TARA Systems > Products & Services > DiVi Tools - DVB/VBI Test > DiVi Software Tools: DVB TS Analyzer / DVB TS Generator

DiVi Software Tools

The 'pocket knife' for analysis and generation of program and service information (PSI/SI),
Teletext and DVB Subtitles.

DiVi Software Tools

The DiVi Software Tools enable the analysis and modification of program and service information (PSI/SI) inside DVB transport streams (TS). They have been especially designed to gain access to each parameter within service information tables and similar data, which are required by DVB receivers, TV sets and Set-Top boxes e.g. to perform channel scans, display electronic programme guides and more. Thus, the DiVi Software Tools are a helpful utility in the process of verifying the correct behaviour of DVB devices. They enable developers to establish systematic, reproducible test case collections for debugging, verification and quality assurance.

In contrast to broadcaster solutions which are mainly used for realtime processing, the DiVi Software Tools are intended for offline analysis and generation of transport streams. Moreover, the tools are first of all focussed on service information data, rather than audio/video parameters and quality. The tools are used as flexible and cost-effective solution in laboratories, field test and production test by manufacturers of consumer electronics (CE), automotive and infotainment devices worldwide.

As a basis for own test case collections, TARA additionally offers an advanced collection of well categorized and localized Transport Stream Files with various different parameters.

PSI & SI Analysis

XML File       XML File
Configuration
Example		       Output
Example
(BBC TS)

The DiVi Software Tools can extract Program and Service Information (PSI/SI) from recorded transport streams into human-readable XML files. Thus, all kind of SI tables and descriptors can be inspected, e.g. to detect the cause of erroneous DVB receiver behaviour. With its Unicode support, the tools are also suited for analysis of service information in international languages. The tools are started via command line or automated via batch files. The extraction parameters are configured via an XML file.

 

XML File Example with Chinese Characters
Example XML file excerpt with Chinese characters in UTF-16.
(Click to enlarge)

 

PSI & SI, Teletext, Subtitles Modification

Within the created XML file, all Program and Service Information (PSI/SI) values and parameters can be modified easily with any text editor. Instead of dealing with random DVB live transmissions, developers can create exactly the test data, they need, e.g. with erroneous values, for boundary test. Additionally, developers can create own DVB Subtitles out of XML files or add Teletext data from EPR files to their transport streams, in order to test Subtitle and Teletext decoding. The DiVi Software Tools are also suited for HbbTV testing. They can, for example, be used to generate HbbTV application signaling inside the AIT, DSM-CC object carousel signaling inside the PMT, as well as to insert Stream Event Descriptors (triggers for existing stream event objects) in the DSM-CC Stream Descriptor Section.

 

XML File
       DiVi TS-Builder
Configuration
Example
       TS-Builder
(Win32 GUI)

DVB Transport Stream Generation

The modified XML files with SI data, Teletext data or DVB Subtitle data are converted into transport streams again, which are ready for broadcast. Additionally, audio and video streams can be added to a new transport stream, but since  audio/video is not the focus of the DiVi Software Tools, there are a couple of known limitations. For example, missing time stamp information (PTS) in audio/video streams can lead to incorrect timing in the output stream. The generation is started via batch file and XML configuration file or via the more comfortable TS-Builder with Win32 GUI.

DVB-TS Playout: Generated TS files are ready to be broadcasted into the DVB receiver under test. This can be done via any PC card with digital video output or via TARA's DiVi Playout Hardware (separate product), which is suited for stand-alone usage.

Use Cases

  • Verifying DVB receivers for certifications
  • Production tests
  • Data analyzing in own DVB recordings
    • tl_files/modern_blue/tara/hbbtv_logo_small.jpg
  • HbbTV Testing, e.g. to insert application signaling in the AIT or DSM-CC object carousel signaling in the PMT.
  • Specific feature tests for EPGs, Teletext, DVB Subtitle decoders, automatic channel installation.
  • Language specific string encoding test
  • Test with dynamic data content, e.g. parameter switch
  • Test of receiver stability with erroneous data values
  • Build-up of comprehensive collection of reproducible test cases
  • tl_files/modern_blue/tara/freeview-plus-logo.jpg
    FREEVIEW HD
    Test of DTT receiver and recorder products, which intend to be approved by DTV Services and receive the FREEVIEW / FREEVIEW HD / FREEVIEW+ / FREEVIEW+ HD certification. (The FREEVIEW logos are  trade marks of DTV Services Ltd.)

Schematics

DiVi Software Tools Schematics
DiVi Software Tools Schematics (Click image to enlarge!)

 

Feature List

The DiVi Software Tools are a tool chain of several modules for dedicated purposes. All modules can be controlled via command line or via batch files for automated environments. For the generation of transport streams (TS), the DiVi TS Builder enables a more comfortable selection of input files and various parameters.

TS Analysis:

  • Demultiplexing of DVB transport streams into different transport streams for each PID, e.g. audio, video, program specific information (PSI), service information (SI).
  • PSI/SI Analysis: Conversion of TS files into human-readable XML file and analysis and modification of SI data.
  • Now with support for all relevant D-Book 6.1 tables and service information, including string encoding using BBC's Huffman tables in DVB-T2 (Freeview HD).

TS Modification and Generation:

  • Generation and multiplexing of new TS files with DiVi TS Builder for Windows. Alternatively, generators and multiplexer can be controlled via batch files.
  • Generation of service information (SI) tables from own XML files with support for BAT, PAT, PMT, SDT, EIT, TDT, TOT, NIT, Freeview descriptors, RCT (related content table in Freeview+) as well as dynamic content.
  • Generation of AIT (application information table for HbbTV), insertion of DSM-CC object carousel signaling in the PMT and insertion of Stream Event Descriptors in the DSM-CC Stream Descriptor Section (also used in the context of HbbTV).
  • Unicode support for international characters.
  • Generation of DVB Subtitle / DVB HD Subtitle data, compliant with the ETSI EN 300 743 V1.3.1
  • Generation of Teletext data, VPS, WSS, CC, EPG services from EPR files. EPR files collection available as starting point.
  • Multiplexing of single transport stream files (audio, video, data) to one file for DVB conform play out. The DiVi Multiplexer is focussed on data. Therefore, several known limitations exist for audio and video multiplexing.

In preparation:

  • HbbTV testing: Generator for DSM-CC object carousels with own, customized HbbTV content is planned.
  • DiVi Teletext Analyzer: converts TS files into EPR files with Teletext data, which can be further analyzed with other TARA tools like the Geditor software.
  • Please ask for further information about these modules.

Further Information