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2703cover_story.qxd 27/3/08 17:43 Page 1 TECHNOLOGY o you remember the 1970s? Those of us who misspent our usage models. “Crucially, for anyone who teenage years during that decade had a simple solution to wants to be serious player, it shouldn’t Dsharing our favourite music with our peers: invite them round to stand in the way,” he states. hear the latest album on our parents’ stereo record player, or converge Eric Diehl, security domain director of on a friend to make use of his or her folks’ music centre. The lucky Thomson’s technology division, suggests among us might even be able to hook up a lead to the record player that normally it’s a contractual agreement to and tape the record onto an audiocassette, and share it that way. enforce, and the service provider has to As far as TV broadcasts went, the only way to see a favourite employ some form of DRM, Conditional programme again was to wait for a repeat. The advent of consumer Access or Content Protection. For him, it is VHS machines and tapes considerably eased that problem, with an important to question whether it is well done increasing range of programming and studio movie product being from the point of view of the user. “Is DRM’s made available for rental and purchase. The physical nature of the biggest problem not fulfilling the expectations content format was maintained with the arrival of CDs and DVDs, but of customers,” he muses. “The consumer with these often came an unwanted extra – a form of content wants to use the content around the house- protection that would only enable playback on a compatible device, hold,” he observes. “It’s a plea for interoper- with copying made impossible for the average consumer. ability - the ‘Holy Grail’ of DRM. He As the 80s and 90s progressed, portability increased, but the espouses the notion of the ‘domain’, which content was still in a physical form. The concept of ‘my media’ effec- covers a set of devices that belong to the tively related to a consumer’s collection of vinyl, audio and videotapes. consumer. It’s a way to extend your Then along came digital networking, and as Rob Logan, CEO, household, he suggests. In this ContentGuard observes, two versions of content distribution emerged. respect, he recommends consider- One was driven by the owner of the content, the other by the ation of the DVB Projects DVB-CPCM consumer, empowered by the digital networks. “ A balance needs to system, which he feels could be a win-win be found between the two,” he suggests. for content protection and the customer. “The ROLE PLAY. The first – broadcast distribution - was distributor best way to win is to make legal means [of con- driven, concerned with protection sumption] more attractive than illegal,” he concludes. and monetisation, and had 50 RULE CHANGE. According to Werner Strydom, director years of history; the second – net- of IPTV products, Irdeto, DRM changes the rules from the point work distribution – had Usage as a of view of the consumer. “You pay for the content, but the rules core principle, based on sharing become stiffer, therefore there’s an imbalance. At best it should be an and enabling. Logan suggests that enabler/disabler. It’s not the problem, it’s the way it’s being used.” He ‘Version 3.0’ is emerging today. He suggests that content owners can’t live without DRM, and accepts that describes this as ‘eXtreme it needs to be as easy and transparent as possible for the consumer. Distribution’ with Empowering at its For Ivan Verbesselt, Nagravision SVP marketing, DRM is an over- heart. “In this, the Distributor and loaded term, for an activity that is concerned with the content as well Consumer have complementary as service protection and propagation. A win-win can be created pro- roles. The consumer is embraced vided we don’t over DRM-ise the process,” he warns. and rewarded for behaviour and Richard Bullwinkle, chief evangelist, Macrovision, sees power shift- the value-add to the ecosystem. ing towards the users. “They’ll demand that there will be more aggres- There is a symbiotic relationship sive ‘use cases,’ adding that it’s not so much a question of ‘how will “There is a between and among content DRM shape the market?’ it’s more how users will let us shape it.” symbiotic creators, owners and consumers.” relationship between Logan is confident that DRM Content Security in a multi-platform, ‘my media’ can bring together the needs of and among content content owners and consumers, world, remains a key concern among content creators, owners but can it really balance the needs providers and platform operators. CA, DRM, and consumers.” of content owners and consumers to create a ‘win-win’ situation? Watermarking, all play their part. Can an ideal - Rob Logan, CEO, Howard Silverman, NDS product world of IP-driven seamless interoperability ever marketing manager, believes that ContentGuard this is possible and shouldn’t inter- be compatible with copyright protection? fere with the range of content Colin Mann finds out. Open house, locked door? 16 www.advanced-television.com 2703cover_story.qxd 27/3/08 17:43 Page 2 Noting that there is no standard tent to go? What does he fear? DRM or media format, he says What does he want to profit from?” that consumers are confused and LOSING CONTROL. Another won’t be disposed to buy content. area of focus is whether content “The user has no confidence that owners really benefit from access- my media will come with me,” he ing the new markets and revenue says. “People are learning opportunities without relinquishing how to steal content control of their content. Fred Ellis, that they can play any- CEO of SecureMedia, says this is where. Unless we come absolutely possible, if it can be put up with a standard, then in the market at a low enough we’ll have to get rid [of price. “All that needs to be asked “For anyone who DRM].” is: ‘Are you authorised to play wants to be serious Geir Bjørndal, COO at back the content?’” Thomson’s player, it shouldn’t Conax, accepts that there is a Diehl suggests that content own- stand in the way.” new challenge when content ers’ main concern is that they want comes into the home, and sug- to make sure people won’t make gests that money of - Howard Silverman, one of the their back. NDS main problems “So long as with DRM is that it people are presents a reduced paying, it’s fine,” he says. business model. Macrovision’s Bullwinkle suggests that it is “Content providers will still possible for the content owner to set param- give more opportunity if the eters. “You need to figure out a fair use case. content is traceable,” he sug- It’s a great opportunity for him.” NDS’s gests, noting that watermarking is Silverman considers this “the essential issue, increasingly being adopted. “It’s a move away based on rights enforcement and fair usage. from Conditional Access, where you have “DRM is not the issue, the models are there.” active protection until it is released.” Latens’ Mathieson suggests that content owners Andy Mathieson, director, Latens, sees the are benefiting. “They stay away, then begin to matter as a series of compromises between experiment. Maybe they can’t control the con- business models and technology, and notes tent, but they look at business models that will the problems created with so many people help to monetise it. They need to get to mass being involved in the supply chain. Robert audiences. That’s why they experiment with new Payne, general manager and VP of sales with release windows.” Simon Drinkwater, VP sales, Verimatrix, suggests that it’s a series of com- EMEA at Entriq, accepts that much depends mercial policy, service-led questions. “Where how much the consumer values the content, does the content owner want to allow the con- while his colleague Andrew Ioannou, VP busi- WHAT IS DVB-CPCM? WHY IS DVB along with them while on the road. multi-device, networked homes. DEVELOPING DVB- Films and television DVB-CPCM corrects that DVB-CPCM is a system for Content CPCM? programmes are delivered in a vari- disconnect between the functional- Protection and Copy Management ety of ways to consumers with dif- ity of devices and the management of commercial digital content The initial ‘analogue assumption’ in ferent usage ‘offers’. Today’s tech- of content usage offers. DVB-CPCM delivered to consumer products. It place when DVB first began defin- nology has the ability to allow con- manages the content in accordance protects audio-visual works, ing terrestrial, cable and satellite sumers to enjoy films and TV in an with rights granted by the content including films and television TV transmission and reception incredible variety of ways. Current providers or distributor. It allows programmes AFTER they have been standards are no longer true. mechanisms for protecting content for the elaboration of distinct, received by a consumer to ensure Consumers are increasingly within the home environment fall flexible offers. DVB-CPCM that the usage is managed in receiving content from multiple short of the needs of many stake- therefore allows content providers accordance with rights granted by sources, enjoying it on multiple holders including consumers and to offer more choices to the content owner or broadcaster. devices around their home and content producers, in that they are consumers. even accessing it or carrying it too simplistic for today’s Source: DVB Project www.advanced-television.com 17 2703cover_story.qxd 27/3/08 17:43 Page 3 TECHNOLOGY the bench- mark is still physical distribution, “and that’s still fairly insecure, but still more convenient than STBs and iPods.” He notes that as the value “There is a new of the content challenge when increases, content comes into such as with HD, protec- the home.” tion will be more strin- - Geir Bjørndal, gent.

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