Verifying the rendering of video content at client devices using trusted platform modules

A system for generating a tracking message, the system comprising:

• a client device having one or more processors and a trusted platform module;
• and
• a memory storing machine readable instructions that, when executed, cause the client device to:
• receive a coded first bit stream representing a content item comprising a plurality of image frames, the coded first bit stream including a predesignated frame selected, by a server, based on a computation complexity of decoding the predesignated frame;
• in the trusted platform module of the client device:
• decode the first bit stream to recover frames of the content item,
• generate a second bit stream representative of frames of the content item based on the decoded first bit stream,
• send the second bit stream to an output interface;
• and
• generate a tracking message including an identification of the client device and information identifying at least a portion of the predesignated frame of the content item processed by the trusted platform module;
• and
• transmit the tracking message from the client device.

A tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium storing machine readable instructions, for generating a tracking message that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a client device to:

• receive, at the client device, a coded first bit stream representing a content item comprising a plurality of image frames, the coded first bit stream including a predesignated frame selected, by a server, based on a computation complexity of decoding the predesignated frame;
• in a trusted platform module of the client device:
• decode the first bit stream to recover frames of the content item,
• generate a second bit stream representative of frames of the content item based on the decoded first bit stream,
• send the second bit stream to an output interface;
• and
• generate a tracking message including an identification of the client device and information identifying at least a portion of the predesignated frame of the content item processed by the trusted platform module;
• and
• transmit the tracking message from the client device.