Watermark Detection Service Guide

DoveRunner watermark detection operates using a blind detection approach. During detection, the system analyzes video frames to identify the embedded watermark pattern and decrypts the watermark payload using the secret key that was used at the time of watermark insertion.

If a valid watermark payload is successfully extracted, the detection service queries the session database to locate the session record associated with the extracted payload. The corresponding session information is then returned as the detection result.

sequenceDiagram
    participant A as Service site
    participant B as DoveRunner service
    A ->> B: Suspicious content
    Note right of B: Detect watermark (payload)
    B -->> B: Analyze video frames
    opt Watermark detected
    Note right of B: Session database
    B -->> B: Find session data
    end
    B ->> A: Report detection result

Tutorial Video

This video is a tutorial about how to request Forensic Watermarking detection.

Requirements for Detection

Note

Forensic Watermark Detection Requirements & Guidelines:

• Video Length: Requires a continuous recorded video of at least 5 minutes or longer.
• Attack Resistance: Built to withstand various attacks (e.g., resizing), though actual detection rates depend on video quality factors like resolution, bitrate, and camera shake.
• Resolution & Bitrate Requirements:
  • Minimum: 480p at 1Mbps or higher
  • Recommended: 720p or higher (ensures successful detection in most cases)
• Fallback Support (Non-Blind Detection): If severe distortion causes automated detection to fail, submit a support ticket with the original video or snapshots of the original content. Our expert team will perform manual non-blind extraction to recover the embedded watermark.

The detailed requirements for watermark detection are as follows:

Item	Description
Minimum video length	In order to detect watermarks, continuous recorded video without repeating sections with a length of at least 5 minutes is required
Video quality	At least 480p with 1Mbps is required for detection. 720p or higher quality recommended
Video stability	Requires fixed recorded video without shaking. Undetectable if the screen is shaken due to shooting with a handheld camera or smartphone
Buffering or freezing	There must be a section that was played normally without buffering or screen freezing for at least 5 minutes

Registering Watermark Detection

To request watermark detection,

• Step 1: click the + Request button on the Forensic Watermarking > Detection Service screen of the DoveRunner Console.

• Step 2: On the registration screen, select the Request Type — File or URL — enter the title of the target content, and provide the detection target accordingly.

• Step 3: click the Register button to register the watermark detection request.

  • Request Type: Choose whether the detection target is provided as an uploaded file (File) or a download link (URL).
  • Content Title: Information to distinguish each item on the detection list screen. This information is not used in the actual watermark detection operation.
  • Detection Video Link (shown when URL is selected): Enter a ‘direct download link’ for the video file so that it can be downloaded by the DoveRunner service system without any additional information or manual action — no login, and no interactive confirmation page. You can also enter a link to cloud storage such as Google Drive, but a standard “share” link (e.g. drive.google.com/file/d/.../view) is not automatically downloadable; use a direct-download link or configure sharing so the file downloads without an interstitial page.
  • Detection File (shown when File is selected): Upload the detection target video file directly from your device by clicking the upload area or dragging and dropping the file.
  • Video captured from DoveRunner DEMO Page: Optional checkbox to flag that the sample was captured from the DoveRunner demo page.
  • Advanced Options: Optional, collapsible section for additional settings.

Note

Advanced Options is not mandatory. Any information entered here is stored immutably against the detection record and will appear as part of the detection result in the exported evidence report.

• Source Information: Piracy source details for this file. Source URL Link (the pirated URL) is required if this section is filled in; IP Address and GEO Location are optional.
• VPN Detected: VPN flag — toggle on if a VPN was required to play/access the pirated source URL.

Reviewing Detection Result

After registering the detection request, you can check the request list with progress and detection result for each item on the Detection Service screen.

• Checkbox: You can request cancel detection after selecting items that are being detected.
• Detection ID: A unique ID for each detection request.
• Content Title: The title value entered on the request registration. Click the title to open the detection detail page for that item.
• Type: Watermark — displayed when detection is requested through the Detection Service or API.
• Status: Displays the detection progress (e.g. Completed, Error). For a detailed list of statuses, please refer to the next section.
• Registration Date: The time the detection request was registered.
• Complete Date: The time the detection task was completed.

Clicking a Content Title opens the detection detail page, which shows:

• Export Report: Button at the top of the page — downloads the full detection report (all sections below) as a file.

Detection File Information

• Detection ID: The unique ID for this detection request.
• File Name: The content title entered at registration (Read Only).
• Detection Video Link: The registered download link or file name of the detection target.
• File Integrity Hash (SHA-256): The SHA-256 hash of the detection target file, used to verify the file has not been altered since registration.

Detection Result

• Status: The current detection status (e.g. Completed).
• Watermark Token: The watermark token extracted from the detection target.
• Watermark Data: The decoded watermark payload embedded in the content (e.g. player/client, IP, timestamp, and user identifier).
• Error Code: A code indicating whether detection succeeded or the type of failure (0000 = success).
• Error Message: Additional detail on the error, if any (- when there is no error).

Detection Location Displays location information associated with the detection, if available. Shows “Not Provided” when none exists.

Detection Log A chronological log of the detection processing steps, each with a timestamp. Download button — downloads only the detection log (not the full report).

• FD001 - Detection Requested
• FD002 - Downloading
• FD003 - Detection Started
• FD004 - Detection Completed

Source Information (populated only if entered in Advanced Options at registration)

• Pirated URL: The source URL entered at registration, shown as a clickable link.
• IP Address: The IP address entered at registration.
• GEO Location: The geographic location entered at registration.
• VPN Detected: Whether a VPN was flagged as required to access the pirated source (Yes - VPN detected / No).

Detection Status

The watermark detection operation can have the following statuses according to the progress.

• Submitted: The detection request is registered in the system.
• Downloading: The detection target video is being downloaded.
• Detecting: The download is complete and watermark detection is in progress.
• Completed: Watermark detection is completed and the result is available.
• Canceled: The detection request was canceled by the user.
• Error: Detection cannot proceed because the target video does not meet the requirements.
• Failed: Tried to detect watermark, but failed due to various attacks.