Research and Markets: Increased Concern over Content Protection and Digital Rights Management for IP TV Systems

Research and Markets: Increased Concern over Content Protection and Digital Rights Management for IP TV Systems

DUBLIN, Ireland, April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c16512 ) has announced the addition of Broadband/IP TV Content Protection and Digital Rights Management Technology & Content Report - July 2004 to their offering.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040820/RESEARCH )

The experience of the music industry with Napster has raised the level of concern over Content Protection. Napster facilitated the free distribution of music across the Internet. The media owners, the record companies, lost control of their content and apparently experienced significant revenue loss as a result.

The movie studios, video networks, and broadcasters are concerned about the same thing happening to them. They already are experiencing a major problem with pirating, with bootleg DVDs appearing on the market even before the studio releases the DVD. The studios want to be sure that distributing their content over IP TV or Cable Video On Demand (VOD) networks does not compromise their content.

This report discusses the state of the art of Content Protection and Digital Rights Management for IP TV Systems. It discusses the available systems as well as when and why they should be used.

There are two kinds of Content Protection systems that are offered for IP TV systems today. One uses a smart card to identify the subscriber. The other uses software techniques. The smart cards are widely used by Satellite DTH networks and seem to give the network operator better control, but at a price. The network operator must replace all of the smart cards in its network if its security is seriously breached. This can be quite expensive, since a smart card typically costs about $20. It also can take weeks for all of the smart cards to be replaced, which leaves the network vulnerable.

A software approach requires that the software in the set-top box be updated. This is relatively low cost and can be accomplished in a few hours. It is still the early days in the deployment of IP Content Protection systems. While few of the small IP TV networks have implemented Content Protection, the major IP TV networks, such as Softbank in Japan and Chunghwa Telecom in Taiwan have. SureWest Communication and Sasktel in North American have also implemented Content Protection.

Deploying Video On Demand appears to be a major driver for implementing Content protection. The studios the content that the IP TV networks would like to offer are requiring Content Protection. Some of the premium broadcast channels are starting to require Content Protection as well.

Content Protection is rapidly becoming a requirement. All IP TV network operators should plan to include Content Protection. However, any network operator implementing a Content Protection system should continuously monitor this system and prepare for the certainty that it will be breached. After all, Content Protection is a business issue. It is implemented to protect the revenue of the network operator or the content provider. The cost for providing a specific level of protection should be balanced against the potential revenue loss. The IP TV network operator should spend only as much as they need to bring the potential revenue loss down to an acceptable level.

The report looks at the following topics:

- Network Environments and Threat Assessments - Content Protection - Opportunities, Risks, and Recommendations - Appendices

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c16512

Laura Wood Senior Manager Research and Markets press@researchandmarkets.com Fax: +353 1 4100 980

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CONTACT: Laura Wood, Senior Manager of Research and Markets, press@researchandmarkets.com , or fax, +353 1 4100 980

Web site: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c16512

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