[mythtv] New Method for Commercial Detection.

[Robert Dunn]

Steve Hodge wrote:
>> This isn't as much of a problem as you would imagine, the reason this
>> technique can work is because commercials repeat, where as programs do
>> not. Even if someone were to submit keys for the latest episode of a TV
>> Show. They wouldn't detect the program unless it aired again before the
>> keys 'timed out' and were removed from the database. Over here there are
>> very few TV shows which would have the same episode aired within a
>> couple of weeks of each other.
>>     
>
> I guess you don't have Sky, Rob? What you say is only true of FTA
> broadcasts in NZ, and not of most Sky channels.
>
> Steve


Well we do, I just never really noticed that they do repeat.  Believe it 
or not I don't watch much TV... there's too many commercials =D. After 
further reviewing the Sky Watch you are very much correct there is much 
more repetition than I had initially thought when compared with the FTA 
channels. I guess the issue of malicious keys would be more significant 
than I realized, certainly an issue to be dealt with if on 
line-collaboration was ever implemented.


> I wonder how well it could handle previews for shows!  In AU, you
> often get a preview of an upcoming show as the first or last block of
> a commercial.  And the preview can change in format depending on
> whether it is getting to the end of the current show or not.
>
> Would this be a problem?
>
> Whytey
To put it shortly, possibly.  It would depend on how they are 
structured, I will have to look into this further.

Thanks for all the feedback guys, its good to have other people pick 
over an idea to find the flaws =D Stitch in Time and all that.

Thanks,

Rob.