Media content proof of play over optical medium

A method, comprising:

• interacting with a verifier that executes on a display device to receive images of encoded information that corresponds to content that was played on a display of the display device, wherein the encoded information is a separate stream of information that is synchronized with content portions of the content and the separate stream of information is overlaid on to the content and synchronized with the content while the content is played on the display;
• decoding the encoded information from the images as decoded information;
• and
• verifying that the decoded information corresponds to all portions of the content, wherein verifying further includes verifying that each piece of the content was properly rendered within a specific screen of several screens rendered on the display device from the decoded information.

A system, comprising:

• a server configured to execute a content manager;
• a display device configured to execute a verifier;
• and
• an image sensor affixed to an external surface of a display of the display device, wherein the image sensor configured to capture images of watermarks being rendered in a predefined area of the display when content is played or rendered within the display, wherein the watermarks are provided in a separate stream of information from the content and the watermarks are synchronized with content portions of the content;
• the separate stream of information is rendered over the content on this display as the content plays on the display;
• wherein the verifier is configured to:
• (i) receive images of the watermarks from the image sensor when the content is played or rendered on the display, (ii) store the images in storage of the display device, and (iii) facilitate verification with the content manager that all of the content was played or rendered on the display based on the images of the watermarks and verify that each piece of the content was properly rendered within a specific screen of several screens rendered on the display device from the decoded information;
• wherein the content manager is configured to:
• (i) interact with the verifier to determine whether any portion of the content was not played or not rendered on the display and (ii) establish an audit trail of playing or rendering of the content based on the interactions with the verifier and the images of the watermarks.