automatic content recognition

How it works To start the recognition, a short media clip (audio, video, or both) is selected from within a media file or captured as displayed on a device such as a smart TV. Using techniques such as fingerprinting and watermarking, the selected content is compared by the ACR software with a database of known recorded works. If the fingerprint of the media clip finds a match, the ACR software returns the corresponding metadata regarding the media as well as other associated or recommended content back to the client application for display to the user, or for collection by the device manufacturer or a data aggregator. Fingerprints and watermarking Two leading methodologies for audio-based ACR are acoustic fingerprinting and watermarking. Similarly, video fingerprinting is used to facilitate ACR for visual media. Acoustic fingerprinting generates unique fingerprints from the audio content itself. Fingerprinting techniques are agnostic to content format, codec, bit rate and compression techniques. This makes employment of acoustic fingerprinting possible across various networks and channels and is widely used for interactive TV, second screen application, and content monitoring sectors. Popular apps like Shazam, YouTube, Facebook, Thetake, WeChat and Weibo reportedly use audio fingerprinting methodology to recognize content played from a TV to trigger additional features like votes, lotteries, topics or purchases. In contrast to fingerprinting, digital watermarking require the inclusion of digital "tags" embedded within the digital content stream prior to distribution. For example, a broadcast encoder might insert a watermark every few seconds that could be used to identify the broadcast channel, program ID, and time stamp. This watermark is normally inaudible or invisible to the users, but is detectable by display devices like phones or tablets which can read the watermarks to identify the content it is playing. Watermarking technology is also utilized in the media protection field to help identify where illegal copies originate.