Video device and network quality evaluation/diagnostic tool

1. A method of evaluating quality of a video network, the method comprising:

collecting a first plurality of video frames leaving a video capture device of the video network, the first plurality of video frames being transmitted from the video capture device to a video encoder of the video network;

collecting a second plurality of video frames arriving at the video encoder, the second plurality of video frames being transmitted from the video capture device to the video encoder;

comparing the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames; and

determining, using a video analytics software tool, a fault with the video capture device or network path between the video capture device and the video encoder in response to the comparison of the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames,

wherein the video analytics software tool is directly connected to the video capture device, and

wherein comparing the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames further comprises:

determining a video frame lost ratio between the video capture device and the video encoder in response the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

collecting a first plurality of video packets leaving the video encoder, the first plurality of packets being transmitted from the video encoder to a video viewing device of the video network;

collecting a second plurality of video packets arriving at the video viewing device, the second plurality of video packets being transmitted from the video encoder to the video viewing device;

comparing the first plurality of video packets and the second plurality of video packets; and

determining a fault along a network path between the video encoder and the video viewing device in response to the comparison of the first plurality of video packets and the second plurality of video packets.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein comparing the first plurality of video packets and the second plurality of video packets further comprises:

determining a bandwidth of the first plurality of video packets and a bandwidth of the second plurality of video packets; and

comparing the bandwidth of the first plurality of video packets and the bandwidth of the second plurality of video packets,

wherein the bandwidth of the first plurality of video packets and the bandwidth of the second plurality of video packets is an effective bandwidth or an instantaneous bandwidth.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein comparing the first plurality of video packets and the second plurality of video packets further comprises:

determining a statistical description of differences between I-frames of the first plurality of video packets and I-frames of the second plurality of video packets.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein comparing the first plurality of video packets and the second plurality of video packets further comprises:

determining a statistical description of differences between P-frames of the first plurality of video packets and P-frames of the second plurality of video packets.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein comparing the first plurality of video packets and the second plurality of video packets further comprises:

determining a statistical description of differences between P-frames of the first plurality of video packets and P-frames of the second plurality of video packets.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

collecting a third plurality of video frames leaving the video encoder, the third plurality of video frames being transmitted from the video encoder to a video viewing device of the video network;

collecting a fourth plurality of video frames arriving at the video viewing device, the fourth plurality of video frames being transmitted from the video encoder to the video viewing device;

comparing the third plurality of video frames and the fourth plurality of video frames; and

determining a fault along a network path between the video encoder and the video viewing device in response to the comparison of the third plurality of video frames and the fourth plurality of video frames.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames further comprises:

determining a bandwidth of the first plurality of video frames and a bandwidth of the second plurality of video frames; and

comparing the bandwidth of the first plurality of video frames and the bandwidth of the second plurality of video frames,

wherein the bandwidth of the first plurality of video frames and the bandwidth of the second plurality of video frames is an effective bandwidth or an instantaneous bandwidth.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames further comprises:

determining a size of each of the first plurality of video frames and a size each of the second plurality of video frames; and

comparing the size of each the first plurality of video frames and the size of each of the second plurality of video frames.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames further comprises:

determining a time dispersion of each of the first plurality of video frames and a time dispersion of each of the second plurality of video frames; and

comparing the time dispersion of each the first plurality of video frames and the time dispersion of each of the second plurality of video frames.

11. A method of evaluating quality of a video network, the method comprising:

collecting a first plurality of video packets leaving a video encoder of the video network, the first plurality of packets being transmitted from the video encoder to a video viewing device of the video network;

collecting a second plurality of video packets arriving at the video viewing device, the second plurality of video packets being transmitted from the video encoder to the video viewing device;

comparing the first plurality of video packets and the second plurality of video packets; and

determining, using a video analytics software tool, a fault with the video viewing device or a network path between the video encoder and the video viewing device in response to the comparison of the first plurality of video packets and the second plurality of video packets, wherein the video analytics software tool is directly connected to the video encoder,

wherein comparing the first plurality of video packets and the second plurality of video packets further comprises:

determining a video packet lost ratio between the video encoder and the video viewing device in response the first plurality of video packets and the second plurality of video packets.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein comparing the first plurality of video packets and the second plurality of video packets further comprises:

determining a bandwidth of the first plurality of video packets and a bandwidth of the second plurality of video packets; and

comparing the bandwidth of the first plurality of video packets and the bandwidth of the second plurality of video packets,

wherein the bandwidth of the first plurality of video packets and the bandwidth of the second plurality of video packets is an effective bandwidth or an instantaneous bandwidth.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein comparing the first plurality of video packets and the second plurality of video packets further comprises:

determining a statistical description of differences between I-frames of the first plurality of video packets and I-frames of the second plurality of video packets.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein comparing the first plurality of video packets and the second plurality of video packets further comprises:

determining a statistical description of differences between P-frames of the first plurality of video packets and P-frames of the second plurality of video packets.

15. A method of evaluating quality of a video network, the method comprising:

collecting a first plurality of video frames leaving a video encoder of the video network, the first plurality of video frames being transmitted from the video encoder to a video viewing device of the video network;

collecting a second plurality of video frames arriving at the video viewing device, the second plurality of video frames being transmitted from the video encoder to the video viewing device;

comparing the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames; and

determining a fault with the video viewing device or a network path between the video encoder and the video viewing device in response to the comparison of the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames,

wherein comparing the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames further comprises:

determining a video frame lost ratio between the encoder and the video viewing device in response the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames, wherein a video analytics software tool is directly connected to the video encoder.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein comparing the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames further comprises:

determining a bandwidth of the first plurality of video frames and a bandwidth of the second plurality of video frames; and

comparing the bandwidth of the first plurality of video frames and the bandwidth of the second plurality of video frames,

wherein the bandwidth of the first plurality of video frames and the bandwidth of the second plurality of video frames is an effective bandwidth or an instantaneous bandwidth.