SSIMWAVE To Measure Broadcast, OTT Video Quality Of Super Bowl

NFL
(Image credit: NFL)

WATERLOO, Canada—The NFL isn’t the only one crowning a winner this weekend after the Super Bowl. SSIMWAVE will compare the video quality of over a half dozen broadcasters and streaming providers using its tech to reveal the winners and losers, SSIMWAVE, an IMAX company, said today.

SSIMWAVE will measure every second and every frame of the game presented by Fox in the United States and CTV and TSN in Canada as well as five streaming services. The company’s technology replicates the human visual system and checks for video impairments, latency and other issues that can affect the viewing experience, it said.

The company’s SSIMPLUS exceeds 90% in its correlation with how viewers would rate the quality of what they see on screen. It enables streaming providers to deliver optimal viewing experiences at the lowest possible cost, it said.

SSIMWAVE will generate a report card, ranging from 0 to 100, for each service. It will highlight:

  • Fan viewing experience scores for the entire broadcast of the game.
  • Maximum and minimum per-second viewer experience scores that show the variability of the video quality throughout the game.
  • Measurement of latency or delay from live to the action on the screen.
  • Video quality of the halftime show and ads.

The company also will take screen captures of key video issues, including technical impairments, such as interlacing, macroblocking and banding, and measure content at multiple geographic locations. SSIMWAVE will announce its results Monday, Feb. 13.

“While the same game production is used by most providers, what viewers see can vary widely because of the resources that each provider dedicates to video delivery,” said Abdul Rehman, CEO of SSIMWAVE. “Our experience in benchmarking streamed pro football games has been that video quality has averaged in the ‘good’ range of 60-79, although it can dip into the low 30s at specific moments during the games. Our hope is that every provider will ‘bring it’ on Sunday.”

Request the results from SSIMWAVE online

More information is available online.

George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.