Easy to use video editor for cutting out the ads?

I have just found these 3rd party tools for tablo. From this discussion I guess even though I have the commercial skip turned on when the show is recorded, when I export the show using Tablo Tools Export the commercials are still intact?

Yes the Tablo doesn’t actually remove the commercials, the play back just skips them.

Thanks for the quick reply. Too bad the export feature does not exclude the commercials. I have been using MCEBuddy for a long time and will set it up to run comskip on the exported shows.

From what I recall, it creates another playlist - without the commercials. Which could also be exported. The beta testing from the web app was so short, I didn’t have commercial skip long enough to dig into it.

There were some discussion and a bit of R&D. If you can find the playlists on your drive, notice the naming differences, of course you have to have commercial skip. Stream one through a media player… see no commercials? Export it via ffmpeg creating an mp4 - with no commercials.

So, the possibility may exists, but I’m not aware of any 3rd party apps which have the option to export a com skip play list – if this methodology is still available.

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I considered adding this to APLTablo at one point…so yes, it’s certainly possible…if you trust the ComSkip to export without them.

It looks like they’ve completely overhauled the way the handle this now. There is no longer a separate playlist :frowning:

When you request a steaming URL part of the returned JSON includes cuts

   "cuts": [
        {
            "te": 419.414,
            "ts": 296.657
        },
        {
            "te": 898.244,
            "ts": 753.345
        },
        {
            "te": 1517.02,
            "ts": 1329.6
        }
    ], 

Believe it’s time end; time start (don’t know why it’s backwards) to skip over the commercials.

I haven’t connect my drive to my PC, there is a 403 - Forbidden file in the pl directory subcc.json, which likely stored this (?) but it’s unconfirmed.

And if any of this is actually accurate is unclear, it’s just a bit a trial 'n error of “what do I really know” stuff.

Your json pretty printer is simply sorting.

that’s not a change, that’s the way it has always been, but there is also a separate Playlist you can get that never plays the commercials, instead of skipping over them, they simply don’t exist.

Back in Jan, I had a discussion about a separate playlist when I discovered a way to get com skip to work in a browser. Those playlist no longer exists as they did then, nor does adding a query to the streaming string. &cc

This is now appears to be outdated info :disappointed_relieved:

If you’re able to export a recording without commercials – that would be amazingly awesome.

Thanks… I did get raw data, you know I had’da see what you meant, and HTTPie seems to want to default sort the data (that’s a bit messed up)

Yea, I went back through that thread and you are correct, it’s not working as it did 8 months ago, probably pulled out of the firmware after we discussed it :)…sad, I was hoping to be able to use this.

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I guess it was too good to be true… or too obvious.

Another question about Tablo Tools. When I tell Tablo Tools to delete a recording from the HD after I have exported it, does it get removed from the recordings database that seems to be within the Tablo device itself?

Yes. It doesn’t always get cleared from Yahoo Tools right away (yet). If you click in the upper right corner to refresh they’ll disappear.

So, if I am trying to record an entire series of a TV show, that might be showing on several different channels, MASH for instance, I should not delete the recording from the HD after I export it to my PC. I don’t want Tablo to record duplicates.
Once I get it to my PC, I will extract commercials and then move it to my Plex server.

Mostly yes. I’ve done what you’ve describe. Seems if I export/delete, for a period of time taboo remembers.

But I’ve not done any through testing. Often “entire” series are shown in order, not always. Sometimes I check the schedule if their sequential.

Other times I just wait until it catches the entire series, then export for archiving - or by season at least.

For a series as long as Mash, yes, that would be even different. Depends how it’s broadcast.

Thanks for the help. I will experiment a little to see what happens. The worst thing that could happen if I delete after export is that a show gets recorded twice. That’s not a real bad thing.

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Ironically I’m currently working on MASH. I wait until I have a full season recorded then rip it from Tablo, then delete the recordings from Tablo. When I started recording they were just starting on season 2. After many months they are finally back around to season 1 again. They play them in season/numerical order.

Unfortunately they skipped a few episodes. I believe they were the last one of season 9 and the first of season 10. And then the very last episode of season 11 (yes the final episode, grrrr). Once I have all the seasons ripped and are missing a few, or need some new ones due to bad recordings, I set it to record new episodes. Seeing as there are no new episodes it records nothing automatically. I then monitor it until they play the ones I need and manually click them to record. I keep track of it all in a spreadsheet.

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Thanks for your insightful information. That sounds like the plan I’ll take. I already have the database started.

I haven’t gone so far as the spreadsheet, but the record new… when there isn’t any - yes. It keeps them in the scheduled to help remind you and check through them for what you’re looking for. Great suggestion! Depending how many there are, I often go for the season by season.

Now for the big question… what’s up with video hoarding? How often, if ever do you get around to watching the terabytes of videos you have archived? and don’t you take time to watch new content in between? What the endgame or exit strategy?


MeTV had a special Veterans Day airing of M*A*S*H - s11e16 - Goodbye Farewell and Amen 3hr episode with commentary, extra special. I’m not meticulous Mash fan, but I know that’s a special one.

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I think I see a poll idea somewhere in your comments :wink:

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