What Tech Managers need to know about legal streaming over IP.
Over the past decade, video over IP has emerged as the video delivery method of choice for a wide range of professional organizations across a variety of verticals looking to modernize their AV and video communication services. This enables organizations to provide access to multiple live TV news channels to inform decision-making, and enables staff and visitors to receive high quality video content on fixed screens and mobile devices. Meanwhile, tech managers are implementing professional IP video systems as a way to improve training and communications with staff, reduce travel costs, and build new revenue streams through developments such as targeted advertising.
Colin Farquhar, CEO, Exterity As high-quality third party content is increasingly part of the AV mix, organizations need to make sure that they are accessing and distributing content legally and adhering to copy protection and anti-piracy regulations. At the same time, they must ensure that the IP video solution they’ve chosen works seamlessly throughout their premises, and that specific content can only be viewed by those who are given access.
Tech managers can accomplish the first task by requiring the full protection of content as it is distributed through their organizations to fixed screens and connected devices. This means implementing precise security systems such as SecureMedia encryption and High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection v2 (HDCPv2)—which prevents the copying of digital audio and video content as it travels across connections.
Developed specifically for IP distribution, HDCPv2 provides robust protection for video transmission over one or more links in a network. HDCPv2 is essential for an IPTV system to stream content from HDMI video sources. It is also the international standard for content protection for delivery over IP.
With this in mind, AV equipment vendors and solution providers should ensure that deployed solutions can meet today’s increasingly exacting digital content protection requirements by embedding HDCPv2 into head end and receiver clients as well as enabling head ends to handle all types of broadcast signals without degrading picture quality or service as IP video solutions become more widespread in the industry.
This challenge is relevant for professional IP video systems in a variety of settings, from a world-class sports stadium seeking a flexible real-time video delivery infrastructure to a higher education institution looking to stream video to students. Though they vary in size, scope and function, all these organizations need to make sure that they are not susceptible to content theft.
By implementing an IPTV system with HDCPv2, tech managers can:
- Ensure enterprise compliance with broadcaster security requirements for delivering premium content over IP
- Protect their video from illegal copy and distribution
- Benefit from peace of mind, knowing that all their streamed content is fully protected and compliant.
By instituting an advanced professional IP video system with embedded HDCPv2 technology, organizations can be sure that video is being distributed securely across their IP network, from source to display. With this crucial step, they will make great strides toward eliminating security threats.
Colin Farquhar is the CEO of Exterity (www.exterity.com).
