Electronic Couch Potato^™

The ECP™ is a “programmable test robot” which drives a STB using the built-in IR controller and analyzes the decoded signal from a consumer grade STB to fully and truly evaluate the analog output.

With a user-programming environment based on the TCL language, common in automated test environments, the ECP is a flexible and future-proof platform for verifying the decoded analog audio and video from the STB.

The ability to program each ECP™ to run a different test script provides the operator the flexibility to utilize each ECP™ for a well-defined, customized and repeatable operation within the network.

VQI™ - Video Quality Index
While scanning each channel, this software feature of the ECP evaluates the received video and identifies common picture artifacts such as macro-blocking, tiling, and pixelization. Results are combined to a single, integrated score – the Video Quality Index. Historical min, max, and average VQI values are maintained for each channel while scanning and alarms can be set on exceptions. Supports video encoded with either MPEG-2 or H.264.

Telepresence
See, Hear and Control remote STBs from the comfort of your desk.

Each ECP supports independent, low bit rate audio/video streaming back to your PC. The on-screen remote lets you remotely validate end-point service – giving you total control just as if you were there!

Screen Zone Detection
Detecting video issues such as tiling, image match, motion, freeze, black out, normally operates on the entire screen area.

However, the ECP supports definable screen sections letting you target video tests to specific areas of the screen – ideal for checking frozen tickers!

ECP Consolidator™
Managing a population of ECPs across a geography, the ECP Consolidator collects and integrates faults and alarms into a single, unified screen.

Channel vs Geographic presentation lets you quickly pinpoint problems.

Accessed by any standard web browser, the ECP Consolidator supports multi-level user access – allowing operations and engineering personnel to quickly pinpoint and resolve distant problems.

Parental Control Audit
Automatically verify adult channel parental controls
Preventing sexually explicit adult content from inadvertently reaching children is a legal requirement in many countries – viewers must enter password before they can view such content.

Instead of expensive and time-consuming manual verification, built-in automatic verification scripts utilize screen section detection and PIN code input to confirm correct video playout.

Automated Channel Package Audit
Multi-channel operators offering multiple ‘channel tiers’ to their customers can validate correct service provisioning with the ECP.

For subscribed channels, use the “motion detection” command, while using the “image match” command on unsubscribed channels to detect the appropriate message box.