In today’s unprecedented times, we are all doing our part to adapt to today’s new “normal”. Despite being delivered in a completely different format, NAGRA made some great industry connections through its Virtual NAB Showcase. This virtual event featured a strong line up of new solutions for scalable service protection, including the introduction of NAGRA’s active streaming protection approach, the launch of new anti-piracy strategies and forensic watermarking technologies, and insights on the impact of COVID-19 on the M&E industry.
In this context, protecting high-value content has never been more critical. Content owners, including the major Hollywood studios, are shifting their content release strategies, opting for early release of their content via streaming and digital distribution. This new environment is naturally more enticing for content pirates and it is up to the industry to protect a culture where pirated content is not acceptable. NAGRA is taking this challenge head on – and succeeding.
NAGRA’s Active Streaming Protection Approach:
In a world where streaming is becoming the norm, securing valuable content with DRM is no longer enough. Streaming providers risk regular and targeted attacks with a direct impact on service revenues and need to ensure the protection of their entire streaming service. NAGRA’s active streaming protection approach delivers a comprehensive service protection toolset to address those challenges, which includes advanced security solutions, secure playback, secure streaming, analytics, and anti-piracy services and forensic watermarking. More information about active streaming protection can be found here, or visit our recent blog, “Raising the bar: Beyond content protection to active streaming protection.”
The Industry’s Only Watermarking Solution for Short Video Assets:
The first announcement was NAGRA's launch of NexGuard ClipMark. As accurately outlined in a recent TVNewCheck article, “NexGuard ClipMark (is), ‘the industry’s only forensic watermarking technology designed to detect the source of pre-release content leaks on very short video clips, down to thirty seconds’.” The launch marks a significant milestone for the movie and TV industry as it enables content owners and post-production houses to supplement existing NexGuard watermarking technologies for pre-release workflows and extend those capabilities to all types of high-value pre-release assets.
New NexGuard Plug-in to Ensure Secure Exchange Pre-Release Assets:
We also announced the launch of NAGRA’s new forensic watermarking plug-in for editing and collaboration workflows on Avid’s Media Composer video editing software. The NexGuard Plug-in for Editing Software allows studios, content owners and post-production houses to ensure protection of high-value assets with advanced watermarking when sharing pre-release content such as feature films or TV series with their editing department, reviewers or their creative agencies. "With the NexGuard Plug-in for Editing Software, we're able to ensure an added layer of security and traceability in editing and collaboration workflows while limiting the number of steps in the watermarking process," said Jean-Philippe Plantevin, VP Anti-Piracy at NAGRA.
Integrated Solutions Showcase Continued Trend of CDNs, Like Akamai, Joining the Piracy Fight:
In today’s changing media landscape, the M&E industry as a whole needs to “tighten the screws” in their fight against piracy, continued Plantevin. It will take an ecosystem of players to keep pace with the continued pressure content owners and service providers face. As part of this evolution, CDNs, such as Akamai, are being brought into the fold to give insights into the network to help stop illicit streams at the source.
To support this shift, NAGRA launched its NexGuard Streaming watermarking solution for OTT on Akamai edge network to protect high value live and VOD OTT content. The integrated solution leverages Akamai’s edge platform to bring an added level of anti-piracy enforcement and revenue protection to rights holders and content owners allowing them to identify and stop pirated video streams of live sports and premium VOD content in real-time, increase the traceability of those premium assets and thus allow targeted anti-piracy actions to stop illicit content restreaming.
In the article “NAGRA Touts Akamai Edge Network Watermarking Partnership,” MESA noted, Plantevin said “the partnership is especially important during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with more piracy occurring due to stay-at-home orders throughout much of the world.”
Leveraging sophisticated network monitoring and measurement capabilities, combined with effective technologies, such as the NAGRA IP Blocking solution, gives rights holders the power to stop video streams in real-time that are either unauthorized or used as a source of piracy. As proof of this success in this area, NAGRA recently won a prestigious award for its IP-blocking solution, part of NAGRA’s Anti-Piracy Services offering.
For more information on the solutions showcased as part of NAGRA’s Virtual NAB, please contact us here.