IBC 2017: NexGuard, Nevion team up to identify distribution paths of live broadcasts with watermarking
NexGuard (Stand 1.C81), a Kudelski company and the leading provider of forensic watermarking technology and solutions, and Nevion (Stand 1.B71) are collaborating to implement NexGuard’s Network ID product, which is debuting at IBC 2017.
The Network ID solution inserts a unique invisible and robust forensic watermark in primary distribution feeds for linear TV, be it satellite, cable, or fiber. The watermark provides clear evidence of the distribution path to determine the source of illegally distributed signals (for example, for live sports broadcasts). This allows the content owner to focus anti-piracy efforts on the sources of significant piracy. The Network ID watermark also serves as proof of ownership to enable the takedown of pirated streams (from social media, for example).
The Network ID solution has been designed for today’s global mission-critical broadcast systems and has already been integrated in some of Nevion’s media nodes, which are widely used by broadcasters and service providers across the world, for both production and distribution applications. The Network ID functionality allows the media nodes to insert the watermark into the signals in real time before forwarding them onto the transport network.
Nevion Chief Technologist Andy Rayner explains, “Nevion equipment is trusted by leading broadcasters and service providers across the globe to transport broadcast signals reliably and securely in real time over considerable distances. Almost every significant live sport [production] relies on Nevion equipment, for example. It makes total sense for us to work closely with NexGuard to implement their Network ID solution into our media equipment to provide our customers with even greater security for their valuable content.”
Says NexGuard Managing Director Harrie Tholen, “Tracing illicit content activity is a necessary and critical first step in fighting today’s greatest piracy challenges, such as the illegal redistribution of live sports. NexGuard is honored to be working with Nevion to provide a solution that is pre-integrated with today’s TV- and media-industry workflows. Network ID offers a clear indication of the sources of piracy, so that rightsholders can focus their anti-piracy efforts where it matters.”
Based on the world’s leading forensic watermark
NexGuard forensic watermarking adds a unique, invisible identifier to video content. The watermark remains with the content, even in the case of transcoding, resizing, downscaling, recording by camcorder. or any other alteration before illegal redistribution.
The Network ID watermark can be detected through the NexGuard online detection portal, a scalable, automated detection service. As a complement to Network ID, NexGuard’s sister company NAGRA offers a comprehensive set of global anti-piracy monitoring and takedown services for web, IPTV/Kodi. and social-media piracy.
Network ID is being presented in demos hosted by NAGRA and NexGuard and by Nevion.