AutoSkip

AUTOMATIC COMMERCIAL SKIPPING WITH KMTTG

BASIC FUNCTIONALITY

• Note that all commercial skipping functionality only applies to series 4 or later TiVos that support RPC functionality.
• Once you have imported skip data for any show located on a series 4 or later TiVo you can watch the show on the TiVo and have it automatically skip commercials without having to press any button.

GENERATING SKIP ENTRIES AUTOMATICALLY FROM TIVO SKIPMODE DATA

• See [AutoSkip_from_SkipMode]

IMPORTING SKIP ENTRIES FROM VIDEOREDO OR COMSKIP

• You can use the NPL tab Import skip button to import skip data from a VideoRedo .VPrj file or from a comskip .edl file. Select 1 or more entries in the table and then click on the button.
• This is useful for cases when skip data is not available from tivo.com or if you want to generate precise cut points on your own and want to watch with automatic commercial skipping.
• kmttg will use the file naming template to automatically search for .VPrj or .edl files in .TiVo Output Dir or .mpg Output Dir for the selected entries. If none found then you are prompted to provide one.
• For VideoRedo users an easy way to prepare and import skip data is as follows:
  • Enable config--VideoRedo--Bring up VideoRedo GUI to make manual cuts option.
  • In main kmttg window select only Ad Cut task and nothing else and then select an NPL table entry and click START JOBS.
  • This will download the show and automatically bring it up in VideoRedo GUI once download completes.
  • When you have completed marking the commercial segments save the project (to Vprj file) and then back in kmttg select the relevant entry and click on Import skip button.
  • Now you can close VideoRedo window and remove the downloaded .TiVo file if you wish.

AUTOSKIP TABLE

• Any skip data that is imported is saved in AutoSkip.ini file in the kmttg installation directory.
• You can visualize the data from kmttg GUI using menu item: File -- AutoSkip Table...
• This brings up AutoSkip Entries dialog with a table showing all saved entries.
• The AD1 column signifies the 1st commercial start point in mm:ss format based on imported skip data.
• When you click on a table entry the kmttg message window will show the show segments that were imported.
• NOTE: In NPL tables an "S" will appear in the IMAGE column for each show that has a corresponding AutoSkip table entry. This serves as a quick and easy way for you to determine which shows can be played in kmttg AutoSkip for automatic commercial skipping.

Remove button

• You can select 1 or more entries in the table and use Remove button to remove them permanently from AutoSkip.ini file
• Note that it is easier to automatically prune entries that are no longer needed using the NPL tab Prune skipTable button (see below).

PRUNE SKIPTABLE

• As shows are deleted on your TiVos there will be correspoding entries in AutoSkip table that are no longer useful to save.
• Rather than manually trying to determine and remove entries no longer needed, you can use the Prune skipTable button in NPL tab to do it automatically. Simply make sure you have full list of shows obtained for a TiVo, then press the button to automatically determine and remove AutoSkip table entries no longer needed.

RUNNING AUTOSKIP FOR INDIVIDUAL SHOW

• From NPL table select a show that has skip data available (marked with "S" in image column) and then press z button.
• kmttg will automatically start playback of the show on your TiVo and enter AutoSkip monitoring for it.
• Message window will display a series of start/end times in mm:ss format. Each start/end block represents show start/stop points. Anything outside those points is considered a commercial block.
• At this point, kmttg will automatically skip commercials for you without you having to touch the remote.
• NOTE: Commercials are only skipped when you are in normal play mode. If you are in FF/REW mode then commercials are not skipped.
• When kmttg skips commercials you will see messages in the message window indicating what time was jumped to.
• When you stop play, kmttg will automatically detect that within a few seconds and stop monitoring. You will see a AutoSkip: DISABLED message when that happens.

AUTOSKIP SERVICE

• NOTE: AutoSkip service is not available until you have at least one skip entry imported into kmttg.
• The main purpose here is to enable automatic commercial skipping without having to manually start playback of a show using the z button from a kmttg NPL table entry.
• When AutoSkip service is enabled for a TiVo, any show that you start playback for that has associated entry saved in the AutoSkip table will automatically enter AutoSkip and skip commercials automatically for you.
• You can start AutoSkip service using the following menu entry: File -- AutoSkip Service
  • Note, this also enables the Channel Navigator for that TiVo (see [config_ChannelNavigator])
• Select 1 or more TiVos or Minis for which you want to enable automatic AutoSkip monitoring for. Note that this is the TiVo or Mini that you will be watching for which you want to use auto skip. In order for Minis to show up as an option, make sure you enable RPC under kmttg config--Tivos tab for each Mini on your network. Note that if you enable AutoSkip service on too many TiVos/Minis at once you may overwhelm kmttg or your network, so only enable service on devices that you actually plan on using, and remember to disable when not using it anymore.
• Note that AutoSkip service works for shows being streamed (MRS) from series 4 or later TiVos too. So, for example if you have a show on TiVo A that has a skip entry and you have AutoSkip service enabled on a Mini or TiVo B, auto commercial skipping will still work as if you were viewing directly on TiVo A. You can also MRV shows with skip entries to other TiVos and when you play them AutoSkip should work for them as well.
• Note that this menu entry is a toggle. When enabled you will see a check mark by the menu entry. When disabled there will be no check mark. So make sure if you no longer need/want AutoSkip service that you disable the menu entry or close kmttg. If you close kmttg with AutoSkip service running, kmttg will automatically resume running the service when next re-started.

TEMPORARILY DISABLING AUTOSKIP WITHOUT TURNING OFF SERVICE

• There may be times when you want to disable automatic commercial skipping from your TiVo without having access to turning off AutoSkip service on kmttg.
• You can disable AutoSkip by going to Live TV on the TiVo being monitored and tuning to channel you have configured as AutoSkip service disable channel (channel 0 by default). Note that it doesn't matter if that channel is one you receive or not. Once you do this within a few seconds the AutoSkip service is effectively disabled (kmttg message window will display a message as such). From that point onwards there will be no commercial skipping in effect until you re-enable AutoSkip again.
• To re-enable AutoSkip go to Live TV on the TiVo being monitored and tune to channel you have configured as AutoSkip service enable channel (channel 1 by default). Within a few seconds the AutoSkip service is re-enabled (kmttg message window will display a message as such).

AUTOMATING GENERATION OF SKIP TABLE ENTRIES

GENERATE AND IMPORT SKIP FILE USING COMSKIP (NO VIDEOREDO)

• config--AutoSkip--Automatically Import to Skip Table After Ad Detect
• Optionally enable config--Program Options--Use comskip GUI to review detected commercials
• Tasks to enable: decrypt, (QS Fix), Ad Detect

GENERATE AND IMPORT SKIP FILE USING VIDEOREDO ADSCAN

• config--AutoSkip--Automatically Import to Skip Table After Ad Detect
• Enable the following under config--AutoSkip--VideoRedo
  • Enable VideoRedo
  • Use VideoRedo AdScan instead of comskip
  • Optionally enable: Use VideoRedo GUI to review detected commercials
• Tasks to enable: Ad Detect

GENERATE AND IMPORT SKIP FILE USING VIDEOREDO MANUAL REVIEW

(This is my preferred method for skip import)

• config--AutoSkip--Automatically Import to Skip Table After Ad Detect
• Enable the following under config--VideoRedo
  • Enable VideoRedo
  • Bring up VideoRedo GUI to make manual cuts
  • Optionally enable config--File Settings--Remove Ad Cut Files after Ad Cut so .VPrj file is automatically deleted after processing is complete.
  • Optionally enable config--Remove .TiVo after file decrypt so .TiVo file is automatically deleted after processing is complete.
• Tasks to enable: Ad Cut

IMPORTING SKIP ENTRIES FROM OTHER PEOPLE

For information on how to import skip entries from other people so you don't have to generate your own skip file consult the [SkipShareImport] Wiki.