Digital video watermarking of H.264/AVC

Abstract

A digital video watermark is information stored invisibly in the video content to which it belongs. This is done by slightly changing the video content according to a secret pattern. While this is imperceptible during normal viewing, a decoder can detect and retrieve the watermark by using the same secret pattern. Once applied, the watermark cannot be deleted or changed. It is inextricably bound to the video content, surviving signal processing steps or data compression, but also geometric distortions. Watermarking techniques enable a variety of content protection applications. For example, the developed robust video watermarking scheme is designed to work with the upcoming digital-cinema format, and can help content owners and distributors by tracing the origin of illegal copies of movies made in the cinema, which is an increasingly occurring practice.