Considerations for Providers Shifting from QAM to IP Video Delivery Networks
广播行业在流媒体电视的不同视频传输方式之间的转变导致了技术的巨大转变, 质量控制(QC), and day-to-day operations. 在这个转变过程中, 视频服务提供商的运营和质量控制团队面临着测试和监控方面的新挑战, complicated by rapidly evolving technologies such as Dynamic Ad Insertion. 本文将探讨在这种范式转换过程中团队面临的常见挑战和策略.
在北美, 数字电视已通过正交调幅(QAM)网络广泛分布. QAM works on both dial-up modems and Wi-Fi, and it has been used by cable companies for over twenty years. 经历了这么久, 通过QAM提供视频服务的团队深入了解了其工作原理. 然而, 在过去的几年里，随着公司逐渐停止QAM实践，完全依赖IP数字视频传输，发生了一个重要的转变.
Handling Third-Party Services on Set-Top Boxes
拥有和管理机顶盒的服务提供商面临着与第三方服务打交道的主要问题. They need to have video apps such as Disney+, 网飞公司, 和孔雀在他们的设备上，以使其成为家庭中主要的电视观看设备. 这些应用程序是由第三方提供的并不重要——在家的观众会认为机顶盒提供商要为他们的表现不完美负责. 这给供应商带来了独特的负担，他们不仅要确保自己的服务质量一致，还要确保其他公司的服务质量一致.
Third-party video apps can also negatively affect a provider’s main service. Witbe在真正的机顶盒上进行了测试，发现网飞公司应用程序在观众切换回线性电视节目时出现了几次错误. 这些类型的错误只能在客户使用的真实设备和网络上观察到，因为它们对于被测试的系统是唯一的.
New Considerations for Quality Control Testing
These types of video errors illustrate the need for QC testing, 尽管这一过程也因向知识产权交付的过渡而发生了巨大变化. 与QAM视频交付, most providers controlled the platforms where their service was being streamed. Most IP set-top boxes are built on Android TV or Comcast’s RDK platform. 这些平台经常收到框架更新，但对提供商的控制有限或有警告. After the platform has been updated, 提供商需要再次测试自己的服务质量，看看它是否受到了影响.
在第三方设备上通过IP交付提供服务的提供商也是如此. Video apps need to be tested on more devices than ever before, including consumer-grade ones like Apple TV and Fire TV. Video apps are also increasingly built into smart TVs, which deal with a large fragmentation of operating systems. 更多的 than fifteen different operating systems can be commonly found on smart TVs, all of which need to be tested individually. Continuous test automation is essential for providers in this situation, 允许他们在数十种不同的设备上运行时大规模测试视频应用程序，这些设备随时都可以收到重大更新.
Dealing with Dynamic Ad Insertion and Discoverability
在这一转变中需要讨论的一个特定因素是内容的可发现性. 在拥挤和竞争激烈的电视环境中，可发现性变得比以往任何时候都更加重要. Providers should implement deep indexing, 哪一个允许客户的通用或语音控制搜索请求被定向到提供商的应用程序. 没有深度索引, searches are often directed to a default platform handler, typically YouTube or the Google Play Store. 深度索引是确保无论何时用户查找提供者的内容都能被发现的最佳方法.
另一个与IP传输截然不同的过程是动态广告插入(戴)。. Ad-supported video has been booming lately, 不仅在线性电视领域，而且在流媒体视频领域，这一领域一度似乎要用订阅服务取代广告. 使用IP流媒体, 广告 are inserted into the video player and come from a large inventory of content, generally originating at different servers than the main content.
The 戴 process can lead to a wide variety of video errors, including frozen screens, 音频问题, 空白的石板, 视觉表现不佳, difficulty returning to the main content, 整个设备崩溃. 正确插入广告对于依赖第三方广告商收入的供应商来说至关重要. These video errors should be monitored on real devices, 因为他们将观察到系统端错误，而这些错误可能通过其他形式的视频监控无法检测到.
Collaborating Remotely and the Future of IP Video Delivery
当然, 所涉及的技术并不是经典QAM时代与现代IP交付时代的唯一区别. 如今，大多数运营和质量控制团队都是远程工作，有时甚至在不同的国家. 团队需要可靠和安全的技术，使他们能够从任何地方访问他们的真实设备. 远程访问使他们能够协同工作，并在其服务运营的市场中进行测试, even if they are on the other side of the world as they work on it.
For TV providers, the transition from QAM to IP video delivery is a major one. operations and QC teams are dealing with different platforms, third-party applications, 戴, and remote collaboration. 通过在真实设备上测试其服务，并采用可靠的远程设备接入技术, they can help smooth the shift and operate securely from anywhere in the world. In an IP delivery world, video testing and monitoring is essential.
[Editor's note: This is a contributed article from Witbe. 流媒体 accepts vendor bylines based solely on their value to our readers.]
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