Bridge Technologies Expands Capabilities Of The VB440

Bridge Technologies have significantly expanded the capabilities of their production-focused monitoring probe - the VB440, adding a number of features which enhance the flexibility and functionality of the technology in settings which include core broadcasting networks, production studios, master control centres and outside broadcast vehicles and venues.

Along with the recently-announced accommodation of the JPEG XS compression standard, these enhancements include Closed Caption support and Packet Capture functionality, and will ship with all future versions of the VB440, as well as being accessible online to existing customers.

Operating to deliver ultra-low latency analytics of compressed and uncompressed data in a range of production environments, the VB440 represents an award-winning monitoring solution for both IP and SDI-encapsulated production environments across ST2110 and ST2022-6 defined high-bitrate broadcast media traffic. The net result is the ability to deliver deep insight to creatives and technicians alike, facilitating remote/distributed access to creative tasks (such as those undertaken by camera painters and audio engineers) and ensuring error-free delivery of live and recorded broadcast, from any remote location across the globe.

The new Packet Capture functionality (PCAP) is a tool designed to help those who are moving from SDI to IP-based 2110 uncompressed data streams – accommodating the fact that whilst with SDI a recorder could be used to capture each stream, ST2110 networks operate in a way where each component exists separately, on a network that includes other traffic. PCAP capability thus allows users to capture individual or collective components of the ST2110 stream, based on either time or packet limits, on a fixed or rolling basis. This ability to capture a single packet as it crosses a specific point in the network allows for more in-depth identification of data and packet loss, the troubleshooting of network behaviours, diagnosis of congestion issues and recognition of security threats – all enhancing the already intuitive and easy-to-interpret fault-finding capabilities of the VB440.

The Closed Caption review function has been introduced in order to aid broadcasters in their commitment to providing accessible productions which meet the diverse needs of audiences, including those with hearing impairment. The Closed Caption addition to the VB440 will allow the display of Closed Captions (CEA-608/CEA-708) and Subtitles (OP-47), giving visualization of the incoming ancillary data on the output reference video, and further allowing the user to review, control and correct caption placement and characters. Alongside displaying the captions an additional 'debug-view' functionality provides a deeper insight with decoder logs, encoding errors, field reversal warnings, and a visualisation of the grid itself.
The functionality supports all of the most common incoming caption types, and thus allows operators to ensure that captions are correct before handing off the signal, adding a new layer of protection for the operator.

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