Why do OTT platforms prefer to use an open DRM system to prevent piracy?
Online video streaming (OTT) is now an integral part of daily life. As soon as a new film or sporting event is released, viewers around the world log on to their preferred streaming platform to watch the high-definition video streams. Confidence in DRM and video watermarking systems by content producers is the driving force behind the popularity of OTT platforms.
DRM technology is preferred by content creators because it gives them greater control over how their content is viewed on streaming platforms, such as device fragmentation, the number of users per account, geofencing, and subscription plans, for example. For a variety of reasons, the most common DRM systems are those created by the same companies that create operating systems. For instance, Google has Widevine Modular because it has a large share of the mobile market through Android and the PC market through Chrome web-browser.. Since Microsoft’s PlayReady DRM system is nearly universally used, and the Edge browser is relatively popular, it is widely used. Because of Mac OS and iOS, Apple’s FairPlay is necessary. Adobe Primetime, an OS-neutral DRM system, can be used to play back DRM protected content media (a successor to Adobe Access, its flash-based DRM).
Multi-DRM vendors, which seamlessly integrate all these systems through a common interface, are increasingly being used by content producers. They rely on an open system through HTML5 Media Source Extensions and Encrypted Media Extensions, which deal with fragmentation on mobile devices and desktops. Silverlight, which was required to play DRM-protected content earlier, has been largely rejected by both consumers and content providers. Open systems became popular due to a variety of factors, including frequent updates, bugs, security holes, and the added work required to play proprietary content.
Open protocols and the multi-DRM system allow OTT platforms to address the issue of safe content playback. To catch pirates, content producers prefer to use forensic watermarks embedded in video frames to track down illegal downloads.
