Detection of watermarks in digital content by a system having a recording device and a playback device may be accomplished in such as a way as to improve the interoperability of the recording and playback devices. In one embodiment, a recording device having a first watermark detection component of a first sensitivity for detecting the watermark in digital content, interoperates with a playback device having a second watermark detection component of a second sensitivity for detecting the watermark in a digital content recording made by the recording device; such that the first sensitivity is more sensitive than the second sensitivity.