In anticipation of the upcoming IBC2024 Show in Amsterdam (Booth 1.A71), Bridge Technologies today announce the release of the VB258, an upgrade module for their existing VB120 and VB220 monitoring probe lines, both of which constitute cost-effective and powerful monitoring solutions that accommodate a range of network standards, including IP unicasts and multicasts, OTT/ABR streams, and a whole range of RF formats, as well as SRT and ASI. The new VB258 addition will allow monitoring of up to four independent RF inputs, supporting DVB-T/T2, ATSC1.0/ATSC 3.0, DVB-C, QAM-B and ISDB-T formats. This makes it ideal for networks that incorporate terrestrial or cable delivery elements.
The addition of these standards to the VB120 and VB220’s existing monitoring capabilities represents Bridge Technologies’ commitment to increasing the range, flexibility, functionality, versatility and capacity of their core monitoring solutions, providing for broadcasters who maintain complex, hybrid and evolving networks. The addition of ISDB-T format monitoring ensures that these capabilities are also extended to those in the Japanese and South American markets.
Whilst each individual VB258 maintains capacity for four independent inputs (one of which is activated by default, and the other three by license key), the monitoring capacity can be doubled by placing two VB258 modules within a single chassis. Furthermore, each input is further capable of round-robin operation to allow for monitoring of a full frequency raster, as typically found in DVB-C/QAM-B cable networks.
In terms of functionality, the VB258 complements the VB120 and VB220, offering key monitoring features such as TR 101 290 analysis, IP multicast monitoring, HLS/M-DASH monitoring, TS recording, RF analysis and SRT relay operations. SRT (Secure Reliability Transport) is of particular interest, because it allows for received RF streams to be converted into an IP/UDP stream, which is then made available via the SRT standard. This framework makes it possible to gain central access to streams that would otherwise be hard to access, thus giving engineers greater insight, diagnostic capability and control over their network.
In relation to ATSC 3.0-based terrestrial systems, the VB258 facilitates monitoring of RF parameters such as MER, constellation diagram and Channel Impulse diagram. As with all of Bridge Technologies’ probes, the probe delivers data as usable information, providing clear, intuitive and at-a-glance metrics that can inform in-the-moment decision making, along with longer term, strategic planning, both in terms of network engineering and business development.
Crucially, the speed of the VB258 has also been enhanced, and is now capable of providing updates to the controller card (either a VB120 or VB220) every second, thus providing for increased accuracy. The firmware of the module has also been made field upgradable, thus futureproofing it to accommodate subsequent probe developments.
Speaking of this most recent addition, Chairman Simen K. Frostad said: “Whilst our role as IP evangelists has been what has defined us within the broadcast space, we recognise that not all broadcasters are ready or able to make a full transition to IP architectures. And we believe wholeheartedly that effective monitoring should constitute the backbone of any network delivery solution, especially those who are taking legacy components and beginning to hybridise them with IP-based standards”.
He continued: “We will be looking forward to demonstrating this entire range of Bridge monitoring solutions at IBC2024, with a particular focus on the way that our full range of monitoring probes can be combined to meet the unique needs of individual customer systems architectures, all accessible through a single, intuitive interface”.