Automatically skip/dont record tv commercials

[lsman11]

Does windows media center have any options to either:
1. totally skip taping commercials
2. record them, but skip them on playback ?

At the moment I do not have w.media center, u just use my cable company's DVR. Any ideas/programs out there to make this happen?

thanks
lsm

[masherscf]

Originally Posted by lsman11

Does windows media center have any options to either:
1. totally skip taping commercials
2. record them, but skip them on playback ?

At the moment I do not have w.media center, u just use my cable company's DVR. Any ideas/programs out there to make this happen?

thanks
lsm

How does software recognize a commercial?

[tokenuser]

Originally Posted by masherscf

How does software recognize a commercial?

Actually, there are a couple of ways - the first is that there is a signal issued by the networks that signifies when a regional affilliate should insert local advertising. Second - there is a dip (looks like a geological fizzure on an audio spectrograph) in the audio that can also be detected.

Not hard to do (OK, its a little hard, but the theory is well established) - BUT the manufacturers of DVRs (including Tivo, ReplayTV - who had the best detection, and Settop manufacturers) have been "persueded" by the networks to not include this feature.

Nothing stopping an enterprising person from doing it via software on a MediaPC though ... like these guys for Sage/MythTV.

[lsman11]

awesome, thanks for the input!