Quales

Video + Audio Analysis Features April 2015

 Black Frame detection
Parameter Blackness

Range 0 … 100

Usage Detection of black Frames

• Average Pixel Brightness is calculated by dividing the Square Sum of of every Pixel Level in a frame
by the Pixel count.

de la presentación
• A Lookup Tabe is classifiyng the average brightness per pixel into a Black Level from 0...100

-- títulosystem
• This method allows to detect a Frame as Black Frame even if there are some white Pixels in the

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

Frame (which is often the case in a noisy black Frame)

Quales.tv-Quality
• Limitation: this could give some false alarms on Black Frames - for example black frame with
some white text

2
 Freeze Frame detection
Parameter Freeze

Range 0 … 100

Usage Detection of freeze Frames

• Every Pixel is subtracted from the previous pixel (in previous Frame)

de la presentación
• Average Pixel Freeze is calculated by dividing the total pixel Freeze by the Pixel count.

• A Lookup Tabe is classifying the average freeze per pixel into a Freeze Level from 0...100

-- títulosystem
• This method allows to detect a Frame as Freeze Frame even if there are some “moving” Pixels in

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

the Frame (which is often the case in a noisy freeze Frame)

Quales.tv-Quality
3
 Blocking Detection
Parameter Blockiness

Range 0 … 100

Usage Detection of blocking Artefacts

• The Blocking Artifacts are detected by analysing the 8x8 Block Pattern in the picture.

de la presentación
• Several Thresholds are used to detect if a Block border is showing blocking Artefacts

-- títulosystem
• Limitation:

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

The blocking is only detecting the “typical” MPEG-2 Blocking coming from low bitrate encoding

Quales.tv-Quality
4
 Blurring Detection
Parameter Bluriness

Range 0 … 100

Usage Detection of blurring Artefacts

• The Blurring Artifacts are detected by analysing the 8x8 Block Pattern in the picture.

de la presentación
• Several Thresholds are used to detect if a Block border is showing blurring Artefacts coming form
the AVC / H.264 filtering process

-- títulosystem
Bla bla bla bla bla Control
• Limitation:

Quales.tv-Quality
The blurring Algorithm can give some false alarms in case of frames that are intended to be blurred

5
 Video Baseband Analysis
Parameter Maximum/Minimum Video Level
Maximum Chrominace Level
Range -7...110%
0...115%
Usage Detection of max/min Luminace
Detection of max. Chrominance Level

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

Quales.tv-Quality de la presentación
-- títulosystem
6
 Brightness
Parameter Brightness

Range 0 : the avg. Pixel Level is < 0% (0%...-7%)

100 : the avg. Pixel Level is >= 100% (100%...108%)
Usage Analysing the average Brightness of the Video Frame

• This Parameter is giving the average Video Level within a Frame

de la presentación
• The Video Level of every pixel is analysed and used to calculate the average Pixel level per Frame

-- títulosystem
• Limitation:

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

Quales.tv-Quality
The Algorithm is not detecting any Errors, it is moreless a statistical information. In order to detect
“out of range” Video Levels, the Max/Min Video Level Parameter should be used

7
 Contrast
Parameter Contrast

Range 0 : lowest possible Contrast

100 : highest possible Contrast
Usage Analysing the max. Pixel Contrast within a Frame

• This Parameter is giving the max. Pixel Contrast within a Frame

de la presentación
• The highest and lowest Pixel value is used to calculate this parameter.
• A value of 0 means that highest and lowest pixel have the SAME vale
• A value of 100 means that highest and lowest pixel have the Max. Difference (255/1024 in 8Bit/10Bit Video)

-- títulosystem
Bla bla bla bla bla Control
• Limitation: The Algorithm is not detecting any Errors, it is moreless a statistical information.

Quales.tv-Quality
In order to detect “out of range” Video Levels, the Max/Min Videl Level Parameter should be used

8
 Super Black
Parameter SuperBlack

Range 0 : no Super Black

100 : max. super Black
Usage Analysing the Pixels below 0% Level

• This Parameter is counting how many percent of the Pixels do have a Video Level below 0%
• The Video Level of every pixel is analysed and used to calculate the this Value

de la presentación
• A value of 10 means that 10% of the Pixels do have a Video level <= 0 %

-- títulosystem
Bla bla bla bla bla Control
Quales.tv-Quality
9
 Luminance Headroom Violation
Parameter Headroom Violation

Range 0 : no Headroom Violation

100 : max. Headroom Violation
Usage Analysing the Pixels above 100% Video Level

de la presentación
• This Parameter is counting how many percent of the Pixels do have a Video Level above 100%
• The Video Level of every pixel is analysed and used to calculate the this Value

-- títulosystem
• A value of 10 means that 10% of the Pixels do have a Video level > 100 %

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

Quales.tv-Quality
10
 Chrominance Headroom Violation
Parameter Headroom Violation

Range 0 : no Headroom Violation

100 : max. Headroom Violation
Usage Counting the Percentage of Pixels violating the Chroma
Headrom

de la presentación
• This Parameter is counting how many percent of the Pixels are violating the Chrominace
Headroom
• The Chrominance Level of every pixel is analysed and used to calculate the this Value

-- títulosystem
• A value of 10 means that 10% of the Pixels do have a Chromiance level > 105 %

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

Quales.tv-Quality
11
 Digital Betacam Error
Parameter Digital Betacam Channel Condition Error

Range 0 … 100

Usage Detection of Channel Conditon Error from Sony Tape

Machine (Digital Betacam)

• The This Parameter detects Artifacts coming from Sony Digital Betacam Tape Machines.

de la presentación
This Artifacts are known as "Channel Condition Errors" or "Tape Hit Errors" or "Head Clog Errors“
• The Picture is analysed pixel by Pixel in order to find the typical Artefacts caused by this kind of
error

-- títulosystem
Bla bla bla bla bla Control
• Limitation:

Quales.tv-Quality
The Algorithm can detect only Artefacts from this kind of Tape machine

12
 Digital Dropouts
Parameter Digital Dropouts

Range 0 … 100

Usage Detection of Dropouts (such as Channel Condition Erros

from DvcPro Machines)

• This Parameter detects colored Dropouts in the decoded picture. One possible source are channel

de la presentación
condition Errors coming from Panasonic DVC PRO Tape Machines. Furthermore there are multiple
other Errors that can cause this kind of Dropouts (e.g. bit errors in Files, encoding errors,..)

-- títulosystem
• The Picture is analysed pixel by Pixel in order to find these typical Artefacts

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

• Limitation: the Algorithm can somtimes cause false alarms by detecting “normal” Picture content

Quales.tv-Quality
as Dropouts

13
 Single Luminance Line Error
Parameter Luminance Line Error

Range 0 … 100

Meaning 0: no Line Error

100: long Line Error
Usage Detection of single Luminance Line Errors

• This Parameter detects single Luminance Line errors in a Frame

de la presentación
• The Picture is analysed Line by Line in order to find this kind of Artefacts.

-- títulosystem
• Limitation:

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

The Algorithm can detect only SINGLE line Errors

Quales.tv-Quality
14
 Single Chrominance Line Error
Parameter Luminance Line Error

Range 0 … 100

Meaning 0: no Line Error

100: long Line Error
Usage Detection of single Chrominance Line Errors

• This Parameter detects single Line errors in the Chrominance Channel of a Frame

de la presentación
• The Picture is analysed Line by Line in order to find this kind of Artefacts.

-- títulosystem
• Limitation:

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

The Algorithm can detect only SINGLE line Errors

Quales.tv-Quality
15
 Interlacing Artefacts
Parameter Interlacing Artefacts

Range 0 … 100

Meaning 0: no Interlacing
100: maximum Interlacing
Usage Detection of interlacing / combing artefacts

• This Parameter detects interlacing (combing) Artefacts

de la presentación
• The Picture is analysed Line by Line in order to find this kind of Artefacts.

-- títulosystem
Bla bla bla bla bla Control
Quales.tv-Quality
16
 Flash / Strobe Errors
Parameter Flash/Strobe

Range 0 … 100

Meaning 0: no Flash / Strobe

100: high Flash / Strobe
Usage Detection of Flash / Strobe Artefacts

• This Parameter detects Flash Lights / Strobe Errors

de la presentación
• The Stream is analysed Frame by Frame in order to find this kind of Artefacts.

-- títulosystem
Bla bla bla bla bla Control
Quales.tv-Quality
17
 Field Dominance Errors
Parameter Field Dominance Errors

Range 0 … 100

Meaning 0: no error
100: Error
Usage Detection of wrong Field dominance

• Field dominance refers to the choice of which field of an interlaced video signal is chosen as the

de la presentación
point where the video edit occur.
• In a sequence of Top and Bottom fields T B T B T B T B, there are two possible choices
• T B T B |edit point| T B T B

-- títulosystem
• B T B T |edit point| B T B T

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

• Wrong Filed dominance results in “Scene Cut Errors” as shown in the screenshot above

Quales.tv-Quality
18
 Field Order Detection
Parameter Field Order

Range 0 … 100

Meaning -50: Bottom Field first

0: Progresive Sequence
50: Top Field first
Usage Detection of Field Order

de la presentación
• This Parameter detects the “real” Field Order within a Sequence
• The algorithm is analysing the Frame Movement within a Sequence and is detecting which Field

-- títulosystem
order is the correct one
• By comparing the measured field order with the wanted field order, the user can detect problems

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

• Limitation: this measurement can lead to some false positives, depending on the picture content.

Quales.tv-Quality
The result should be handled with care, since it is only giving the user a hint of which field order
the sequence most probably has

19
 Temporal Complexity
Parameter Temporal Complexity

Range 0 … 100

Meaning 0: No temporal changing

100: high temporal changing

Usage Detection of sequence changes

de la presentación
• This Parameter is measuring the level of change beween two successive frames
• High complexity means that there are high changes form the previous frame to the current one

-- títulosystem
(e.g. change form black to white – or from white to black – would result in high complexity)
• Low complexity means that there were low changes from the previous frame to the current one

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

(e.g. a Freeze frame will have a temporal complexity of 0)

Quales.tv-Quality
• This parameter can help to detect scene cuts (each scene cut normally results in a high temporal
complexity)

20
 Dead Pixel Detection
Parameter Dead Pixel

Range 0 … 100

Meaning 0: No Dead Pixel

100: Dead Pixel

Usage Detection of dead Pixel

de la presentación
• This Parameter detects a “dead” Pixel within a Picture. A dead Pixel is coming from a CCD Chip
Camera that has a “broken” pixel element. This Pixel element is not receiving any picture
information

-- títulosystem
• Limitation: this measurement can lead to some false positives, depending on the picture content.

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

Furthermore, the accuracy of dead Pixel detection is limited by the codec used to compress the
picture. A high compression is “smearing” the dead pixel arround neighboring pixels… which

Quales.tv-Quality
makes it more difficult to be detected!

21
 Test Pattern Detection
Parameter Test Pattern (color bars)

Range 0 …100

Meaning 0: no test pattern

75: 75% video level test pattern
100: 100% video level test pattern
Usage Detection of test pattern

de la presentación
• This parameter detects standard color bars at 75% and 100% video level

-- títulosystem
Bla bla bla bla bla Control
Quales.tv-Quality
22
 Constant Color Frame
Parameter Constant Color frame detection

Range 0 …100

Meaning Percentage of constant color pixels

Usage Identification of constant color frames

de la presentación
• This parameter will detect the percentage of the pixels in an image that present constant color

-- títulosystem
Bla bla bla bla bla Control
Quales.tv-Quality
23
 Stream Syntax Errors
Parameter Stream Syntax Erros

Range 0…

Meaning 0: No Syntax Error detected

>0: Syntax Errors detected

Usage Detection of Errors in encoded streams/files

de la presentación
• This Parameter detects an Error in an encoded stream which results in decoding problems.
• A bit error or packet loss could cause this kind of Errors which often results in visible distortion of

-- títulosystem
the Video/Audio content.
• If no syntax errors appear, the stream is standard confirm and could be decoded without any

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

problems

Quales.tv-Quality
• Limitation: depending on the kind of Error, it could be that the error is not visible at all.

24
 Video Quality Index
Parameter Video Quality Index

Range 0 … 100

Meaning 0: bad encoding

50: fair encoding
100: excellent encoding
Usage Detection of Video Quality

de la presentación
• This Parameter detects the encoded Video Quality
• The algorithm analysing Video Quality based on detecting Encoding Artefacts such as Blocking,

-- títulosystem
Blurring, Picture Coding Types, Bitrate

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

Limitation: this measurment is a proprietary algorithm! This can lead to some false positives,

Quales.tv-Quality
depending on the picture content and used codec. The Quality index was developed for H.264 +
MPEG encoder and therfore could give less valid results for any other codecs!

25
 Audio Peak Level
Parameter Audio Level

Range +3 … -100 dBFS

Meaning Audio Level in dB Full Scale

Usage Detection of Audio Levels

de la presentación
• This Parameter is giving the Audio Levels in dB Full Scale
• The Audio Frame Size can be set by the user (Audio Integration Time)

-- títulosystem
• Formula:

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

vu = cur_vu_level / MAX_LEVEL

Quales.tv-Quality
audio_level = 20 * log10 (vu)

26
 No Audio
Parameter No Audio

Range 0/1

Meaning Analyses if a Audio Channel contains Data

Usage Detection of Audio Data

de la presentación
• This Parameter is detecting if there is NO AUDIO data encoded in a Audio Frame
• 0 : there are Audio Samples encoded in the Audio Frame
• 1 : there are NO Audio Samples encoded in the Audio Frame

-- títulosystem
Bla bla bla bla bla Control
Quales.tv-Quality
27
 Mute
Parameter Mute

Range 0/1

Meaning Analyses if a Audio Channel has Mute Level

Usage Detection of Audio Mute

de la presentación
• This Parameter is signaling if there is Audio Mute in a Audio Frame
• Formula:

-- títulosystem
vu = cur_vu_level / MAX_LEVEL
audio_level = 20 * log10 (vu)

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

Quales.tv-Quality
• MAX_LEVEL = max. possible Amplitude / sqrt (2)
• Quales is signaling Mute, when audio_level is smaller or equal to -54 dBFS.
• To indicate a clear Mute Level in the graph, Quales is setting the Audio Level to -54 dBFS in case of Mute (even when
the actual audio_level is smaller !)
28
 Clipping
Parameter Clipping

Range 0/1

Meaning Analyses if a Audio Frame is clipped

Usage Detection of Audio Clipping

de la presentación
• This Parameter is signaling Clipping within a Audio Frame
• Clipping is signaled when the audio Level is larger than -1 dBFS

-- títulosystem
Bla bla bla bla bla Control
Quales.tv-Quality
29
 Sample Clipping
Parameter Sample Clipping

Range 0/1

Meaning Analyses if a single Audio Sample is clipped

Usage Detection of single Sample Clipping

de la presentación
• This Parameter is signaling Clipping of an audio sample
• Whereas “normal” clipping is based on the whole Audio frame, the Sample clipping refers to

-- títulosystem
clipping of a single sample within a Audio Frame.

Bla bla bla bla bla Control

Quales.tv-Quality
30
 Audio Loudness Measurment
Parameter Loudness Mesurment

Range -125 … 0 LUFS

Meaning Analyses Momentary, Short term, Integrated Value as well

as Loudness Range
Usage Loudness Analysis according to EBU R128

de la presentación
• Analysis of Loudness according to EBU R128 standard

-- títulosystem
Bla bla bla bla bla Control
Quales.tv-Quality
31