Adding watermarks to video content

1. A method for data display, comprising:

storing an identification code;

receiving encoded video content for playback; and

decoding the encoded video content so as to output a series of video frames while modulating a background level of the video frames in the series according to the identification code, wherein the modulating of the background level comprises generating a background having an overall level that is time modulated according to the identification code, and summing the background with the decoded video content.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the identification code uniquely identifies: a video playback device, which decodes and modulates the background level of the video frames; or a subscriber to whom the video playback device is assigned.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the encoded video content is received in the video playback device from a transmission head-end, and wherein modulating the background level comprises receiving an instruction from the transmission head-end to begin modulating the background, and modulating the background responsively to the instruction.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein modulating the background level comprises modifying a color of the background.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the background level is defined by a luminance coordinate and two chrominance coordinates, and wherein modifying the color comprises modulating the two chrominance coordinates.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein modulating the two chrominance coordinates comprises encoding the identification code using an alphabet comprising four symbols mapped over the two chrominance coordinates.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein modulating the two chrominance coordinates comprises applying a modulation in a chrominance coordinate system that is rotated so as to diminish a visual effect of the modulation.

8. The method according to claim 4 , wherein modifying the color comprises modulating the color of the background with a triangular waveform.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the video frames have a predetermined frame duration, and wherein the background level is modulated with a modulation waveform having a period that is at least ten times the frame duration.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein modulating the background level comprises generating a string of symbols representing the identification code, defining a modulation pattern corresponding to the string of the symbols, and applying the modulation pattern to the background level multiple times in succession, separated by an interval that is not an integer multiple of the modulation period.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the background level is modulated independently of the video content.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein modulating the background level comprises computing a codeword comprising the identification code and an error correcting code, generating a string of bits by taking an exclusive disjunction between the codeword and a selected constant word, and varying the background level over time according to the bits in the string.

13. Data display apparatus, comprising:

a memory, which is configured to store an identification code; and

processing circuitry, which is coupled to receive and decode encoded video content so as to output a series of video frames while modulating a background level of the video frames in the series according to the identification code, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate a background having an overall level that is time modulated according to the identification code, and to sum the background with the decoded video content.

14. A software product, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a processor, cause the processor to read an identification code from a memory, and to receive and decode encoded video content so as to output a series of video frames while modulating a background level of the video frames in the series according to the identification code, wherein the instructions cause the processor to generate a background having an overall level that is time modulated according to the identification code, and to sum the background with the decoded video content.