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New WFM8200, WFM8300 Deliver Real-time Automated 3Gb/s SDI Eye Pattern and Jitter Measurements to Help Diagnose Signal Problems

BEAVERTON, Ore., August 26, 2009 – Tektronix, Inc., a leading worldwide provider of test, measurement and monitoring instrumentation, today introduced the WFM8200 and WFM8300 advanced waveform monitors, the latest additions to the popular Tektronix waveform monitor lineup. The new high-performance instruments provide high quality, real-time, automated 3Gb/s SDI Eye pattern display and jitter measurements that help broadcasters and network operators effectively diagnose signal problems and help equipment designers and manufacturers reduce time to market of new 3Gb/s SDI products. The WFM8300 (with Option PHY) also provides multi-rate HD/SD-SDI and 3Gb/s SDI (with Option 3G) color bar and pathological signal generation capabilities that provide engineers with a simple signal source for quick signal path verification during system and equipment setup and troubleshooting. The new models also feature notable advances in color grading with new patented Luma Qualified Vector (LQV™) and Spearhead Gamut displays.

Industry Leading 3Gb/s SDI Support

For broadcasters, the WFM8200 and WFM8300 are designed to help engineering staffs reduce time and effort in equipment qualification and setup and more effectively detect system degradations before they become quality problems which can cause advertising revenue penalties or subscriber loss. This is made possible by the industry’s most comprehensive physical layer measurements including automated 3Gb/s SDI signal Eye pattern parameters and jitter measurements as well as Tektronix jitter waveform display and cable length measurement. Additionally, alarm information helps identify and diagnose video and audio content quality as well as vertical ancillary (VANC) data problems.

For equipment manufacturers, the WFM8200/8300 will help them bring 3Gb/s SDI products to market in less time by providing the fastest and most reliable means to fully characterize product performance and standards conformance. Together with the TG700 advanced 3Gb/s SDI Generator module, Tektronix offers a complete solution to 3Gb/s SDI design and test for equipment manufacturers.

“In order to stay ahead of competitive challenges, broadcasters and network operators need the ability to efficiently and reliably deliver superior signal and picture quality to viewers,” said Eben Jenkins, director, Video Product Line, Tektronix. “With the introduction of WFM8200 and WFM8300 we are delivering the advanced, high-performance tools our customers need to meet these ever-increasing quality demands, while also breaking new ground with automated 3Gb/s SDI testing.”

Precise Color Grading Adjustments

Due to different stages of digital rollout and different video formats used in various parts of the world, video format conversion is a significant challenge. The WFM8200 and WFM8300 help content providers and post production houses verify the quality of video content and make precise adjustments that reduce the potential for gamut errors during editing and format conversion – enabling them to avoid costly reworks and qualify ingest materials in less time.

The new waveform monitors expand the Tektronix toolkit of patented displays essential in making precise color adjustments to production content. The Luma Qualified Vector (LQV™) display allows users to selectively choose a luma amplitude range over which to isolate color components within the vector display. This enables operators to identify color components in terms of shadows, mid tones and highlights within multiple LQV displays. The patented Spearhead display provides a new tool for color grading allowing operators to view the video signal in terms of lightness, value and saturation. This 2-D representation of the 3-D color space provides operators a simple method to match images from scene to scene, enabling them to present consistent image quality throughout the production process.

About Tektronix Waveform Monitors

Tektronix waveform monitors provide the superior video monitoring and analysis capabilities required in content creation, content delivery, research and development, and manufacturing applications. These products help video content producers verify content quality and make precision content adjustments. In video delivery systems, they help operations staff verify content quality and system reliability, and help engineering staffs qualify, install, and maintain video systems. Design and manufacturing engineers developing new video equipment use these products for design troubleshooting, functional verification, and manufacturing test.

Tektronix also offers the most complete range of audio functionality with the widest range of audio displays available for everything from analog audio to Dolby E digital audio including VANC Dolby metadata monitoring as per SMPTE2020, Dolby E Guardband monitoring, and audio Loudness monitoring.

Pricing & Availability
Available in September 2009, the WFM8200 price starts at $14,900 U.S. MSRP and the WFM8300 price starts at $19,900 U.S. MSRP