Turn off new commercial detection?

Channels DVR Server
#14

Comskip has never been engaged because I don't want commercial detection.
This issue started when this new "feature" was added. Never before.

#15

Are you saying you have disabled:

  1. Commercial detection completely;
  2. Commercial detection on MSNBC and FS1 selectively; or,
  3. Commercial detection on the individual programs with issues?

(You are aware that commercial detection is not, and has never been, perfect nor consistent, right?)

#16

I am aware of that and why I don't want it.

1.) Yes it is off and has never been on, although I toggled it a week or so ago attempting to troubleshoot the issue.

2.) Every recording I watched today other than my local Fox news show had issues. Fox local news show no commercials detected.

3.) Sorry don't understand question 3.

#17

Commercial detection can be set at 3 levels:

  • Globally, for all recordings
  • If globally enabled, specific channel numbers can be selectively ignored from detection
  • Regardless of the global setting, commercial detection can be enabled/disabled on a per-program basis

I was referring to the specific programs' setting for detection, as that is separate from the global setting.

(There is also a fourth condition, but it must be manually done via the command line: certain categories can be ignored for detection, such as disabling detections for all recordings marked as "Movie". But, I would think that if you did such a thing, such as enabling detection for "News" regardless of global setting, then you would have remembered.)

#18

Do any of those settings matter if I have commercial detection unchecked on the main page?

#19

In the override settings, commercial detection is not and has never been selected.

#20

Just to verify, in the logs of your DVR, after the recording, there are indeed lines indicating that commercial detection was run?

#21

MSNBC is starting a recording now that I can check for the issue...

#22

Look for something like: [DVR] Running commercial detection on file …

#23

I will check. How else do you think the commercial gaps in that Kodi screenshot would show up?

#24

No clue. But if it's not showing in the log that detection is being called, then it would appear the issue isn't the DVR.

#25

Looking at the log now shows that commercial detection is being used. Specifically for, Pardon The Interruption and This Just In on ESPN. Both had issues and skipped part of the show's contents.

#26

Curious how it can't be an issue with the DVR since that is where the recordings are coming from and all of my other recordings from other sources, including Channels recordings prior to the new commercial detection feature, which I still have many, don't have the issue?

#27

Another example...

screenshot00005
screenshot000052560×1417 505 KB

#28

If it's not supposed to be enabled, I would do the turn it off/on thing:

  • If detection is globally disabled, enable it
  • Restart the DVR server
  • Disable commercial detection
  • Restart the DVR server

Afterwards, submit diagnostics to ensure that what is being displayed is reflected internally.

Beyond this, I cannot offer any support.

#29

I have done all those things over the past week or so to try and troubleshoot it myself so I didn't have to bother the hard working devs.

#30

I think there is an advanced setting in Kodi I can change that will ignore the commercials.

#31

Really quite simple.
Check the Channels DVR log for one of those recordings.
Does it show the new Smart commercial detection being run used?

[ADS] Detected 8 commercial markers in file-559: TV/The Beverly Hillbillies/The Beverly Hillbillies S01E12 1962-12-12 The Great Feud 2021-12-22-1600.mpg

Or does it show comskip being run?

[DVR] Running commercial detection on file 559 (TV/The Beverly Hillbillies/The Beverly Hillbillies S01E12 1962-12-12 The Great Feud 2021-12-22-1600.mpg)
[DVR] Commercial detection for The Beverly Hillbillies S01E12 1962-12-12 The Great Feud 2021-12-22-1600.mpg finished with 8 markers in 18m15.597336362s.

Now look at the recorded file json http://x.x.x.x:8089/dvr/files/559 for the recording and you'll see a block named

"Commercials": [
  3285.98,
  3413.88,
  3494.2200000000003,
  3623.4500000000003
],

Most likely the Kodi add-on used to access Channels DVR is reading that from the recorded file json.

#32

If the commercial detection setting is off, and you're still seeing "Running commercial detection" in the logs, then that is a bug.

Is that what is happening or not?

What you're seeing in kodi is not relevant.

#33

I will keep an eye on the logs.

Yes it showed commercial detection on at least two ESPN shows in the logs. The commercial detection on the main page and the override section is unchecked and always has been.

Thanks for the help.

Edit...
The logs mention that commercial markers are detected and not that it is running. Sorry about that. I must have another issue not related to Channels. I will keep an eye on the logs. Thanks again.