Secure and Scalable Content Sharing Framework for Next-Generation IPTV Service

Due to an increase in multimedia content and the acceleration of digital convergence, demand for next-generation IPTV service is rapidly growing. IPTV service seamlessly provides both real-time broadcasting and content sharing services on diverse terminals through complex networks. In this paper, a secure and scalable content sharing framework is proposed for next-generation IPTV service. The proposed framework has an advantage over conventional content protection techniques in producing scalable content with transcodable, adjustable, and perceptual security features. Moreover, it ensures end-to-end security over the entire service range based on a single security mechanism. The suitability of the proposed approach is demonstrated experimentally using a practical service scenario with real-world environments. The experiments show that the proposed approach can provide several different levels of content security, from a perceptual level to an almost unintelligible level, while keeping the additional time overhead low. Consequently, it is expected that use of this security technology alone can have a practical contribution in creating new business opportunities for IPTV services.