Verimatrix announced its new StreamMark Video-On-Demand (VOD) watermarking technology.

For more information visit: www.verimatrix.com

Unedited press release follows:

Verimatrix Unveils StreamMark as Next Generation Watermarking Approach to Protect Early Release Premium Content

Server-Side Watermarking Enhances Layered Security for New Video Distribution Networks and Delivery Formats

SAN DIEGO, CA–(Jun 7, 2011) – Verimatrix, the specialist in securing and enhancing revenue for multi-screen digital TV services around the globe, today announced its latest innovation in user-specific forensic watermarking, StreamMark™. Patent-pending StreamMark uses a highly efficient server-side embedding process to uniquely mark compressed video files during delivery, even if the video files are encrypted. Mass delivery of uniquely marked content offers a valuable tool to support revenue generation in emerging video consumption models. This powerful new solution was developed in collaboration with major film studios and is specifically designed to enable early release windows for premium video on demand (VoD) content.

Verimatrix will be demonstrating StreamMark at CableNET, a technology showcase co-sponsored by CableLabs® and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, June 14-16 in Chicago.

StreamMark embeds robust, secure and imperceptible tracing information in compressed content in an on-the-fly process during delivery to standard decoders and media players. Because the embedding process is designed with extremely low overhead requirements, a mark can be easily added to H.264 or MPEG-2 stream-based video with negligible performance impact, even when that delivery is facilitated through a content delivery network (CDN). StreamMark can easily be integrated in today’s distribution networks using existing infrastructure, processing power and storage.

“Parks Associates anticipates that the market will see a rise in demand for security and encryption technologies for early release windows for premium VoD content over the next several months,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates. “We believe that Verimatrix is uniquely positioned to provide such a technology given its longstanding reputation for providing leading edge and robust security solutions. In addition, the company’s direct communication with major film studios and other content owners suggests that StreamMark forensic watermarking solution will be a very valuable addition to content owners’ and operators’ security arsenals.”

For consumer electronics devices, this streaming friendly tracing insertion approach means that no custom media player integration is required — the imperceptible marking information is rendered in all analog and digital outputs of off-the-shelf player devices. StreamMark joins the company’s flagship user-specific forensic watermarking solution, VideoMark™, which uses a client-side watermarking technique to provide real-time, session-based video traceability that offers an alternative that limits integration on the client side.

“The FCC’ s ruling allowing selectable output control (SOC) for set-top boxes in the U.S. was one of the key developments that opened up significant new revenue opportunities with higher value VOD at earlier release windows. And with new release windows come new piracy challenges,” said Petr Peterka, CTO of Verimatrix. “Studios are now insisting on a combination of SOC and forensic watermarking technologies that secure assets beyond the set-top. StreamMark meets this challenge by offering an efficient server-side watermarking technique that enables unique file delivery on a large scale basis on existing networks.”

Examples of StreamMark applications include:

• Premium VoD early release services – Additional protection for first-run, early release movie content delivery through traditional digital and over the top (OTT) pay-TV networks.

• Internet TV and CDN watermarking – Digital content that is distributed via the public Internet, or OTT, including new delivery networks that use CDNs (content delivery networks). CDNs receive encrypted content that is delivered directly to the consumer without knowledge of the key. StreamMark watermarking applied directly to the encrypted content maintains the security of the delivery network. Efficient preprocessing prevents any noticeable increase in video size and allows for extremely fast processing at the network edge.

• Multi-screen support – Video delivery to STBs, Blu-ray players and other CE devices that can not be upgraded or modified to support client side watermarking. These devices can now receive marked content without the need for modification. Server-side embedding limits the implementation logic and processing to a centralized function at the head-end alone.

• Media serialization – Efficient serialization of media assets with unique content IDs into individually marked files helps secure high value media assets in unicast delivery to consumers.

StreamMark is the result of over five years of research and development efforts. StreamMark and VideoMark solutions are supported by a growing family of watermarking patents and patent applications, including US 7,738,677 B2 for Efficient application of video marking technologies; US 7,430,302 and 7,853,040 for Covert and robust mark for media identification; US 7,240,196 for Method and system for protecting ownership rights of digital content files; and US 7,426,750 for Network-based content distribution system. Verimatrix is the only digital TV security company that offers encryption, conditional access (CA), digital rights management (DRM) technology plus advanced watermarking solutions for a layered security approach that extends beyond the digital delivery domain.

For more information on the application of digital watermarking, please download our white paper, “Integrated Watermarking Creates More Durable Pay-TV Businesses” at www.verimatrix.com/wm, and learn more about the Verimatrix watermarking technology and solutions at http://www.verimatrix.com/solutions/forensic_watermarking.php.

About Verimatrix
Verimatrix specializes in securing and enhancing revenue for multi-screen digital TV services around the globe. The award-winning and independently audited Verimatrix Video Content Authority System (VCAS™) and ViewRight® solutions offer an innovative approach for cable, satellite, terrestrial and IPTV operators to cost-effectively extend their networks and enable new business models. As the recognized leader in software-based security solutions for premier service providers, Verimatrix has pioneered the 3-Dimensional Security approach that offers flexible layers of protection techniques to address evolving business needs and revenue threats. Maintaining close relationships with major studios, broadcasters, industry organizations, and its unmatched partner ecosystem enables Verimatrix to provide a unique perspective on digital TV business issues beyond content security as operators seek to deliver compelling new services. For more information, please visit www.verimatrix.com, our Pay TV Views blog and follow us at @verimatrixinc and LinkedIn to join the conversation.