Widevine Technologies, the most deployed provider of comprehensive downloadable content protection and digital forensics for video operators, announced digital copy protection for high definition DVD-based content delivery formats Blu-ray and HD-DVD.

The introduction of Widevine Cypher for high-definition DVD players extends the patented Cypher Virtual SmartCard to provide advanced copy protection on these new devices. This enables IPTV service operators to license and acquire premium content for extended service delivery to a wide variety of retail available, IPTV-enabled high definition consumer electronics devices.

"Widevine's expansion into the high definition DVD market represents the first downloadable conditional access (DCAS) and digital rights management (DRM) solution which opens direct retail availability to Widevine secured operators," said Glenn Morten, Chief Technology Officer at Widevine. "It further enables telco, cable, satellite and broadband service operators to extend their service domains and deliver entertainment using new business models -- including online enabled DVDs, low-cost streamed content delivery, sell through and managed copy generation."

According to Widevine CEO Brian Baker, "The U.S. DVD market has grown to over $18B per year, with more than 80 percent of households now owning DVD players. Widevine's strategy is to expand content protection to a wide range of networked video-enabled consumer electronics devices, regardless of platform, operating system, chipset or technology. This will significantly reduce capital expenditures and increase revenue opportunities for operators who have been asking for premium content delivery to retail available IPTV-enabled devices."

Widevine Cypher for high-definition DVD players is expected to protect devices available at retail in summer 2006 and extend Widevine's PC content protection to include Blu-ray and HD-DVD devices that run on Microsoft's new Vista operating system, available later in the year.

This follows Widevine's recent partnership announcement with Sigma Designs to embed Widevine protection capabilities into their digital media processors. Sigma Designs' processors drive approximately 70 percent of all IPTV set top boxes and consumer products including Blu-ray players, DVD players, digital media adapters and portable media players.