SK Broadband in South Korea selects NAGRA’s forensic watermarking technology for IPTV set-top boxes

NexGuard Pay-TV enables SK Broadband to protect their premium content investment
by identifying content leaks and tracing them back to the set-top box of origin

Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, and Phoenix (AZ), USA – January 12, 2020 – NAGRA, a Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) company and the world’s leading independent provider of content protection and multiscreen television solutions, today announced that SK Broadband, one of the largest broadband Internet access providers in South Korea, has selected NAGRA’s NexGuard forensic watermarking technology to protect the operator’s premium content on a wide range of IPTV set-top boxes.

The NexGuard Pay-TV solution protects premium content investments and, in the event of a breach, will enable the operator to trace any illicit recording or sharing of content from its BTV service and identify the set-top box from which it originated.  

“We selected NAGRA’s forensic watermarking solution for set-top boxes because it enables us to meet content owner requirements for the protection of premium content, including 4K, and insert an invisible watermark without affecting video quality,” said SangBum Lee, VP of SK Broadband. “What’s more, NAGRA’s local presence along with their proximity to the studios through their Los Angeles-based teams, were all strong considerations in our selection.”

NexGuard forensic watermarking is the most-widely deployed forensic watermarking solution in the region. NexGuard Pay-TV is designed to protect premium pay-TV services delivered via a set-top box, including 4K Ultra HD, premium VOD, and live sports content. It embeds a subscriber-specific forensic watermark in a managed pay-TV client device (set-top box or smart TV). The integration for SK Broadband is part of the SK Broadband app for Android TV and is supported by all the major chipset vendors, requiring no additional video processing on the head-end side. 

“With the increased availability of premium 4K content also comes increased risk for piracy and content leaks which tempers content owners’ willingness to deliver premium content into the market,” said Stéphane Le Dréau, SVP Sales APAC, at NAGRA. “NAGRA’s NexGuard forensic watermarking solution is a leading product in the fight against piracy and we welcome SK Broadband into this active anti-piracy community.”

The NexGuard range of forensic watermarking solutions is a key component of NAGRA’s active streaming protection framework which is designed to equip service providers with a comprehensive security toolset to secure their IP video investments.

For more information on NAGRA anti-piracy services and forensic watermarking solutions, please click here.

About NAGRA

NAGRA, the digital TV division of the Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S), provides security and multiscreen user experience solutions for the monetization of digital media. The company provides content providers and DTV operators worldwide with secure, open and integrated platforms and applications over broadcast, broadband and mobile platforms, enabling compelling and personalized viewing experiences. Please visit dtv.nagra.com for more information and follow us on Twitter at @nagrakudelski.

Media contacts
Cédric Alber
Kudelski Group – Corporate Communications
Director Corporate Communications & Media Relations
+41 79 647 61 71
+1 (415) 962-5005
[email protected]

Christine Oury
Marketing Communications
+1 415 962 5433
[email protected]