Trident Embeds Digital Fingerprinting Technology Into TV Platform

Trident Microsystems, a semiconductor provider to TV and set-top-box original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), has integrated digital fingerprinting from Audible Magic onto its digital TV (DTV) platform. Based on Audible Magic’s patented digital fingerprint content identification technology, the SmartID system will help Trident OEMs and their application developers to support both on-demand and continuous-identification modes.

This makes it easy for applications to identify live television shows, movies, music, and advertising, regardless of the media source: linear TV, Blu-ray players, VOD, or over-the-top streamed media from companies such as Netflix or Hulu. This capability is also essential to the integration of companion screen devices into the interactive viewing experience.

In addition to automated content recognition, the SmartID system offers developers other features, such as:

• Frame-accurate synchronization using Audible Magic’s SmartSync capability, making it easy for developers to time events based on specific locations within a video such as polls, contests, and the timing of ads and other related content;
• Local device and cloud-based media recognition services;
• Audible Magic’s SongID feature, allowing viewers to immediately identify a song when they hear it on TV using just a click of the remote control;
• Minimal memory and CPU footprint that allows the SmartID system to scale from low- to high-end DTV systems;
• An API for developers that is easy to integrate with their applications.

“Social TV, interactive advertising, and personalization are three enormous market opportunities for Trident, our OEMs and ODMs, and the apps developers who work with them,” noted Dirk Wieberneit, SVP and general manager/TV business unit of Trident Microsystems, in a statement. “To take full advantage of these opportunities, suppliers and developers must offer excellent content recognition capabilities.”

Audible Magic will demonstrate its technology for smart TVs and companion screen devices at IBC, September 9-13.