Hollywood studios and sports broadcasters are increasingly concerned about the security of their content as the number of people using over-the-top (OTT) platforms grows. In the past, content creators could more easily certify devices and stop piracy because only pay TV could distribute premium videos. However, as the internet spreads and television and the internet merge like never before, consumers want the freedom to watch across devices and platforms.
Because of this, multi-DRM solutions, which are essentially digital licencing systems that govern user access to premium content, are increasingly being used by the OTT industry. Content providers can use these solutions to ensure that their DRM-protected content is compatible with a wide range of devices and browsers, allowing them to reach a broader audience around the world with their DRM protected content.
It is now the industry standard for multi-DRM systems to use the MPEG-CENC standard for DRM protection on multiple devices, whether they be Android or iPhone. It is compatible with the majority of DRM systems because it allows the use of a single encryption key for both content encoding and encryption. DRM meta data is then added to the packaging stage in order to fulfil the client’s request. The media player can then choose which DRM to apply to the playback request based on the type of device or browser it is running on.
The DRM system, on the other hand, has a significant drawback. Piracy can be prevented as the content travels from the source to the intended audience. It’s at this point that video watermarking comes into play. Each frame in the content stream can be marked with a unique identifier that can be used to identify the content owner and, if necessary, track down the end-user. In addition to the DRM system ensuring that legitimate customers get the premium content they have paid for, watermarking allows the content creator/distributor to identify users in the event of content piracy and take appropriate measures to prevent it from happening again.
As recently as a few years ago, there was no single solution for both DRM and watermarking. In order to prevent piracy, content owners and distribution platforms needed to use a variety of technologies. However, this issue has been resolved thanks to the growth of the multi-DRM SaaS industry.
The DRM technology enables content owners to encrypt each video asset, which remains encrypted until it reaches the client player. A playback session cannot begin until the encryption has been deciphered. Major web browsers were persuaded to include a content decryption module (CDM) as a standard feature by the content industry. It makes it easier for people to access encrypted content without having to download any additional plugins.
