IBC 2007 (Stand 2.218)
In the run up to IBC, Dolby controlled Cinea has signed up two manufacturers that will use its Running Marks forensic or serialized watermarking technology. NDS will integrate it with is Conditional Access and DRM products, and STMicroelectronics will show its STi7109 System-on-Chip (SoC) HDTV decoder platform, which now features Running Marks. The agreement offers operators and set-top-box vendors a choice of watermarking technologies at the STM chipset is also available with Thomson’s NexGuard watermarking.
NexGuard adds a mark to every signal as it is put out by the box. Cinea instead adds a marker to the compressed stream. This may be done at any point in the distribution path, as well as in the set-top-box.
NDS said that Running marks allows it to offer session-based watermarking for both VOD head-end as well as set-top box applications. “A key advantage of this approach is that it enables system operators to add subscriber-specific serialization capabilities to their VOD head-end, with no changes to the downstream devices. This same feature also offers significant advantages in the set-top box and other devices by enabling watermarking of all video outputs, including compressed digital content in home video networks”, the CA vendor said in a statement.
“Running Marks, with its compressed domain marking and ultra-light inserter, was designed from day one to enable decoder vendors and set-top manufacturers to easily add session-based watermarking capabilities to their products,” said Robert Schumann, General Manager of Cinea. Stefano Groppetti, General Manager of the STM Cable and IP Business Unit added that “Session-based watermarking is increasingly important to our customers and a highly valuable addition to the capabilities of ST’s industry-leading STi7109 single-chip HDTV decoder”.