Video Fingerprinting Technology
 for Media Archives and Digital Asset Management

1. Ensuring media is “universally identifiable” through consistent metadata

Assets in archives are often plagued with inconsistently applied metadata for files that did not conform to a pre-established process. By using ivitec's MediaSeeker to create a unique and permanent fingerprint, the presence of a fingerprint database enables a return to the highest definition source material regardless of whatever subsequent resolution or formats were used during the content creation process.   

2. Reconciling mismatched timecodes
During the media production process, via the use of standard external house sync generation or other forms of master timecodes, video, audio, and resulting files stay synced to this external reference and are archived with the original timecode intact. However, once content is broad-casted, it is often the case for the receiving entity to copy an on-air program and impair sync due to latency associated with both the over-the-air transmission and/or the decoding chain at the receiving site. If no house sync or master timecode is present, then the timecode could potentially become corrupt. By using fingerprint comparisons between the source and the target, timecodes can be easily reconciled and repaired. 

3. Detecting duplicate or down-resolution versions in the archive
Consider a production that has been previously archived and is checked out for inclusion in a new project. After the new project is completed, the new work is procedurally checked into the archive. However, the source material may be largely duplicative resulting in wasting costly storage space. Using fingerprinting, duplicate files with minimal changes (e.g. transcoding, re-encoded, subtitled, etc.) may be identified and subsequent decisions can be made whether to retain those files in the archive, thus eliminating unnecessary storage and duplications. Similarly, once fingerprinted, archived elements that are re-used and edited into highlight reels may be identified and linked back to their original source footage, enabling intelligent decision-making and other forms of metadata augmentation.