[mythtv] Commercial replacement instead of skipping

[Peter Schachte]

Brad DerManouelian wrote:
> On Feb 27, 2007, at 3:14 PM, Peter Schachte wrote:
>> I think Hal's point is that by *replacing* commercials with some other
>> equal-length programming while watching, and assuming the  
>> commflagger could run
>> at real-time speed, you would be in a steady state.  So you  
>> wouldn't have to be
>> 8 minutes ahead for every 30 minutes of program, you'd just have to  
>> be far
>> enough ahead for the commflagger's output to be available.   
> 
> I understand his intent, I just don't understand how it would even  
> possibly be implemented considering the fact that the comm flagger  
> takes into account both what it sees at the start and end of a  
> commercial break to determine if it's a valid commercial break. If  
> you run it real-time, there's no end yet, so it would never tell you  
> there is a commercial until it was over.

Sorry, I didn't realize myth couldn't flag the start of a commercial until it
found the end.  OK, for this idea to work, then, you'd have to be watching 5 or
6 minutes behind real time (whatever the length of your longest commercial break).

> Even if you could somehow  
> predict that your commercial start flag is valid without seeing the  
> end of the commercial, you'd then need a way to pick what to watch  
> while the commercial was playing.

You could use the play list for that, that doesn't sound like a big problem.
I'd be more concerned that you'll be abruptly stopping the playback of the
program you switch to during the commercial.  It could be pretty disconcerting
to keep switching away from a recording in mid sentence.

> I guess I'm just confused why people still insist on letting program  
> directors control their personal time. I don't even think about what  
> time programs are on any more. I just watch when I feel like it.

I feel the same way, but I know some people do like to watch at least some
programs in real time.  I do see what you mean about the lack of a use case for
this idea, though.  Basically the only people who would benefit from this are
people who are too eager to watch the show to wait through 1/3 of the show or
so before starting to watch it, but not too eager to wait 5 or 6 minutes.  It
does sound like a pretty small group.

-- 
Peter Schachte              Your enemy is never a villain in his own eyes,
schachte at cs.mu.OZ.AU        keep this is mind.
www.cs.mu.oz.au/~schachte/      -- Robert Heinlein
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