Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: E-Cinema Server-Security Implementation

This is topic E-Cinema Server-Security Implementation in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Venkat SIddareddy (Member # 5931) on 05-04-2011, 10:30 AM:

Hi,
I am an independent Digital Cinema Developer from India. Recently I have completed the development of a very cost-effective E-Cinema server. The sound and image are extremely good. They are far better than the existing servers here.
But I am stuck at the HDCP or similar implementation.
Can some one suggest a decent way for protecting my video signal?
Right now my server can check for a valid projector and will start playing the encrypted video only if the projector is valid.
However I can use a DVI/HDMI splitter and connect a second device after the video starts playing in the first device.

What are the possible ways of preventing this?

If there are any programmers out there who are willing to help me implement these security features I would be glad to collaborate with them.

Thanks
Venkat

Posted by Terrence Meiczinger (Member # 5059) on 05-04-2011, 12:07 PM:

If you are using a standard HDCP compliant video card it will send content to any HDCP display device. If you switch in the middle of a stream, it will re-negotiate with the the new device and play. If you are using an HDCP compliant splitter, you can even feed multiple devices. So, your scenario may be perfectly valid.

Posted by Venkat SIddareddy (Member # 5931) on 05-04-2011, 12:35 PM:

It looks like even HDCP is cracked. So what are the options now?
Can I build a custom DVI cable and DVI port with a different pin config so that a stripper/splitter might not understand the signal? Is this done before? Is it possible at all?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-04-2011, 02:09 PM:

Please change the title of this thread to "E-cinema", not digital cinema. The way it reads now it will confuse some people into thinking it is capable of playing DCPs.

Posted by Terrence Meiczinger (Member # 5059) on 05-04-2011, 02:50 PM:

I wouldn't be too worried about the HDCP security compromise, especially not enough to go trying to engineer some proprietary hardware workaround. That sounds messy.

Posted by Venkat SIddareddy (Member # 5931) on 05-04-2011, 10:37 PM:

So, if I have a video card which supports HDCP, then there is no need for any implementation of HDCP logic?

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 05-05-2011, 11:10 AM:

Correct. That is, assuming you have a display that itself supports HDCP also

Posted by Terrence Meiczinger (Member # 5059) on 05-05-2011, 03:28 PM:

Well, you'd still need to set the HDCP enable flags for high-value content and a few other things. It depends on how you plan on playing the content. You may want to purchase a middleware SDK, like Elliptic. An E-Cinema server is a bit more involved than just taking a PC and playing video to a digital projector.

Posted by Venkat SIddareddy (Member # 5931) on 05-06-2011, 12:50 AM:

Hi thanks for the information about Elliptic. I will try to get in touch with them.
Our E-Cinema server contains not just playback but it is a completely automated application suite which includes playlist management, auto file ingest, logging, resumable playback, alternate content playback, support for ads, trailers and slides etc.
The video itself is a 300Mbps with crystal clear uncompressed audio quality.
The Video and audio files are encrypted. Apart from that we have a similar architecture to DCI interms of reel by reel video processing and the audio and video files are separate tracks.