Widevine
Sign in to saveAlso known as Google Widevine
Widevine is a proprietary digital rights management (DRM) system that is included in most major web browsers and in the operating systems Android and iOS. It is used by streaming services—including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and Hulu—to allow authorized users to view media while preventing them from creating unauthorized copies.
~12 min read
Encyclopedic overview
13 sectionsContents
- History
- Origins (1998–2006)
- Growth (2006–2010)
- Acquisition by Google (2010–present)
- Architecture
- Input → output overview
- Client support
- Security
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Citations
- Bibliography
Widevine is a proprietary digital rights management (DRM) system that is included in most major web browsers and in the operating systems Android and iOS. It is used by streaming services—including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and Hulu—to allow authorized users to view media while preventing them from creating unauthorized copies.
Widevine was originally developed in 1999 by Internet Direct Media, who later rebranded as Widevine Technologies. Following several rounds of funding, the company was acquired by Google in 2010 for an undisclosed amount.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Widevine” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.