Suitest to introduce WingBox OTT test automation tool at NAB 2024

Suitest at the 2024 NAB Show: Unique Tools for Flexible OTT Test Automation

At the 2024 NAB Show in Booth W3924, Suitest will introduce WingBox, the industry’s first Video Capture and Control appliance to enable combined object- and image-based live and automation testing for OTT apps and devices. Suitest will also highlight a selection from its flagship range of OTT test automation products and features at the show.

With its feature-rich cloud-based test automation solutions for OTT apps and devices, Suitest simplifies end-to-end testing, operation of OTT devices at remote sites, and identification of device-specific issues. In addition to automating device maintenance tasks, Suitest gives users the flexibility to run tests using an object-based, image-based, or a combined method of testing depending on need — on their own devices or on Suitest public or private managed device clouds.

NEW! WingBox OTT Video Capture and Control Appliance Launches at 2024 NAB Show

At the 2024 NAB Show in Booth W3924, Suitest will unveil for the first time its new WingBox OTT Video Capture and Control appliance. Like a Slingbox combined with TiVo PVR, but with additional features for modern OTT testing workflows, the appliance enables low-cost access to remote devices for private and public device clouds, video and image capture for live and automated testing, and video and image processing. It automates every step, from app installation, launch, assertions on app and firmware elements, and network- and console-logging to device cleanup at the end.

WingBox is a plug-and-play, integrated device control and video capture solution built on off-the-shelf hardware packaged in a unique wing-shaped case and enabled by innovative Suitest software. This next-generation video capture and streaming device empowers OTT, broadcast, and device manufacturing engineers to control devices and to test applications and device firmware remotely. Features include video capture from HDMI-out (through a capture card) and from TV screens (through a USB camera or Suitest smartphone camera app), ultra-low-latency 2K/60FPS streaming, network- and console-logging in live testing, video recording of test runs, device control and management, and much more. WingBox also closes a gap in Suitest’s previous purely object-based approach by adding computer vision and OCR capabilities.

WingBox is the industry’s first and only appliance to enable combined object- and image-based OTT test automation.

Unlike other solutions, Suitest software can automatically test OTT apps and firmware on TVs and other living room devices without additional cameras, and it employs an object-based approach that allows it to acquire all information on tested objects over the network from the runtime of the device under test. WingBox on top provides video and image capture from test runs on STBs and other streaming devices with HDMI-out to be used for OCR and image comparison in applications such as watermark detection and frame accuracy testing of inserted ads.

For live remote testing and monitoring, WingBox provides a high-quality video stream without the TV, monitors, or PCs in between, thereby reducing setup costs and improving the quality of video streams.

The new internet-connected WingBox appliance can control any device using infrared emitters, network commands, or CEC control at the location of the device under test. Tests are hosted and triggered from Suitest servers and can run simultaneously on one or any number of devices spread around the globe, including employees’ or crowd testers’ devices at home.

The complete WingBox solution will be available this Spring for only $250 with a free or paid Suitest account.

SoloCandy Control Unit

Suitest’s SoloCandy is a USB-connected infrared emitter for controlling TVs, set-top boxes, and other devices. With SoloCandy, users can operate a single OTT device in cooperation with SuitestDrive on a PC or a Raspberry Pi. At the 2024 NAB Show, Suitest will demonstrate how the SoloCandy works with the new WingBox appliance and the SuitestDrive software.

SuitestDrive Software

SuitestDrive is software that operates browsers, Android TVs and mobiles, Apple iPhones and iPads, Apple TVs, Apple iOS/tvOS Simulators, LG webOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Roku, Samsung Tizen, VIDAA, Vizio, Xbox (One, Series X/S), and Xfinity (Comcast) devices installed inside a local network/device lab. SuitestDrive is available for Windows, macOS, macOS (Apple Silicon), and Linux.

SuitestDrive runs on a Suitest CandyBox, a dedicated server/laptop, or a stand-alone Raspberry Pi. At the 2024 NAB Show, SuitestDrive will be installed and shown with the WingBox and the SoloCandy. The demonstration will highlight Suitest’s simple, low-cost setup for device control and management.

Suitest OTT Test Automation Features for Fast and Productive Testing

Suitest offers a variety of test automation features that help yield dependable results in minutes — including a one-of-a-kind test editor for productivity, an element repository for robust test scenarios, virtual remote control for device management, device-screen streaming available from anywhere, single sign-on for unified authentication, support for smart plugs to control the power of devices, and more. At the 2024 NAB Show, all live demonstrations in Suitest Booth W3924 will highlight the productivity-enhancing features of the Suitest web interface, especially:

• The Test Editor — Users can easily record basic tests and add various assertions using the rich visual tools to test every aspect of an app, all in plain English with no programming required. If users port the app to a new platform, the tests will run there without any modification.
• The Element Repository — This is a place users can store and organize all their view elements so that any automation scenarios they write will survive app changes with very little effort.
• The live testing interface — This is an integrated interface providing live video stream, virtual remote control, and console and network logs for manual testing.
• The JavaScript API — Advanced test automation engineers with coding skills can script tests through this interface instead of through a web interface.

“Suitest set out to revolutionize OTT testing once more, and the result is the WingBox. Thanks to its unique capabilities and its price, WingBox is set to be the preferred choice for our customers by enabling place-shifted live testing and combining object- and image-based test automation. We’re looking forward to the debut of this exciting new product at NAB Show 2024.” — Mirko Nedeljković, CEO at Suitest