Add section: Multi-DRM practical implementation (HbbTV 2.0.5)

[alexbj75]

Summary

DRM is mentioned briefly in the Starting Point section but without practical depth. With HbbTV 2.0.5 (published March 2, 2026) making DRM mandatory for certified Smart TV devices in Europe, a proper multi-DRM section is now more relevant than ever.

What's missing

A streaming service that needs to reach all device categories requires three DRM systems:

• Widevine — Android, Chrome, Chromebooks
• FairPlay — Apple (iOS, macOS, tvOS, Safari)
• PlayReady — Microsoft, Xbox, and many Smart TV platforms

This is often called "multi-DRM" and is a fundamental architectural decision for any streaming service. The practical implementation involves:

• DRM license server integration (commercial options: Axinom, BuyDRM, EZDRM)
• CPIX standard for key exchange between encoder/packager and license server
• Key rotation for live streams
• Packaging with DRM (DASH + CENC, HLS + FairPlay)

HbbTV 2.0.5 context

HbbTV 2.0.5 was published on March 2, 2026. It makes DRM mandatory for certified Smart TV devices in Europe and adds optional AV1 and WebAssembly support. This is directly relevant for any European broadcaster building a streaming service.

Suggested content

A new section covering:

• Why multi-DRM is needed (device coverage requirements)
• The three DRM systems and which devices each covers
• CPIX standard for key exchange
• Commercial license server options
• HbbTV 2.0.5 context for European deployments

References

• HbbTV 2.0.5 specification: https://www.hbbtv.org/
• CPIX standard: https://dashif.org/docs/CPIX2.3/Cpix.html
• Axinom DRM: https://axinom.com/products/drm/