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Nielsen® Watermark Solutions

Accurately Measure Audience Engagement

Ross provides flexible, robust solutions for encoding Nielsen® watermarks, providing you with the tools to accurately measure your audience engagement.

Active/Passive (A/P) Audience Measurement

In 2005, the Nielsen® Company introduced the Active/Passive Audience Measurement system designed for the purpose of measuring new forms of media distribution, multi-platform content, and particularly DTV and DVR-based time shifted viewing. The A/P measurement system utilizes multiple identification engines to credit television tuning, including advanced audio encoding or watermarking (embedded within the audio spectrum), audio signatures or fingerprints which require a sample compared against a reference, and video watermarking.

Multi-Level Encoding

Nielsen®’s patented audio watermarking technology provides the capability to track content distribution from its origin to its final destination. This is accomplished through the insertion of a unique Program Content SID (Source Identification Code) at the broadcast network or national syndicator distribution center and insertion of a Final Distributor SID at a local broadcast station, local cable origination or national cable network distribution center . The SID is a second-by-second serial number used by Nielsen® and the television industry to uniquely identify program content to ensure proper crediting of viewing. Both Program Content and Final Distributor codes co-exist, resulting in audio content that is multi-level watermarked. Nielsen®’s household meters detect and decode these watermarks to identify viewership.

Additionally, the patented Automated Measurement of Lineups (AMOL) technology is inserted in the VBI portion of the video and employs multi-level tracking capabilities similar to its audio counterpart.

Firmware Update Notice for Nielsen Watermark Encoder Customers

Nielsen has identified a timestamp rollover affecting NAES VI (NW) Nielsen Watermarks and has released updated SDKs to address the issue. Ross has incorporated these updated SDKs into our Nielsen watermarking products and is making the required software updates available to customers. Without these updates, the watermark timestamp will roll over on 5 Jan 2027 at 6:48 pm EST., resetting to January 1, 2010. This could negatively impact Nielsen audience ratings. Please review the list below against the firmware version(s) installed in any products you may have in service, and upgrade as required.

•  NWE-3GA Encoders: Mandatory software upgrade to Version 2.5.0 (Download available from Nielsen at NWE-3GA – Engineering Client Portal)
•  NWE-TS Encoders: Mandatory software upgrade to Version 4.8.1 (Download available from Nielsen at NWE-TS – Engineering Client Portal).
•  Ross Broadcast Audio Processor (BAP): Mandatory software upgrade to Version 2.0.0: Please contact Ross Technical Support.
•  NWE-IP: Mandatory software upgrade to Version 1.6.0: Please contact Ross Technical Support.

Please contact Ross Technical Support if you have any questions or to obtain the latest software update files for your installed product. 

Products

NWE-IP Audience measurement encoder for SMPTE ST 2110 / AES67 featuring Nielsen / Numeris watermark encoding. LEARN MORE
NWE-3GA Nielsen® Watermarks Encoder (openGear) LEARN MORE

About Nielsen®

Nielsen® has a 90-year legacy in providing clarity for their clients around the global consumer. Nielsen® knows what consumers watch – and what they buy – and more significantly they provide intelligence to help their clients understand these behaviors in relation to their business. Nielsen® is dedicated to innovative methodologies and technologies, allowing them to be at the forefront of how they capture consumer behavior, which is integral to their clients’ business growth.

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