[mythtv-users] commercial flagging idea - commercial "fingerprinting"

Mon Apr 11 21:59:46 UTC 2005

On Apr 11, 2005 2:24 PM, Matt <skd5aner at gmail.com> wrote: 
> 
> Hello All, =D
> 
> Sorry this is long: For the short version, just read the first two 
> paragraphs.
> 
> I had an idea a few months ago, and just thought I'd throw it out
> there. I think that mythcommflag is getting better and better.
> However, sometimes there are times it'll goof up, and some shows are
> notroriously harder than others to flag correctly by their unique
> filmographic nature(Lost, Law & Order, CSI, etc...).
> 
> How about a method where users can validate mythcommflag's results and
> make that info available to the myth community to strengthen the
> accuracy of commercial flagging by using verified data.
> 
> For example. You record an epsiode of "Lost". You let mythcommflag
> run, and it detects commercials 90% correct. Then you go in and edit
> the recording and import the commercial flags by pressing "Z"... so
> far, everything like normal. Once the commercial markings are in
> there, you edit them so they are correct (cut off the begining
> commercials before the start of the show, make sure commercials are
> detected correctly, and make sure that there aren't any improperly
> detected cuts in the middle of the show, etc).
> 
> Then, once you have explicitly defined the commercials, some process
> could identify these as " Human Verified to be Correct". Then, the
> next time a user runs mythcommflag on that episode, the service can
> verify it's results based on those verified results and adjust
> accordingly.
> 
> This is where it gets difficult and several different solutions might
> be available:
> 
> 1) Digital fingerprints - Not sure if you anyone is familiar with
> MusicBrainz (http://www.musicbrainz.org/) or not. What it does is
> take an mp3 file, analysis it and make a digital finger print of it.
> Then, it sends that fingerprint to a database to compare with other
> fingerprints that people have submitted. It can then make a
> comparison and correctly identify the file and populate the ID3 tags
> of an otherwise un-identified file. The more people that ID a file,
> the "smarter" it becomes and the better it can do at identifying
> files. Once the program has been correctly marked, and some kind of
> "fingerprint" is made from the show, then it could be uploaded to a
> central database where other's can look for that show and episode to
> compare mythcommflag results so that the mythcommflag can do a better
> job based on the verified results sent by users who manually made sure
> the commercial detection was correct.
> 
> 2) Time based - Possibly more difficult, however you have to assume
> that the time of the show between commercial breaks is going to be
> (nearly) identical. So, in almost the same way, if mythcommflag has a
> false positive for a commercial, it can review what others have
> verified as correct and say "hey, there shouldn't be a commercial here
> because 40 other users say there is a time block of 15 minutes, not
> 7.5 + commericial + 7.5 more, etc.
> 
> 3) Identify individual commercials (not the entire commercial break) -
> Along the same lines as #1, identify specific commercials. So,
> anytime an acme company commercial is recorded, mythcommflag
> could/would be able to identify it as a commercial soley because it's
> "learned" that it is. This could possibly have more overhead and
> possibly labor intensive. With the constant turnover of advertising,
> as well as locally broadcast commercials, it might not be worth it and
> it'd be a ton of information. However, it could see where this might
> be useful for short teaser clips you see at the begining or the end of
> certain shows or that certain networks frequently use.
> 
> 4) combination of the above - I think if you went with the
> fingerprint, a time based solution would almost be included in that.
> 
> 5) Other - I'm sure others would have other suggestions that might
> work for this.
> 
> I know that this is a centralized approach, but seeings how it would
> be what I call a "bonus" feature, people that don't want to
> participate wouldn't have to sort of thing. Perhaps their's a
> decentralized approach as well. Mythcommflag could still work WITHOUT
> this feature, it's just something that can reinforce the accuracy of
> commercial flagging in myth. I'm also not sure about the legalities,
> PC, etc that a methodology like this would have or Issac's stance on
> the issue as I don't know if it's ever been thought of up to the
> point.
> 
> Anyway, I'm not a developer, nor am I pleading or begging anyone to
> develop this... I just think it sounds cool and if anyone has the
> know-how or if a few developers think it'd be fun to work on it, I'd
> love to help out any way I can.
> 
> So, what do all of you think? I know it could be a large project...
> 
> Thanks!
> Matt
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> 

I've also been thinking about this sort of feature. It seems a little sad, 
that hundreds of CPU's start comm. flagging the same show minutes after it's 
ended. What about a task sharing system to aid commercial flagging?
 Let me describe:
My machine and your machine have recorded "Lost" and "Alias". We both 
subscribe to the same cable service in the same zip code area (basically, we 
have the same Zap2It settings).
My machine will flag "Lost". Your's will flag "Alias". Then we'll exchange 
cut points. Initially, the exchanged cut-points could be verified by local 
commercial flagging. Over-time, groups of machines would form that "trusted" 
each others' comm. flagging accuracy based on previously verified (and 
accurate) results.
 Notice that no copyrighted content is exchanged.
 Obviously, more elaborate schemes could be devised so that the load would 
be fairly distributed and "leaches" would be kept to a minimum.
 Just an idea.
 -- 
Christopher David Petersen
(not of nuvexport fame, just a disciple of Jarod's guide)
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