Tektronix Joins TICO Alliance

30 June 2015 -- Adds Support for Emerging TICO Compression Technology that Will Ease the Challenge of Moving 4K/UHD Content over Current Infrastructures

BEAVERTON, Ore., June 30, 2015 - Tektronix, an industry-leading innovator of video quality monitoring solutions, today announced that it has joined the TICO Alliance, bringing additional industry support to efforts by the newly formed alliance to ease 4K/UHD adoption challenges. TICO is a new lightweight compression technology that provides visually lossless compression up to 4:1 and enables 4K/UHD content to be transported over existing SDI infrastructure as well as 10 GigE IP production and contribution networks.

To support transport of UHDTV streams across an IP network or existing 3G-SDI infrastructure, a new smart, fast and light compression is needed. Announced at NAB 2015, the TICO Alliance is a coalition of leading broadcast technology companies working to promote the use of TICO compression in 4K/UHD workflows.

"By joining the TICO Alliance, we are continuing to demonstrate our leadership in enabling the transition to 4K/UHD and IP," said Charlie Dunn, general manager, Video Product Line, Tektronix. "TICO compression technology effectively balances quality, bit rate and latency to keep data rates for 4K content below 10G. As with other compression technologies, it will be critical to monitor quality at every step of the workflow."

Tektronix offers the broadcast industry's most complete portfolio of solutions for ensuring picture and sound quality, including expanded options for 4K analysis and monitoring. These include comprehensive 4K monitoring using WFM/WVR8000 Series Waveform Monitors and Rasterizers, a recently expanded line-up of 4K-capable file-based analysis solutions, 4K picture quality analysis and 4K video distribution network monitoring.

TICO provides extremely low latency (limited to just a few pixel lines), preserves video quality across multiple generations of encoding/decoding, fits into the smallest cost effective FPGA devices and runs efficiently in software. The technology is designed to enhance live IP systems by increasing efficiency and reducing cost for both HD and 4K/UHD video. Developed by intoPIX, TICO has been submitted to SMPTE for publication as a Registered Disclosure Document (RDD) for the benefit of the broadcast and media industry. Members of the TICO Alliance are closely collaborating with intoPIX on the SMPTE RDD draft document

"TICO compression technology has the potential to ease the transition to the next generation infrastructure needed for 4K today as well as High Dynamic Range, High Frame Rate and 8K content in the not too distant future. However, for this technology to be successful, it must have backing from across the broadcast industry ecosystem," said, Jean-Baptiste Lorent, marketing manager of TICO Alliance. "The addition of Tektronix to our group is critically important because it means that broadcasters will be able to ensure the quality of TICO compression streams throughout production and contribution workflows."