Analog Protection System

A Presentation to the Analog Reconversion

Discussion Group

March 5, 2003
 What is the Macrovision
Analog Protection System?

A way of
of signaling
signaling that
that aa video
video signal is protected
• Allows restriction on copying and redistribution

A method of forcing copies to be degraded
degraded or
or inhibited
when copies are made of video signals containing the
Macrovision signals
•• AGC
AGC (Automatic
(Automatic Gain
Gain Control)
Control) process
process
•• Color
Color Stripe
Stripe process
process
–– 2-line
2-line Color
Color Stripe
Stripe
–– 4-line
4-line Color
Color Stripe
Stripe
•• Controlled
Controlled toto provide:
provide:
–– AGC
AGC [Trigger
[Trigger bits
bits == 1]
1]
–– AGC
AGC ++ 2-stripe
2-stripe [Trigger
[Trigger bits
bits == 2]
2]
–– AGC
AGC ++ 4-stripe
4-stripe [Trigger
[Trigger bits
bits == 3]
3]

© 1999 CHASE HQ - Company - 654321 - January 20, 2004 - p 2

 How does AGC Work?

Pulses added to analog video signals designed to:
• Signal that aa video
video work
work is
is copyrighted
copyrighted and
and shouldn’t
shouldn’t be
be copied
copied
–– DV-CAM,
DV-CAM, consumer
consumer DVD
DVD recorders
recorders
• Negatively impact the AGC circuit
circuit of recording devices

© 1999 CHASE HQ - Company - 654321 - January 20, 2004 - p 3

 How does ColorStripe Work?

Variations in the color subcarrier of a composite analog video
signal to disturb the sub-carrier circuit of analog VCRs

Not removed in black boxes

© 1999 CHASE HQ - Company - 654321 - January 20, 2004 - p 4

 How is the Analog Protection System
Activated?

Digital Devices
•• Alterations
Alterations to
to the
the analog
analog video
video signal
signal are
are made
made in
in aa
chip
chip that
that converts
converts the
the digital
digital video
video to
to analog
analog within
within aa
consumer’s
consumer’s equipment
equipment
•• DVD
DVD Players
Players
–– Trigger
Trigger bits
bits are
are added
added during
during DVD
DVD authoring
authoring to
to indicate
indicate
that
that APS
APS should
should bebe applied
applied to
to DVD
DVD players
players analog
analog outputs
outputs
or
or consumer
consumer analog
analog video
video outputs
outputs on
on aa PC
PC while
while playing
playing
back a protected DVD-Video disc.
back a protected DVD-Video disc.
•• Set
Set Top
Top Boxes
Boxes
–– Trigger
Trigger bits
bits are
are incorporated
incorporated into
into Conditional
Conditional Access
Access
Entitlement
Entitlement Control
Control Messages
Messages (ECM)
(ECM) in
in the
the stream
stream
delivered
delivered to
to aa consumer’s
consumer’s STB.
STB.

VHS
•• Alterations
Alterations to
to the
the analog
analog video
video signal
signal are
are added
added in
in aa
Macrovision-provided
Macrovision-provided “processor box” usedused by
by
duplicators.
duplicators.

© 1999 CHASE HQ - Company - 654321 - January 20, 2004 - p 5

 Why is Macrovision’s APS Relevant to
ARDG in Digital Devices?

Record Control
•• Inhibit
Inhibit recording
recording of
of video
video that
that is
is sourced
sourced from
from DVD,
DVD, or
or STBs
STBs
(effectively
(effectively “Copy
“Copy Never”)
Never”)

Re-encode of APS
•• PVRs
PVRs detect
detect APS
APS at
at input,
input, calculate
calculate APS trigger bits, and
and re-
re-
encode
encode on
on analog
analog outputs
outputs
–– Maintains
Maintains effectiveness
effectiveness in
in inhibiting
inhibiting copies
copies to
to removable
removable media.
media.
–– Alternatively,
Alternatively, some
some PVRs
PVRs inhibit
inhibit storage
storage to
to hard
hard disk
disk

Redistribution Control
•• Some
Some PVRs
PVRs detect
detect APS
APS at
at input
input and
and restrict
restrict release
release of
of content
content
to
to unprotected
unprotected network
network connections
connections

© 1999 CHASE HQ - Company - 654321 - January 20, 2004 - p 6

 System Overview - Record Control with
APS

Program
Program Source
Source Consumer ’s Home
Consumer’s Home
Low-Cost APS
STB
Cable Detector integrated in
Chip
DVD RAM, D-VHS
Or Other Digital
Recorder
Satellite STB

Analog Video
With
DVD Player APS
No Copy
Permitted

VCR
Low-Cost APS
Detector
integrated in PC
Chip on Video
Other Digital Source
Capture board

© 1999 CHASE HQ - Company - 654321 - January 20, 2004 - p 7

 System Overview – Detect and Re-encode

Program
Program Source
Source Consumer ’s Home
Consumer’s Home
STB Low-Cost APS
Cable Detector integrated in Low-Cost APS
Chip Encoder integrated in
Chip
Analog
Satellite STB Video
With VCR / Digital recorder
APS
Analog
DVD Player Personal Video Video
Recorder With
APS

VCR

No Copy
Permitted

Other Digital Source

© 1999 CHASE HQ - Company - 654321 - January 20, 2004 - p 8

 System Overview - Redistribution Control
with APS
Program
Program Source
Source Consumer ’s Home
Consumer’s Home
Low-Cost APS
STB Detector Integrated in
Cable
Chip

Personal Digital
Recorder
Satellite STB

Analog Video
With Protected
APS Digital Video
DVD Player

VCR

Internet
Low-Cost APS PC
Detector Integrated
Other Digital Source in Chip

© 1999 CHASE HQ - Company - 654321 - January 20, 2004 - p 9

Relationship between APS and Watermarking

Macrovision APS
•• Impacts
Impacts recordings
recordings made
made by
by variety
variety of
of recorders
recorders
•• Widely
Widely implemented
implemented
•• Circumvention
Circumvention easier
easier then
then with
with watermarking
watermarking

Video Watermarking
•• Provides
Provides for
for “Copy
“Copy One
One Generation”
Generation”
•• No
No effect
effect on
on non-compliant
non-compliant devices
devices
–– But
But survives
survives transmission
transmission through
through non-compliant
non-compliant devices
devices
•• Playback
Playback control
control impacts
impacts compliant
compliant players
players when
when copy
copy made
made
using
using non-compliant
non-compliant recorder
recorder
•• Additional
Additional layer
layer of
of security
security when
when deCSS
deCSS hack
hack employed
employed

APS & Watermarking are Complementary

•• Impact
Impact different
different device
device populations
populations
•• Feature
Feature set
set is
is different
different
•• As
As fundamentally
fundamentally different
different technologies,
technologies, require
require distinct
distinct and
and
different
different skills
skills and
and tools
tools to
to circumvent
circumvent
–– Increases
Increases cost
cost and
and complexity
complexity to
to circumvent
circumvent both
both

© 1999 CHASE HQ - Company - 654321 - January 20, 2004 - p 10

Conclusion

APS solves many ARDG problems

APS has well established infrastructure

• Licenses
• Chips
• Authoring tools
• Transmission tools
• Technical support

Only technology universally implemented today

© 1999 CHASE HQ - Company - 654321 - January 20, 2004 - p 11