M+E Connections

Digital platform security company Irdeto used CES to launch its next-gen Piracy Control solution, one that identifies online video piracy across streaming, covering everything from VOD to direct downloads to hybrid web sites.

Offering detection and enforcement solutions for both content owners and operators, the online piracy detection and enforcement solution offers up new data-driven web video discovery tools that include analyst oversight, multi-language searches, social media and search engine discovery, and peer-to-peer stream discovery.

“The biggest threat to the content creation industry is content redistribution over the internet,” said Rory O’Connor, SVP of cybersecurity services for Irdeto. “As pirates become more business savvy, content owners, studios and operators need a trusted security partner who has the in-depth understanding of piracy and the technology expertise to implement a robust anti-piracy strategy to disrupt a pirate’s business model. Irdeto’s next-generation Piracy Control solution puts the content owner and distributor in the driver’s seat to protect their brand reputation and revenue.”

Offered as a solution in the Irdeto 360 Security suite, Irdeto Piracy Control is a scalable solution offering artificial intelligence and machine learning for automatic logo detection, video fingerprinting for automated metadata tagging, and text and facial recognition.

“Operators need to expand their strategies to combat internet-based redistribution of content by including proactive piracy control solutions that identify and manage pirated sources of content available within their geographical footprint,” said Sam Rosen, VP with ABI Research. “Content providers must work internationally to coordinate and protect anti-piracy efforts, maintaining the value of their licensing rights by protecting the legal distribution of content. In both cases, piracy control solutions should include robust operational knowledge combined with appropriate short- and long-term enforcement actions.”

Also at CES:

Western Digital

Western Digital used CES to showcase several new solutions, including voice-activated media streaming using many popular smart home devices, new wireless and high-capacity flash storage products, and what’s being billed as the world’s smallest 1 TB USB flash drive.

“Our lives are increasingly connected to and enriched by pictures, videos, music and ideas,” said Dinesh Bahal, VP of product management, client solutions, for Western Digital. “From the parent filming a school recital on their smartphone to the drone enthusiast or pro photographer, our range of consumer solutions are designed to help everyone preserve, access and share their digital world.”

Western Digital’s new My Cloud Home device allows owners to preserve and organize their content in one central place, and is compatible with smart home technologies including Amazon Alexa and Google Chromecast, allowing users to access both music and video content using voice commands.

Additionally, the company showed off a tiny 1 TB USB device, as well as a small 256 GB USB flash drive. Lastly, the company debuted two portable SSDs, the My Passport Wireless SSD, which includes one-touch card copy for the editing and sharing of content, and the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD, geared specifically to saving and editing hi-res photos and videos on-the-go.

Vubiquity

Media technology solutions firm Vubiquity came to CES armed with news about extensions to its offerings to help content companies tackle new formats and new arenas of content delivery on a same-day basis worldwide.

“With the increase of OTT outlets for both creation of original content and distribution sales at the major studios, networks and independent providers has driven increasing demand for optimized pricing, highly automated 4K workflows,” said Ira Dworkin, EVP of technology and product for Vubiquity. “Our products and services enable the quick-turn delivery of well over 100,000 unique content packages each month, compiled to the exacting needs of content owners and distributors, and positioned to increase consumer engagement and monetization.”

Vubiquity’s latest updates for its automated 4K SDR distribution service includes 4K SDR eMaster file creation for DETE library, with 4K HDR automation coming this year; 4k SDR automated processing and licensee delivery; and 4K SDR IMF compliant mastering and archive processing.

DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group

Prior to its annual industry event party at CES, DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group shared the latest data on home entertainment, showing a 5% rise in consumer spending on home entertainment in 2017, for a total of $20.5 billion.

Sales of electronic sell-through content rose nearly 6%, with a 12% jump in theatrical purchases, though VOD spending saw a drop of 7% year over year.

More than 14.6 million 4K UHD TVs were sold in the year, bringing total household penetration to more than 30 million. DEG estimated there are now 8 million homes with a 4K UHD Blu-ray player, covering both set-tops and gaming consoles.

Currently there are nearly 270 5K Ultra HD Blu-ray titles in the market, accounting for $147 million in sales.