Copyright information in video streams is most commonly protected using a two-step watermarking process, which is preferred by the OTT industry.
As a result, the first step’s computational burden is reduced, and the second step’s simplicity and scalability are both improved as a result.
In the first step, the video asset is preprocessed, which is the process of creating different versions of it. Before watermarking can be applied, video segments are pre-watermarked so that they can be used interchangeably without altering the viewing experience. Multi-DRM applications in DRM protected content work hand in hand with these encoded video data variants, which are generated either in the baseband domain (pre-encoding) or encoded domain (post-encoding).
Create a serialised video bitstream with the recipient’s information in it. To assemble the video, the serialisation engine utilises the embedded payload to select a unique sequence of variants. In this case, the watermark identifier can be encoded using the sequence of variants to provide forensic evidence. A/B watermarking is a common example of two-step video watermarking used on OTT platforms.
Integration of variant generation with the head end is possible. Overhead is directly proportional to granularity of variant metadata, which is sent along with the video. There is no additional burden on CDN egress, which is exactly the same as the non-watermarked version. If the use case requires it, the level of integration between the head end and encoding process can be determined. A/B watermarking, for example, can result in delays that are inconvenient for live streaming because of the generation of variants. Thus, a closer integration of the variant generation and encoding processes may be required. Embedding a watermark is the next step. The watermark identifier is encoded in a unique sequence of variants generated by the serialisation agent. If an identifier is available, it can be implemented anywhere in the delivery network, including in transit (such as at a network edge) or on the client device (for example, during playback or PVR recording).
Because of this, the VOD server or CDN edge can be required to create requirements for two-step embedding, which is transparent to the client side. A client-side method of embedding before decoding is also possible. In this way, DRM-protected content can be kept safe from unauthorised use.
The scene is represented just by its 2D projection, which are photos acquired by cameras. It is possible to watermark image sequences that record a 3D scene and extract the watermark from any rendered image generated for any arbitrary view angle, as opposed to the first two methods, which only protect the watermark information for the two key components of 3D scene representation (geometry and texture). If you’re using dynamic watermarking, you may embed information on the video asset while it’s being played back at the user’s end, such as the user’s email, date and time of watching, their IP address, or even their business logo. Because of their dynamic nature, they provide additional protection for confidential content that is not intended to be shared or altered. DAI (dynamic ad insertion) is also activated via dynamic watermarkin in order to optimise addressable ad income.
DRM video protection techniques such as watermarks are not sufficient on their own, but when used in conjunction with other measures, they can help to safeguard the intellectual property of the content owner and aid to trace the source of any alleged infringement. They also serve as a helpful reminder to users about their own and others’ rights to the content they’re using.