[SatNews] Astra Platform Services (APS), one of Germany's foremost broadcasting and playout centers, has implemented Volicon's Observer(r) Remote Program Monitor (RPM) 400 to provide remote quality monitoring for delivery of a range of TV services to the South African market. As Volicon's post-set-top-box (STB) video service assurance solution for satellite, cable, IPTV, and mobile video service providers, the Observer RPM 400 is enabling APS to proactively monitor and troubleshoot transmissions to ensure the highest quality of experience (QoE) for South African viewers.

A subsidiary of SES ASTRA, APS broadcasts more than 200 channels from its main broadcasting facility in Munich. Installed at a remote location, the Observer RPM 400 system continuously scans all channels in the lineup and tests signal integrity. It issues alerts (via e-mail and SNMP) to NOC engineers when transmission quality falls below APS's preset thresholds. The system automatically detects such faults as missing/frozen/black video, low audio levels, and macroblocking. APS enlisted German systems integrator ANEDIS for installation support.