There is provided a signal input unit to prevent or reduce an increase in memory hardware on a transmitter or a receiver of a serial digital signal, and to decrease the load on a CPU. The signal input unit receives as an input a video signal and a digital signal for transmission, the digital signal for transmission including a data packet with metadata associated with the video signal. The data writing unit extracts predetermined metadata from the digital signal for transmission on the basis of metadata-specifying information and writes the extracted metadata in an accumulating register. For example, the metadata-specifying information includes header information of the data packet with the predetermined metadata. For example, the header information includes classification information indicating a classification for the predetermined metadata and auxiliary information of the predetermined meta-information.

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a processor to receive a primary video, select first sections of the primary video in which to include units of data for use in watermarking, select second sections of the primary video, each second section including a first data item without which at least one video unit of the primary video cannot be rendered or rendered correctly, replace each first section with at least two watermark variants, replace each second section with at least two watermark variant decoys, wherein the apparatus is operative to operate in an environment including an end-user device operative to select one of the watermark variants for each first section and one of the watermark variant decoys for each second section for rendering as part of an interleaved video stream including the primary video in order to embed units of data of an identification in the interleaved video stream.

In general, embodiments of the invention include methods and apparatuses for securing otherwise unsecured computer audio and video subsystems. Embodiments of the invention perform watermarking of video and/or audio data streams output by a computer system. Additional security features that are included in embodiments of the invention include fingerprinting, snooping, capturing streams for local or remote analytics or archiving, and mixing of secure system content with local audio and video content.

Described herein are systems and methods for hardware enforcement of hardware functionality in a client television receiver. An activation message containing an activation code for a specific hardware component within the client television receiver can be transmitted from a television service provider system to a host television receiver having an associated smart card. The smart card can decrypt the activation message, identify the client television receiver as the destination of the activation message, security check the activation message, encrypt the activation message with a local key, and transmit the activation message to a security processor on the client television receiver. The security processor can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message to ensure it is from the smart card and has not been tampered with, and enable the hardware component within the client television receiver based on the activation code within the activation message.

Described herein are systems and methods for hardware enforcement of hardware functionality in a television receiver. An activation message containing an activation code for a specific hardware component within the television receiver can be transmitted from a television service provider system to a television receiver having an associated smart card. The smart card can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message, confirm the activation message is intended for the television receiver, encrypt the activation message with a local key, and transmit the activation message to a security processor on the television receiver. The security processor can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message to ensure it is from the smart card and has not been tampered with, and enable the hardware component within the television receiver based on the activation code within the activation message.

A method for the selective extraction, by a terminal, of at least one image to be extracted, from an encrypted video stream where multiple encrypted versions are stored on a server incapable of decrypting the encrypted version. The multiple encrypted versions comprising at least a low resolution version and a high resolution version, and each encrypted version is divided into encrypted blocks, containing multiple encrypted images. The method includes selecting an encrypted block from the low resolution encrypted version of the encrypted video stream, selecting a subset of the encrypted block containing an image to be extracted; transmitting to the terminal the subset; decrypting of the subset by the terminal; and extracting the image, from the decrypted subset.

Video content is protected using a digital rights management (DRM) mechanism, the video content having been previously encrypted and compressed for distribution, and also including metadata such as closed captioning data, which might be encrypted or clear. The video content is obtained by a system of a computing device, the metadata is extracted from the video content and provided to a video decoder, and the video content is provided to a secure DRM component. The secure DRM component decrypts the video content and provides the decrypted video content to a secure decoder component of a video decoder. As part of the decryption, the secure DRM component drops the metadata that was included in the obtained video content. However, the video decoder receives the extracted metadata in a non-protected environment and thus is able to provide the extracted metadata and the decoded video content to a content playback application.

A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a machine-readable storage medium, including executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations that include receiving a request for a video-on-demand session through a selected video-application provided at a media processor, instantiating an instance of the selected video-application as an instantiated video-application, wherein the instantiated video-application loads a decryption algorithm for the video-on-demand session, receiving video data from a video service associated with the instantiated video-application, applying the decryption algorithm on the video data to generate decoded video content, and providing the decoded video content to the media processor. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Media content is delivered to a variety of mobile devices in a protected manner based on client-server architecture with a symmetric (private-key) encryption scheme. A media preparation server (MPS) encrypts media content and publishes and stores it on a content delivery server (CDS), such as a server in a content distribution network (CDN). Client devices can freely obtain the media content from the CDS and can also freely distribute the media content further. They cannot, however, play the content without first obtaining a decryption key and license. Access to decryption keys is via a centralized rights manager, providing a desired level of DRM control.