1. A method for synchronization of a host media signal, the method comprising: using one or more programmed processors to perform acts of: detecting peaks due to redundancy of features in a host media signal; wherein the redundancy is controlled via a state machine that repeats a portion of a watermark structure, and varies another portion of the watermark structure over a coordinate system of the host media signal; analyzing the peaks to derive estimates of geometric or temporal distortion of the host media signal; computing a histogram of the estimated geometric or temporal distortion parameters; and from the histogram, computing a geometric or temporal distortion of the host media signal.