Triple-Play Service Deployment

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Chapter 1: The Vision–Reliable Triple-Play Service Delivery
When turning up and provisioning IP video service, provisioning
errors and video quality issues are identified. Case-by-base
troubleshooting must be performed before service installation
can be completed. Ideally, test records in this phase of the process
should be captured to provide a baseline reference for future
service assurance activities. Such recorded data will improve
mean-time-to-repair (MTTR) and result in a positive experience for
the customer, ultimately reducing churn.
To sustain a quality installation process, field technicians must
have the skills and instruments to verify performance in three key
areas: adequate xDSL performance, video service provisioning, and
video QoS metrics. When established parameters are verified,
service can be turned-up. The test equipment must be able to
emulate the customer’s STB, obtain video program flows, and
validate the video QoS metric thresholds established by the
service provider for each parameter.
The technician’s test tools must analyze all critical parameters that
affect video flows. For example, if the program clock reference
(PCR) jitter is high, the decoder cannot properly decode the video
payload. IP packet loss and jitter are critical. Trouble with IGMP
latency impacts the time required to change broadcast video
channels and, therefore, is an important “customer experience”
component. The number of lost packets in the video transport
stream, as measured by the continuity error indicator, are
important, too. Pass/fail thresholds should be set in testing devices
for each of these parameters, promoting consistency in operational
practices and helping improve service assurance processes.
To successfully troubleshoot IP video problems such as video
pixelization or frame freezes, field test equipment must enable
technicians to isolate specific video flow fault conditions. For
example, lost packets, or excessive packet jitter, may cause both