Turn off new commercial detection?

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

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

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

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.

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.

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?

Another example...

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

That only stops comskip from running. It doesn't stop the new Smart Commercial Detection from being used.

Specifically [ADS] Detected # commercial markers in file-# ?
That would be the new Smart Commercial Detection being used.
And that does fill in the Commercials block in the recorded file json

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

I'm just not sure if that's where Kodi is pulling it from, but sounds likely since you just started seeing the problem when Smart Commercial Detection was introduced. :man_shrugging:

Not sure what that means. There are several examples of what the logs look like in this thread- which one does it match?

Or just copy/paste what it actually shows in there.

I may have an MCE Buddy leak of some sort getting to files that are supposed to be ignored.

I have ignore folders set for the stuff that gets deleted in a day or two like the local news, sports talk, ect.

The majority of TV Shows get sent through MCE Buddy, to my Plex TV Shows folder, immediately following completion of the recording.

My problem may be that MCE Buddy is messing with the ignored stuff that isn't moved over to Plex, which are the only recordings I watch in Kodi with the Channels add-on. Otherwise, I can't understand how the logs show commercial detection and not show commercial detection is running.

So my theory at this point is MCE Buddy is adding the markers to recordings set to ignore. Or that the new Channels commercial detection just doesn't like me and never works properly in Kodi. The reason I think it may be the former is because the logs don't show the commercial detection actually running, only that it shows markers have been detected.

From the log
"Detected 14 commercial markers in file-8418"

Maybe you haven't caught on to why we're asking you what we have asked.

There is comskip commercial detection that "runs" as a process after a recording is finished which you can control (enable/disable) in Channels DVR.
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.

Then there is the new Smart Commercial Detection which you have no control over and gets used (not run) automatically on some recordings. It doesn't "run" comskip for its results
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

We have been trying to find out from you which commercial detection it was, and you finally replied with the answer

We've been trying to tell you, that is the new Smart Commercial Detection.

Hope that helps clarify our troubleshooting methodology.

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Except the two examples that were shared were for channels that do not use the new detection; NBCUniversal and Fox networks do not use the new detection, according to statements from the developers.

Of course, complete/full details were not shared. And there is apparently some third-party shenanigans going on with MCEBuddy and Plex, too, in addition to Kodi.

In order to truly get to the root, full details and a minimal case would be needed, neither of which have been presented.

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Correct! I am still getting this issue with MSNBC. The logs of course don't show the new Smart Commercial Detection on this channel because it doesn't run on that channel. That led me to believe it was MCE Buddy, but I turned off all commercial detection in MCE Buddy and I still get the same issue.

I can set Kodi to ignore the markers but they are still there. It still remains a mystery where they are coming from.

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