Digital TV Labs Licensed To Offer DTG Test Suites For UK And NZ Freeview Pre-Testing

LONDON, UK — Digital TV Labs, which provides independent, specialised conformance products and services for DVB-based markets, has become the first test facility to receive a licence to offer the full Digital TV Group (DTG) Test Suite, providing manufacturers with a cost-effective pre-DTG test and debugging process.

Digital TV Labs is now in the unique position of being able to offer the full terrestrial test suite for UK and NZ markets for pre-testing from its offices in the UK and Hong Kong. The UK digital television industry established DTG Testing Ltd. in 2000 to carry out interoperability testing on digital television receivers, initially for the UK’s DTT market (Freeview) and later for the UK’s Freesat service, international platforms and most recently for the Freeview HD service in the UK.

Keith Potter, CEO, Digital TV Labs, explains, “The DTG’s accreditation process for Freeview is one of the most rigorous and robust in the world and Freeview HD takes this one step further – with receivers meeting levels of compliance achieved previously only on vertical or lower volume proprietary standard platforms. Manufacturers can ensure that they pass first time by using our pre-test and associated debugging service.”

Digital TV Labs’ engineers both here and in the Hong Kong office – which services the huge range of manufactures based in Asia – are highly experienced in assisting companies understand why their products have failed a pre-test and how to move forwards. The DTG Test Suite covers all the required aspects including MHEG-5, subtitles and audio description and is suitable for the full range of reception devices.

The Hong Kong office also provides a mobile test suite – including engineers – that can come to manufacturers’ premises across the region, sit with all their engineers in one place and run through the pre-test and then debugging process, saving time and cost.

Potter adds, “The UK and New Zealand DTG-based testing service complements the 26 other DVB-T countries covered by our Evora iSuite. Digital TV Labs provides unique testing capabilities allowing manufacturers to comply with comprehensive compliance requirements.”