Comparing Different DRM Solutions - Why LinqTV Has A Mixed DRM Approach?

According to the latest report by Bloomberg, piracy and illegal streaming lead to a loss of US $30 billion each year. When converted to manual labor, it equals to as many as 250,000 jobs! Hence, to keep your streaming business in a healthy financial state, reducing piracy is crucial.

DRM, or Digital Rights Management, plays a significant role in securing streaming content. DRM encrypts the videos so that unauthorized users cannot access or copy them. It prevents illegal distribution of movies, shows, music, livestreams, and other copyrighted material. Hence, using DRM can greatly reduce the risk of piracy.

By reducing piracy, DRM helps streaming services maintain their subscriber base and revenue streams. Without video DRM, users might be less likely to pay for a subscription if they can easily find the content for free elsewhere.

Now the question comes, which DRM solution to choose? Well, there are multiple DRM solutions available. But the three most commonly used ones are Google Widevine, Apple Fairplay, and Microsoft PlayReady.

In this blog, we will compare all three of them, and understand their features, benefits, and architecture in detail. Also, we will discuss why a streaming service will need a combination of all three of them for the best results. Let’s dive in!

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As stated before, the three key DRM solutions include:

Let’s discuss them briefly.

Google Widevine is a prominent DRM system that protects media content during streaming. It was developed by Google. So, it is compatible with devices running on Android, Chrome Browser, and others. Here’s a breakdown of its core functionalities:

Source: Google Widevine Developer Portal

Android (Mobile, TV, Automotive)

Google Home and Nest devices

Chromium Embedded Framework

Amazon Echo, Fire, Fire TV Devices

Samsung Tizen Smart TV

Read More: All You Need To Know About Google Widevine DRM

PlayReady is another major contender in the DRM (Digital Rights Management) arena. Microsoft developed and released its first version in 2008. And it has seen many advancements since then! Here’s a breakdown of its technical aspects:

The given diagram explains how Microsoft Playready works.

Source: Microsoft Official Websites

The table below shows the different PlayReady security levels, their purpose, and client implementation:

Apple FairPlay Streaming (FPS) is another major DRM solution. It helps secure streaming media delivery. Apple first launched it way back in 2003! Back then, it was used for the iTunes Music Store.

But over the years, it was improved to project a wide range of content. The current version can protect music, videos, and even ebooks. So, let’s dive into its technical aspects:

The diagram below explains the workflow and communication sequence of Apple FairPlay.

Source: FairPlay Streaming Overview

Read More: How Apple Fairplay Protects Your Content?

Let’s compare the three DRM solutions b