A method for operating a media player includes extracting a set of identifiers from a digital medium holding an encoded video content, using a media player. The method further includes transmitting the set of identifiers to an identification service to obtain status information. The method further includes controlling at least one function of the media player used to provide video output from the media player, in response to the status information. Extracting the set of identifiers may include extracting five identifiers comprising a volume name, a book type, and a time stamp for the digital medium, a file directory hash, and a watermark description. The method may be embodied in a media player or encoded instructions for a media player.