Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about our products and services.
Do you offer free trials?
Yes, we offer free trials based on our demo software. You get access to a fully functional Surfmeter setup so you can evaluate the platform with real measurements before committing. Contact us to get started.
Can you integrate our streaming service, and how long does it take?
Yes, we can integrate virtually any streaming service from any country. Adding a new service to the Surfmeter Automator typically takes about one business week, including testing and validation. We have already integrated dozens of services worldwide.
Can Surfmeter be deployed on-premises?
Yes. The Surfmeter Server can be deployed on your own infrastructure for full data sovereignty. We support both SaaS (cloud-hosted) and on-premises deployments, depending on your requirements.
How is Surfmeter licensed and priced?
Surfmeter is offered as a SaaS subscription. You get access to our measurement software and the dashboard. We take care of the hosting. Pricing depends on the number of Surfmeter clients and the number of services measured. We also support CAPEX-based licensing for custom integrations. Contact us for a tailored quote.
What kind of support do you provide?
We provide direct, hands-on support from our engineering team. Since AVEQ is a specialized R&D company, you work directly with the people who build the product – not a generic support desk. We assist with setup, integration, data interpretation, and ongoing technical questions.
What does Surfmeter measure?
Surfmeter measures video streaming Quality of Experience (QoE), web browsing performance, and network quality. For video, it captures metrics like startup time, stalling events, bitrate, resolution, and calculates an overall quality score using the ITU-T P.1203 standard. For web, it measures Core Web Vitals (LCP, FCP, CLS, TTFB). For networks, it tests download/upload speed, latency, jitter, DNS, and traceroute.
What is ITU-T P.1203?
ITU-T Rec. P.1203 is an international standard for predicting video streaming quality as perceived by users. It produces a Mean Opinion Score (MOS) on a 1-to-5 scale. Unlike proprietary metrics, P.1203 is scientifically validated and internationally recognized, making your measurements comparable and credible – for example in regulatory contexts or SLA verification. See our reference online.
What is ITU-T P.1204?
ITU-T Rec. P.1204 is a newer standard that does not replace P.1203, but extends its video capabilities. It incorporates various types of models. P.1204.1 is the one that we implement for its support of modern codecs and higher resolutions like 2160p and 60fps. Our reference explains more about the standard.
Which streaming services are supported?
Surfmeter supports dozens of streaming services including YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, DAZN, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, ARD Mediathek, ZDF, ORF, Joyn, RTL+, Zattoo, and many more. We also support any custom HLS or DASH stream. New services can be added within about a week or two.
What platforms and operating systems are supported?
The Surfmeter Automator runs on Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, Rocky, Fedora), macOS, and experimentally on Windows. It also runs in Docker containers and on Raspberry Pi. The Mobile Quality SDK supports Android (SDK 24+). The Player SDK is available for Android (ExoPlayer), iOS (AVPlayer), and Web (HTML5 video, Video.js, THEOplayer, Shaka Player, and more).
How long does it take to integrate the SDKs?
Integration is straightforward. The Player SDK can typically be integrated in under an hour per platform – it requires adding the library to your project and a few lines of initialization code. The Mobile Quality SDK follows a similar process via Gradle on Android. The Automator can be set up in 15-30 minutes on Linux using our automated setup script, or in minutes with Docker.
How can I access the measurement data programmatically?
Surfmeter provides an Export API that gives you full access to your measurement data via REST endpoints. It supports Elasticsearch query syntax for filtering, aggregation, and pagination. You can integrate the data into your own dashboards, reporting tools, or analytics pipelines.
Can I use Surfmeter with my Claude Code, Codex, or Gemini-based AI assistant?
Yes! Our Surfmeter API is designed to be flexible and can be easily integrated with AI assistants. You can use the API to fetch measurement data and then feed it into your AI models for analysis, reporting, or even real-time insights. We also expose configuration endpoints so you can label/group your clients, manage your licenses, and more – all of which can be useful for AI-driven automation.
What about data privacy?
Surfmeter is designed with privacy in mind. We're based in the EU, and your data stays there. The SDKs collect only playback-relevant technical metrics – no video content is analyzed or stored. Device fingerprinting uses non-PII methods, and GPS location capture on mobile is optional. We work with a few data subprocessors which are GDPR-compliant. For maximum data control, you can deploy the Surfmeter Server on-premises. All data transmission is encrypted via HTTPS.
When was AVEQ founded?
AVEQ was founded in 2018 by Werner Robitza, Alexander Dethof and Alexander Raake. They knew each other from previous research cooperations, having all three worked as professionals in the field of audiovisual quality measurement and research for many years.
Is AVEQ a media or telecommunication company?
The answer is actually both. We bridge the gap between media streaming technology and telecommunication network performance.
What's the story behind AVEQ?
AVEQ is a research and development company. Our origins were actually in the creation and conduction of QoE studies with human subjects evaluating the quality of disrupted video streams. We started initiatives to roll out thse studies via crowd jobs and therefore implemented the first POC that forme the mother of our today's Surfmeter technolgy.
Where is AVEQ located?
AVEQ is headquartered in Austria. But as a remote-first company, our people work from everywhere.
Do you have customers in the U.S.?
Yes. But we are not to allowed to tell you who – find out why.
How do you pronounce "AVEQ"?
Like the French word "avec" [avɛk]. "avec" means "with" and is often mentioned in combination with "avec plaisir", which means "with pleasure".
What does "A. - V. - E. - Q." stand for?
Nobody knows. 😉 Maybe "Audiovisual-Experienced Quality"?
Where can I find AVEQ brand assets and logos?
Which industry events do you attend?
We regularly attend and exhibit at major industry events such as MWC Barcelona, IBC Amsterdam, NetworkX, and ANGA COM Cologne. You can find a full list of our upcoming and past appearances on our Events page.
Bring Your Network to the Next Level!
Discover why leading CSPs trust Surfmeter to monitor and enhance their customers' satisfaction.