Wanted to ask a general question about the current state of dvr commercial detection.
Currently using mcebuddy to process and cut commercials. I know the built in detection tags commercial segments vs cutting them, but wanted to get an idea of what peoples’ comments are about how well the built in process works.
Any comments are welcome.
Thanks!
Actually Plex supports both use cases…
The linked support article elaborates on the pros and cons:
I use it in skip mode and works very well but I am using a modified settings file.
Thanks for the article.
I remember back when the feature was first introduced and I gave it a try then. But I don’t recall having terribly great results so I turned to mcebuddy. That setup has been working decently well for quite a few years but figured enough time had elapsed that maybe the built in option might work better now.
Is your file tailored to a specific network and or country?
Plex DVR may one day do everything as well as MCEBuddy, but that day isn’t here. <—I wouldn’t put Buddy out to pasture yet. I haven’t.
I do use both, but I don’t ask Plex DVR to do something poorly that Buddy does very well, and has for a very long time. <— it’s a LONG list.
Plex wants to be everything to everyone. MCEBuddy does what it does and doesn’t try to be anything else. They can concentrate on doing DVR and doing it right. They have Decades on Plex and Plex isn’t even close yet. IMO.
Generic for the country. If you have a config that works for you in MCEBuddy it will work in plex. They both use the comskip engine. You need to create a DVR folder in the main plex folder (same location where your pligins folder is) and drop the comskip.ini file in the newly created DVR folder.
I paid for the premium version of mce so I’m not going to abandon it that fast. Might give it a try again and see how it goes.
The biggest issue I have with MCE is that since it cuts the commercial out, sometimes there are a few seconds at the end of a episode or just before a commercial that are removed, which obviously can’t be brought back. But since Plex offers the option to just tag, I figured that might be worth a shot, again.
I adjusted my Buddy Comskip to err on the side of content - and it leaves plenty. I actually got the Custom INI I’m using from MCEBuddy’s Community INI resource. Found one of them that’s just right in that regard:
(can’t remember which - that pesky transmitter that was hit by lightning a year ago doesn’t require much in the way of a DVR ATM)
If I need frame accurate editing I use VideoReDo TV Suite 5 - and I do believe that was the best $100 I EVER spent…lol
If I had more than 2 channels to record (as soon as they fix that transmitter) I’d probably go back to Channels DVR - while Plex fiddles around trying to catch up. I don’t mind paying for something that works. <— and those guys are nothing, if not magical…:
Are you kind of hinting that with a little tweaking of the comskip file, it might be just as well to leave mce to do it’s thing?
Also, can mce tag commercials like Plex offers, or just cut them?
Channels DVR can.
MCEBuddy might mark them (see below), but playback control will be up to something else.
I’ve not fiddled with Buddy for a few years and in that time I’m sure there has been more and different magic applied - so you’d have to explore that possibility. I guess I am hinting you own the thing - find out what it can do now-a-days. We bought it 'cause the guy works on it ALL THE TIME. He’s tireless in that regard.
Comskip can NOT do frame accurate commercial editing - no matter what you do. Comskip can be made to get ‘most’ of them - and leave a bit of ad if it errs on the side of content, but one is going to sneak in there occasionally to do it’s worst.
MCEBuddy’s Comskip and Plex’s Comskip are simply Comskip. Buddy’s version may be easier to fiddle with - don’t know - never fiddled with Plex’s.
Comskip relies on audio/video/empty space things to trigger it’s activity. If everything remained exactly the same across all 10 Billion Channels and Network Content Editors (The Human Idiot Factor) it would be easy, but that’s not how it happens, is it? Sometimes everything Comskip uses is missing when Joe Bloe from WKRP in Cocomo does a fast jump cut into a long commercial break 'cause he forgot one last time. That’s when Comskip loses it’s lunch all over it’s shoes.
Comskip is the hand grenade approach to commercial editing - and that’s just the way it is. Get it close - let it explode and hope for the best.
10 seconds with google finds a very old post - see if there’s anything new(er):
Love the grenade analogy.
Blunt, simply put…
I looked up your channels dvr software but it looks like it is an either or scenario. Either use Plex or use channels for recording. Plus a review mentioned needing to use the channels app to view the recordings.
So with the little info I was seeing, I’m quite curious what your setup is for live tv, dvr, movies, shows etc.
4 years ago our lone PBS transmitter atop Hognutts Ridge here in sunny WV was hit by lightning. They had it hanging together with duct tape and bailing wire so it would work about half the time, down from it’s lofty 15KW to about 20Watts, but about a year ago it died completely.
In the last 5 years I’ve not had occasion to find out what’s new with MCEBuddy. When I had real TV I used Channels to record it - then Buddy to work it into shape and add it to one of two libraries set up for it’s arrival (Movies/TV Shows) in Plex.
Everything was automated so I had little need for Plex DVR, to be honest, but about a year ago while the transmitter was still working half the time I got the PPass and was fiddling with Plex DVR - still using MCEBuddy to do what Plex could not.
I’m not current. I have no idea what is possible these days, but I do know Plex DVR is lacking in many ways - if reading Plex Forums is any indication of it’s capabilities.
I suspect if I had to deal with TV in real time I’d know a lot more about MCEBuddy/Channels activities. Right now I’m out of the loop.
WV PBS got a big injection of my lottery revenue (that didn’t pay off), so when they decide which lawmaker gets a Villa somewhere nice, they do have plans to fix this transmitter… at some point… with what’s left.
I’m sure I’ll know more if that ever happens.
I can tell you it took a D8 to get 80% of 20Watts at 3 miles.
If that thing on the mountain comes back to life at full power it might blow that end of the house off… let’s find out…lol
I think you are going far more hardcore than I may need.
Mostly for my wife, maybe a handful of shows that we can get ota. I think sticking with mce at the moment and tweaking the com skip file will probably be enough.
I suppose in theory I could use the tweaked comskip file with Plex to and try that method out too.
for years I to have been using MCEbuddy and comskip to remove commercials. I have thrown that all out completely and am now letting Plex handle things since they added the “Detect Commercials and mark for skip” to the DVR setup. I never liked altering the files because mistakes can be made in the process and cutting the start of the show is so frustrating.
I also tuned the comskip.ini things are working really well
just put the file Plex Media Server\DVR
comskip.zip (2.6 KB)
Server Version#: 1.21.3.4046
Player Version#: apple tv
Tuner Make/Model: hdhomerun connect and hdhomerun connect duo
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