Gracenote VideoID™

For more than a decade consumers have enjoyed the flexibility and control of Gracenote's music recognition technology, standard in virtually all media players.

Setting the Standard for Video Identification

Now, Gracenote has pioneered a comprehensive video identification solution called VideoID for both DVD and Blu-ray by providing personalized video search, recognition and management solutions for leading brands including Sony Home, Sony Playstation, LG, Control4, ReQuest, and Denon and Marantz. VideoID offers a comprehensive suite of video solutions, from identification, to content to links to commerce. In addition, VideoID integrates seamlessly with Gracenote’s music products and services and has SDK versions to provide a complete and flexible package for customers.

Comprehensive Global DVD and Blu-ray Database

With VideoID-enabled products, users can access the Gracenote Global Media Database®, the world’s largest and most comprehensive global database of music, commercial movie and episodic TV information, enhanced through exclusive relationships with the world’s leading media information and content providers. The robust database includes exhaustive information from the British Film Institute (BFI) catalog of data on feature films, TV episodes, documentaries and animated films, and Stingray, a video data provider for the Japanese market, and features more than 800,000 total works with virtually every DVD and Blu-ray disc released in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan, including cover art, credits, synopsis, reviews, and more. Gracenote’s in-house editorial expertise is continually expanding these licensed datasets by focusing on highly desired content like episodic synopses for TV Series DVDs.

Personalized Search and Management

Being able to effectively organize a large video library is essential to helping consumers find titles in their collections most relevant to their interests. With VideoID, each DVD and Blu-ray disc is immediately identified and allows the user to easily navigate their video library by key fields such as: Title, Release Date, Duration, Rating, Genre, Cast and Credit, Cover Art, Language, or Synopsis. Commercial Codes such as UPC and EAN are also fields available for search when looking for a unique product.

VideoID also lets movie fans easily manage their growing video collections. For example, users can sort, categorize, or select a DVD using intuitive parameters such as genre, director, or actor. They can also browse by cover art or personal favorites.

How VideoID Works

Step 1: Immediate Disc Recognition

When a consumer places a DVD or Blu-ray disc into a Blu-ray player, DVD player, laptop, game console or similar device, Gracenote’s VideoID technology immediately recognizes the metadata of the disc and delivers the information to the consumer. Movie title, edition, release year, cover art, running time, rating, cast/credits, genre, synopsis and many other metadata fields are delivered for each title and are available to be used throughout the user interface. The ability to connect the content of the disc with its associated metadata is an essential process that offers a more engaging viewer experience by allowing improved library management and further discovery of video content.

Using multiple search and recognition technologies and methods, VideoID is capable of identifying discs whether they are in a tray, drive, changer, on a hard drive or on network storage - anywhere a user has access to the original disc information files. Advanced filtering capabilities also allow for global implementations.

Step 2: Cover Art and Images Enrichment

Cover Art and Contributor images are also delivered along with the provided video metadata, which allows for an enhanced user interface and easier navigation of large video collections. Cover art and images are available in various sizes: thumbnail, small, medium and large and are refreshed and updated daily for the latest releases. Gracenote implements a precise cover art image selection process, which assures the delivery of the best available option as specified by format, region or platform.

Step 3: Commerce Linking with Video Link

VideoID recognition enhanced with Gracenote’s commerce link service, offers customers a unique way to leverage business opportunities as consumers engage with television and film content they enjoy. VideoID with link to commerce optimizes initial VideoID recognition and increases revenue streams through targeted commerce linking. For example, linking to commerce allows a user to gift a movie to a friend or even purchase a movie they have rented.

Increased Accuracy of VideoID Recognition Through Advanced and Multiple Matching Methods

VideoID features industry-leading TOC generation and various content matching types to ensure accurate video identification and content recommendations. Match types include:

• Title match: Accurate matching based on main feature Title
• Exact match: Matching of a DVD or Blu-ray disc with an uniquely identified TOC
• Multi-exact: Aid in precise matching for variations of same feature movie, such as film released in different regions or re-released in multiple product offerings
• Fuzzy match: Allows for increased flexibility

Smart Settings Provide User and Device Customization Including Parental Control

Recognizing the contents of a particular disc, including the sound, language, and video options, allows developers to offer “smart settings” that automatically optimize playback to a device’s capabilities and the consumer's home entertainment system. This recognition technology, combined with Gracenote content and MPAA rating data, lets developers add parental controls in order to let consumers restrict access to content they find inappropriate for children.

Region-independent Disc Recognition Technology

VideoID uses a patented multi-step disc recognition technology combined with the Gracenote Global Media Database to provide robust disc recognition. Gracenote's solution supports all DVD and BD region codes. Discs with the same metadata across various regions are matched together and different language variants are delivered to the device or application. This allows you to provide the best experience for the consumer, taking into account regional, language, and disc player preferences.

Integration with Video Explore™

VideoID integrates seamlessly with Gracenote’s Video Explore, the first complete video search, navigation, and exploration solution on the market, to provide customers with a truly enhanced video discovery solution. Video Explore enables developers to incorporate a global database of rich video metadata, visual assets, trailers, and commerce links into their products. Video Explore also allows for native search and navigation of extended content on any connected device; media servers, personal computers, televisions, set top boxes, BD-Live features, mobile phones, and more. Users can read about their favorite cast and crew, explore comprehensive filmographies, learn more about their favorite movies and TV shows, enjoy rich imagery, watch trailers, download and purchase content.

Download this content in PDF form