Abstract

Abstract: This work proposes a blind fragile GOP-based watermarking technique that ensures the H.264-AVC video's content authenticity. In the H.264 video, the self-authentication code is created by securely hashing a number of intra prediction modes of I-frames in addition to motion vectors of P-frames and B-frames. The resulting authentication code is subsequently written into the IPCM-Least block's Significant Bits (LSB) of some I-frames' luma and chroma pixel samples. A key that is based on content is developed to manage the control authentication data and watermark processes (verification, detection, and embedding). Without using the original video or full video decoding, partially decoding of inter prediction modes and motion victors from the bitstream can find and validate the hidden information. Experimental simulations demonstrate that the implanted watermark is resistant to several harmful and content-preserving attacks. With only a modest bit-rate increase and hardly any perceptual quality deterioration, a large payload capacity is achieved. Applications like tamper-proofing, content-authentication, and covert communication are ideally suited for this technique.