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Content protection FAQ

This FAQ covers a wide range of OTT content protection topics, from basic principles to technologies used to implement digital rights management (DRM), forensic watermarking and related systems such as cloud-based multi-DRM service, secure download and offline playback, and more.

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Your questions answered

How do I protect digital video distribution and over-the-top (OTT) streaming services?
What is encrypted digital media?
Why were conditional access systems (CAS) created, and how has content security evolved?
What is digital rights management (DRM)?
How is DRM different from CAS?
What is DRM license management and how does a typical DRM license mechanism work?
How is DRM different from stand-alone AES encryption?
How can I protect multi-screen OTT streaming and why are there several different types of DRMs?
What is Marlin DRM and how is it different?
What is MovieLabs and its Enhanced Content Protection specification?
Is there a formal DRM certification process used by Hollywood and other studios?
How does a cloud-based DRM service compare to an on-premises DRM system?
Should I buy or build a multi-DRM solution?
What are common forms of digital media piracy?
What is forensic watermarking and can it help to deter piracy and content theft?
How can anti-piracy services protect the monetization of live events including live OTT sports?
Are there formal and/or de facto industry standards for content protection and DRM systems?
What is the MPEG Common Encryption (CENC) standard?
Why does the CENC standard allow for two different encryption modes, AES-CTR and AES-CBC?
What is the purpose of the Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) and Media Source Extensions (MSE) standards?
What is the advantage of the Content Protection Information Exchange Format (CPIX) standard?
What is SPEKE and how does it compare to the CPIX standard?
How do web browsers support DRM-protected video streaming?
What is the purpose of a Content Decryption Module (CDM)?
What does the Common Media Application Format (CMAF) accomplish?
How do set-top box chipsets enable protection of premium Ultra HD content?
What is the difference between software-based and hardware-based security?
What is Widevine Verified Media Path (VMP) and are there best practices to consider?