On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:14:44 -0500, Warp wrote:

> Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
>> But of course with things like the "magic skippy button" (ie, DVR and
>> the ability to skip commercials)
> 
>   The only way the recorder can do that automatically is if the TV
>   channel
> sends metadata telling when the commercial break begins and ends. Unless
> they are forced by law to do that (which might be the case in some
> countries), the only thing they have to do is to not send that metadata.

I didn't say anything about it being automatic, now, did I?

I've got a button on my remote programmed to skip forward 30 seconds, and 
a button that skips backwards 15 seconds.  So I can press the button 
about 10 times (give or take) and skip the entire commercial break.

>   In Finland, AFAIK, at least some TV channels send metadata to indicate
>   the
> beginning and ending of TV programs, but not to mark commercial breaks
> (obviously there's no law that would demand them to do so). That way
> recorders can start and stop recording precisely, but won't skip
> commercial breaks.

I don't know if there's such metadata in the US streams, but there's 
always a frame or two that is completely black (so I understand) which is 
used by software that strips commercials from recordings.

Jim

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