Verimatrix now tackles live events with its VideoMark watermarking

Verimatrix has extended its VideoMark watermarking and extraction capabilities to address the needs of live events coverage. The latest VideoMark live profile is specifically designed to protect valuable linear content against real-time re-broadcasting threats and subscription fraud. Verimatrix claims it offers a more secure and technologically superior approach to existing watermarking methods for live broadcasts.

As part of a new security workflow available to media companies, Verimatrix also provides ‘VideoMark/Reveal’ – a set of tools to extract and interpret the embedded payload. For live events this provides a quick way to identify the mark to block leaks as they appear, with easy-to-read results and interpretation direct from a mobile device.

“It is well known that re-broadcasting piracy is a growing threat to operator revenues, particularly with sports. The VideoMark live profile was developed as a better alternative to effectively identify marks and block leaks of live content in real time,” Petr Peterka, CTO at Verimatrix confirms.

The VideoMark live profile and VideoMark/Reveal live tools are the newest components in the VideoMark toolbox from Verimatrix and they will be demonstrated at IBC 2015 in the VCAS Ultra demo pod (at the Verimatrix stand). These technologies make use of the integrated hardware subsystems of today’s most advanced system-on-chips (SoCs).

The VideoMark live profile enables a flashing mark that is unobtrusive yet quick to read and analyse. According to Verimatrix: “Its competitive advantage over existing watermarking solutions for live content is that the mark is embedded at the pixel level and can be secured using the Verimatrix proprietary algorithm, which is embedded in the video pipeline of the SoC hardware, as opposed to the use of more susceptible on screen display (OSD) methods.”

Verimatrix is able to offer a complete and integrated system to generate, deliver and display the mark, creating a secure workflow straight to the device. This is achieved within the VCAS Ultra security architecture.
 
The flagship (and existing) VideoMark forensic profile from Verimatrix protects early release content movies and HD and Ultra HD content from sophisticated attacks. A growing ecosystem of SoC suppliers have integrated VideoMark with their advanced chipsets to support 4K/UHD content, including Broadcom, Marvell, MStar and HiSilicon. Verimatrix is now collaborating with major TV and television SoC vendors to provide this same level of VideoMark integration.

Petr Peterka adds: “Watermarking is an important component of Verimatrix’s layered content and revenue security strategy. With the flexibility of the VideoMark toolbox, we are building on our watermarking heritage, broad SoC partner ecosystem and content owner relationships to bring a comprehensive and integrated set of solutions for operators.”