Unified Streaming proudly announces the release of Unified Origin version 1.9, supporting multiple-key DRM, the use of Timed Metadata to enable Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) for Live.

Five years since its demonstration of multi-DRM implementation at IBC 2013, Unified Streaming has enhanced Unified Origin by adding support for multiple-key DRM. The software’s latest version allows encryption of an asset’s audio and video tracks using separate keys per track or keys that rotate over time. This is ideal in a security-conscious age, when copyright-holders can require hardware protection for premium features such as 4K, UHD, HDR, commentary tracks and multi-angle video.

Support for the solution is based on CPIX, a new platform-independent standard. Specifying how to store all content protection-related information in an XML-formatted document, CPIX standardizes key exchange for video streaming setups with advanced DRM configurations.

Additionally, Origin 1.9 enables DAI using SCTE-35, the industry standard for signaling in-stream ad opportunities. It works by delivering the metadata to Unified Origin as a separate track containing SCTE-35. Once ingested, information is translated into DASH and HLS client manifests, so ads can be inserted where Unified Origin places signaling. Unified Origin also splices media when fragments are requested that sit on a signal boundary, so ads can be inserted seamlessly: Unified Origin handles requests for audio and video segments from the original stream while an ad network delivers media for the inserted ad.

“Unified Origin 1.9 offers major improvements for our current and prospective customers, both. Multiple-key DRM promises complete future flexibility for the granularity of an asset’s content protection. Meanwhile, implementing timed metadata and DAI will prove efficient and profitable for most setups already using Unified Origin for Live,” says Unified Streaming’s VP of Global Sales, Simon Westbroek.

The new features in Unified Origin 1.9 announced at IBC will be available end of October.

Additional Resources:

How to do SCTE35- based Dynamic Ad Insertion for Live streaming with Unified Origin

Content protection in the age of 4K and HDR: using hardware DRM with multiple keys