This technology assigns autonomous software workers which emulate end-user playback of protected content, continuously authenticating against video platforms, receiving authorisation from DRM systems to retrieve live services from CDNs, for playback on a robust mesh of high-density video players. Through this process, Bridge’s QTT application can continuously check for authentication issues, as well as providing operational metrics such as player alarms, time to playing, interval to first picture and incorrect profile selection.  Such alarms and metrics are indicative of video platform and CDN health and performance, whilst picture analysis presentation and alarming enable correct programming and advertisement insertion verification.

The technology is vital for next generation OTT deployments in which ingest, processing and distribution architectures are dispersed, and where administration of the service is not necessarily linked to a singular economic entity. It provides for both a comprehensive assessment of OTT video platforms from a centralised network location, and for pin-point verification of CDN behaviour at any given geographic region.

The QTT Application seamlessly integrates with the VB330 probe and VBC controller – with integration undertaken by Bridge on behalf of each customer in order to match the application with the specific DRM system being used. A high density, fully redundant and load-balanced suite of players operates to emulate real subscribers utilising powerful CPE devices, enabling all live services to be continuously checked.

Continuous streams of decrypted video thumbnails are forwarded by the workers to the VB330 for further picture analysis and historical logging, where a comprehensive range of alarms can be configured to alert engineers to content issues – such as frozen content or black screen, whilst network engineers are notified of the correct publishing of services in the CDN, and any non-conformance or CDN performance issues. Timeline storage of these thumbnails and comprehensive SLA reporting mean that the QTT application is not just critical for in-the-moment error detection, but also valuable for longer-term network diagnostics, strategic decision making and accountability reporting to relevant stakeholders. Innovative Zapping-time monitoring and visualization has been recently added to further the solutions capabilities.