Moving secure digital content without letting the user know the underlying complexity is a challenge faced by companies involved in the creation and distribution of digital audio and video content.

Realizing the need for the development of secure, feature-rich, user interface on next-generation handheld devices, Microsoft introduced the Media Transfer Protocol. Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) is a technology used to improve transfer and management of digital media between the PC and portable media players. The primary purpose of MTP is to connect portable devices to a Windows XP PC and synchronize digital media content between those devices without the need to install separate device drivers thereby eliminating hardware conflicts and installation issues.

MTP is necessary to support DRM (Digital Rights Management), a technology that helps protect the rights of content owners, while enabling consumers to obtain digital content from music and movies to text and software easily and legitimately. Effectively it is a means of controlling and restricting how you listen to, watch or interact with your digital media in an attempt to prevent illegal distribution of paid content. Over the last years, there has been an increase in the introduction of DRM systems globally.

Mistral’s team has worked extensively in the area of MTP and DRM. Our Semiconductor Support Solutions team has been involved in porting the MTP & DRM stacks from Microsoft, to Linux on the DaVinci platform. The team has also been instrumental in integrating MTP and DRM for audio/video applications like the portable media player.