Standards, Identifying QoS Approaches
• Table 5-2: IPTV Standards Organizations with Video Quality Activities
• Table 5-3: Basic Cost Estimate
• Table 7-1: Summary of Possible Placements for IPTV TM&M Solutions
• Table 7-2: IP Network QoS Class Definitions and Network Performance Objectives/Applications
• Table 7-3: Suggested Mapping of Key IPTV Service Components to Y.1541 QoS Classes
• Table 7-4: Recommended Transport Layer Parameters for MPEG-2 SDTV Transport Streams
• Table 7-5: Recommended Transport Layer Parameters for MPEG-4/AVC or VC-1 SDTV Transport Streams
• Table 7-6: Recommended Transport Layer Parameters for MPEG-2 HDTV Transport Streams
• Table 7-7: Recommended Transport Layer Parameters for MPEG-4/AVC or VC-1 HDTV Transport Streams
• Table 9-1: Matrix of IPTV TM&M Vendors and Products
• Table 11-1: ISO/OSI Network Reference Model Mapped to IPTV Standards
• Table 12-1: IPTV TM&M Suppliers
• Table 13-1: IPTV Standards Efforts that Relate to TM&M