Consumers are more connected than ever, with Wi-Fi enabled laptops and cell phones providing virtually seamless Internet access. Now analysts are saying that the next wave of networked-enabled devices will be your televisions.
According to a new report by DisplaySearch, sales of Internet-enabled TVs are expected to grow by more than 200 percent over the next four years. The Quarterly TV Design and Features Report forecasts that more than 118 million Internet-connected TVs will ship in 2014, a significant increase from the 15 million shipped in 2009. The growth of network-enabled TVs is expected to occur in conjunction with 3-D TV adoption.
“It’s an exciting time for the connected TV sector,” said Paul Gray, director of European TV research for DisplaySearch, in the report. “It’s a battleground where TV set makers, Internet video companies, free-to-air broadcasters, pay-TV and the IT industry are all rushing to stake their claims. IPTV [Internet Protocol Television] is moving from being a technology to becoming recognizable service offerings.”
The burgeoning IPTV industry offers plenty of options for designers looking to take advantage of new market opportunities. New service platforms are being developed, with connectivity levels ranging from app-enabled TVs – which allow users limited Internet services – to “Smart TVs” offering full browsing capabilities and sophisticated user interfaces. Meanwhile, broadcasters are launching their own standards and portals such as hbb.TV and YouView.
The demand for connected TVs follows the industry movement we have seen here at Allion. We’ve witnessed products become increasingly connected, with our product validation services enabling us to stay at the forefront of these emerging markets and trends. For questions on the challenges facing manufacturers in this sector or to start developing your personalized digital TV test, contact Allion today.
Learn More:
Solving the Challenges of Wireless Connectivity
Testing TV Broadcasting Signals in Brazil
New RF Stream Technology Reveals Compatibility Issues
Brazil has the largest television audience in South America, spurred by the increased buying power and financial leniency stimulating Brazil’s economy. In a 2007 effort to democratize communications and promote the development of local technologies, the Brazilian government began implementing digital broadcast systems in Brasilia, Brazil’s capital city, and 16 other major cities in Brazil. Current estimates are that the transition from analog to digital broadcast will be completed by the year 2016.
According to a recent study by DisplaySearch, consumer demand for televisions in Brazil experiences a surge every four years, correlating with the FIFA World Cup. With the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics both being held in Brazil, the government is capitalizing on the increased demand; Brazil will soon mandate that all TVs sold in the country include a pre-installed digital tuner. This mandate will be essential in popularizing digital TV and making Brazil the dominant television market in South America.
While Brazil’s growing demand for televisions presents several opportunities for television manufacturers, geographical limitations make actual TV field testing a challenge. Flying to Brazil from any region in Asia requires almost a full day of travel, and manufacturers need to take into account the unfamiliarity of local cities and cultures, as well as the language barriers the field engineers will face. And yet, without thorough testing, manufacturers cannot guarantee that their products will be fully compatible with the broadcasting signals used throughout Brazil.
To accommodate the rising demand to test televisions against the various broadcasting signals used in Brazil, Allion has returned with a series of TV RF signals, including ISDB-T and PAL-M, recorded in all of Brazil’s major cities (updated April 2010). Acknowledged by most leading TV developers, Allion’s Brazilian Real World TV Validation is a revolutionary testing method delivering proven efficiency and results; manufacturers can assess and guarantee television compatibility across multiple regions without having to physically fly engineers and televisions to Brazil.
Learn More:
- From Production to Primetime: TV Testing Makes Viewing Experience Better
- New RF Stream Technology Revolutionizing TV Testing
- New RF Stream Technology Reveals Compatibility Issues
Using the new RF stream recording technology, Allion designed a test to assess the level of television compatibility in the United States. RF signals were collected from 11 cities: Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Elgin, Englewood, Fargo, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Minot, Newark and Philadelphia.
We chose three major TVs sold in North America that support the ATSC system:
- Sony LC-32GP1U
- Samsung KDL-32L4000
- Sharp LN-Y3253H
Allion’s RF Stream Tests
For the testing, Allion sent the variety of RF signals collected to the TVs, and once the stream was received, we performed a series of checks to assess performance. We scanned all TV streams to verify that the streams were being recognized, while adjusting the intensity of the signal to determine the TVs’ sensitivity. We verified the audio and video quality, as well as audio/video synchronization. For stream data performance, we verified the display functions, including the channel and program title, caption service, aspect ratio and EPG information.
Our Findings
While the Sony had better overall performance than the Samsung and Sharp, we found compatibility problems across the board. The errors we found included mosaic pictures, double subtitles, scrambled text and broken images. Regarding the locales tested, Philadelphia had more failure than other cities, while Milwaukee had 100 percent performance from all three brands.
This case study demonstrates that even major TV brands can face compatibility issues. The field testing that TVs undergo prior to going to market is insufficient to guarantee consistent quality when receiving signals from different regions or countries. By offering a data pool of signals, Allion’s Real World TV Validation testing helps locate and prevent all possible compatibility issues.
For TV manufacturers, sustaining the claim of product quality is vital to success; however, the industry has had difficulty consistently delivering on the claim. Broadcasting systems in different countries and regions produce different RF signals, resulting in high error rates. Even well-known TV brands can have compatibility issues when receiving signals in different regions.
While field tests have the potential to reduce error rates, they have intrinsic limitations. Successful field testing in one region does not guarantee that the product will work in nearby areas. Field testing also requires the manufacturers to heavily invest both time and money.
A new way of recording RF stream is revolutionizing how TV manufacturers solve the problem of addressing compatibility with differing RF signals. These RF signals enable developers to test their products by simulating the RF signals from different regions. The TV RF signals can be recorded and saved as the IQ format (TV RF Raw Data), containing the environmental factors and retaining complete parameter data.
The IQ format improves on the previously used TS (Transport Stream) format, where the demodulator reconstructed the signal but lost some of the related features during the process. With this new technology, TV manufacturers will be able to thoroughly test the tuner performance, A/V performance and stream data performance of their products without the high cost of field testing.
Utilizing the new RF Stream recording technology will make it possible for manufacturers to develop products that can live up to their quality claims in any region.
Connecting a digital TV to the wide variety of devices found in a home theater can present challenges. TV signals input/output (I/O) interfaces, standards, and device variety are complex, and they can lead to poor connectivity among TVs and devices.
TV tests aid television developers by ensuring product interoperability between the TV and top consumer devices. In determining the top consumer devices, factors such as market share, customer satisfaction, sales ranking and device generation are considered. A reputable testing facility will purchase the newest devices and buy devices from specific locales. TV tests ultimately help developers sell their products by delivering quality products, which lead to positive reviews.
Some common tests to ensure that the TV can function as it should include:
Cable Capability Test: verifies that the TV and devices work properly with bundled cables.
Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) test: checks whether the TV can offer DLNA setup and if the TV can play back all supported DLNA files on the connected devices.
Full Connection Test: verifies that every I/O port on the TV works properly.
Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) Test: verifies CEC function.
Input Switching Testing: alters signal sources (switches analog and digital signal source) and verifies the TV’s input and interface functions.
Power Function Test: verifies the TV works correctly after powering on or off the TV and devices.
Play Back Test: checks if the TV can properly play back media content of the connected device and from the USB interface and determines if the TV can display all supported resolutions.
Ideally, the TV test environment will simulate the most common scenarios for consumers connecting their devices to their TVs. Third party testing at facilities like Allion Test Labs ensure that TVs will properly function.
