[mythtv-users] XBMC + Myth = ?? Was:Comcast Cable encrypted channels

[Alan Marchiori]

On Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 9:31 AM, Brian Wood<beww at beww.org> wrote:
> On Wednesday 05 August 2009 09:24:13 Alan Marchiori wrote:
>> > It also makes it possible, or at least easier, to delete commercials.
>>
>> ***sshhh*** don't say that; now they'll be shut down for sure.. :)
>
> PlayOn has already taken a step in that direction, they reduce the audio level
> by 50% for what PLayON determines is a commercial.

call the lawyers!

> I understand that part of the Boxee/Hulu squabble was that Boxee had the
> capability of eliminating, or at least identifying, commercials, though I ted
> to not believe anything I hear about that dispute.
>
> The funny thing is, most people I talk to are perfectly happy to sit through
> the Hulu commercials, they are few and short, and some are actually cute.
> It's the 2 or 4 minute infomercials we see on commercial TV that seem to
> really bother people.
>
> But we're getting WAY OT here :-)
>

Eh, that's my job (going OT).  Anyhow, I was just thinking if it would
make content providers happy I would be happy with a "must watch" flag
of some sort in myth that didn't allow you to skip the commercials (in
online content from sources like hulu).  Better yet, I assume the
stream provider can/does track exactly how much video each user
watches so they could enforce this on their end something like "you
must watch xx minutes of commercials per xx hours of video".  Then
when myth hit this limit (the content provider would disable the
stream until you come back in balance with their commercial policy)
myth would switch to the "commercial" stream and play that until the
policy is met and then switch back to the content stream, repeat,...

This would work only if it was not possible to record the stream.  If
you recorded the content when no one was watching it really wouldn't
make anyone happy.