Is it possible to edit video so iPhone can’t take a photo/video of content?

[Craig Seeman]

It’s an interesting idea.

It’s sort of like HDCP (copy protection) which allows you to play a video but prevents electronic copying. Or maybe it’s like what’s done with playing Netflix or AppleTV on your computer. You can see the movie but if you try to record it with Quicktime the video is blank.

See this

It seems the best they can do is a digital watermark that is traceable.

https://pallycon.com/blog/choose-your-weapon-to-fight-screen-recording-piracy/

pallycon.com

Choose Your Weapon to Fight Screen Recording Piracy - PallyCon

The history of the content industry has been accompanied by the fight against illegal content leakage. The so-called ‘cam version’ is one of the most traditional methods for movie content piracy. The movie industry, which has made theater releases difficult … Continue reading

[Craig Seeman]

And this mentions a patent for infra red technology which the eye won’t see but the camera will and therefore impact the image in that regard.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US6018374

patents.google.com

US6018374A - Method and system for preventing the off screen copying of a video or film presentation - Google Patents

A method and system for preventing a visible video copy being made of a projected image on a screen. In a theater environment, an image is projected upon a screen by a film projector or a video projector. A form … Continue reading

[Ariel Spilkin]

Hi Craig,

thank you for your response. Apologies that it took me a while to get back to you, the Autumn flu hit me quite hard.

Both links are fascinating, particularly the idea of embedding forensic watermarks in an image or item that is capture. Thank you for sending them through.

Do you think that it could be possible to at least mimic the reduced refresh speed that one would expect to cause such capture issues?

In essence, let’s assume a screen has 60 FPS. The screen shows black, however every second frame will show an image. Meaning that the screen alternates between black and an image. Wouldn’t the screen as far as the external capture device be concerned in essence exhibit a 30FPS?

Or am I misunderstanding the matter?

Thank you!

Ariel

[Osman Muhammad]

Hi Ariel

Theoretically, it’s challenging to induce specific distortions through video editing that would significantly affect an iPhone’s ability to capture clear photos/videos without impacting the human eye’s viewing experience. However, altering the refresh rate, resolution, or employing rapid scene changes might cause some level of distortion but might also negatively impact the viewing experience for humans.

There isn’t a straightforward method within conventional video editing that precisely induces distortions only detectable by specific camera sensors like those on iPhones while keeping the content intelligible to the human eye. This task might involve specialized techniques and testing not typically addressed in standard video editing.

While certain methods may slightly deter clear captures, they often compromise the overall viewing experience. Ultimately, striking a balance between deterring camera captures and maintaining visual clarity to the human eye can be complex and might require specialized knowledge beyond regular video editing

Thanks

[Sarmad Ahmad]

Yes, it is possible to induce screen capture distortion effects through video editing to make capturing clear photos or videos difficult while remaining intelligible to the human eye. Techniques such as altering frame rates, adding intentional artifacts, or manipulating visual elements can be employed to achieve this purpose.