Content Mangement Specification Gets Debut at IBC

First Ever Public Demonstration of DVB-CPCM

Amsterdam — The publication of the latest revision to DVB BlueBook A094 – Content Protection & Copy Management (DVB-CPCM) in August, along with the first ever public demonstration of aspects of DVB-CPCM at this year’s IBC, signals a second major milestone in the work of the DVB on a specification for persistent protection of commercial content in consumer digital products and home networks.

DVB-CPCM manages content usage from acquisition into the CPCM system until final consumption, or export from the CPCM system, in accordance with the particular usage rules of that content.

Possible sources for commercial digital content include broadcasts (e.g., cable, satellite, and terrestrial), Internet-based services, packaged media, and mobile services, among others. CPCM is intended for use in protecting all types of content: audio, video and associated applications and data.

Visitors to the DVB stand can see the demonstration produced by the Swiss based company Fastcom Technology SA that shows the acquisition of content into a user’s Authorised Domain (AD) and the subsequent movement of that content around the AD in accordance with the Usage State Information (USI) or permissions that have been attached to it by the rights holders. The demonstration also illustrates the remote accessing of content and the export of content from one AD to another. An interactive kiosk presentation is on site allowing visitors to get an idea of how the every day user might experience DVB-CPCM.

CPCM provides specifications to facilitate interoperability of such content after acquisition into CPCM by networked consumer devices for both home networking and remote access. The specification is made up of parts, some of which specify signalling and actions required for technical compliance, and other parts which explain the rationale behind the specification, including Implementation Guidelines. A Reference Model provides the framework for the CPCM system and is the foundation upon which the remaining specification elements are built.

“The publication of the latest revision of BlueBook A094 for CPCM represents a significant step in DVB’s ongoing work in the area of content management. Nine of what will eventually be thirteen elements are now in place, with the remaining four elements, which are mainly informative, expected in Q4 2007. The demonstration that we have here at IBC is an impressive representation of that work to date,” commented Peter MacAvock, Executive Director, DVB.

Links: DVB; Fastcom Technology