Project Description

I was asked to design an interface mockup for developers of the new Sony PlayStation Vue Network Signal Monitoring Application that would be used in the Technical Operations Center control rooms in Los Angeles and San Mateo. This new system would monitor signal traffic across the Los Angeles and New York-based Data Aggregation Facilities, using the Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) Cloud Gaming Engineering and Infrastructure (CGEI) backbone via Sony Data Centers.

These centers aggregated data, and directly controlled signal routing and failover controls of all of our video source streams, so our partner, Syncbak, could then encode all of our streaming television content services. Video was then delivered to customers via AWS and Akamai & CenturyLink Content Distribution Networks (CDNs).

An Over-The-Top (OTT) Video Network requires an IP Fabric to work effectively. A Virtual Chassis Fabric (VCF) spine-and-leaf architecture provided a resilient, high-performance, plug-and-play framework that allowed us to interconnect multiple switches in a ring topology.

Traffic was, therefore, easily diverted within the fabric whenever a device or link failed. However, Technical Operations Specialists still needed to detect and direct repairs in such a disruption event, and diagnose where the problem originated – whether with a piece of hardware, or with a malformed digital transport stream itself – so that the appropriate personnel could begin fixing the issue. This new tool would detect any disruptions to the PlayStation Vue service hardware, and determine the level of severity, across the whole of the nationwide network.

For instance, if there were any failures in the content partner's video transport stream (.ts), or a failure in one of our Network Address Transmitters (NAT), Integrated Receiver/Decoders (IRD), Origin Servers, or Evertz IPX switches, the Transport Stream Monitor Internet Protocol (TSMIP) hardware would set off a visual alert on this monitoring screen that Specialists could respond to via Service Now troubleshooting and ticketing. This is just one of a myriad of monitoring tools intended to be used by Technical Operations to maintain consistent live television service to our Sony PlayStation Vue customers.

Below are some examples of what the customer-facing PlayStation Vue service itself looked like, as designed by our magnificent UX Team. It was operational for 5 years across multiple devices, including AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, Roku, Google Chromecast, and via the internet on desktop and tablets, as well as on the PlayStation 4 gaming console, delivering 1,149 channels in all 210 Designated Market Areas (DMAs) in the United States.