I adore two things about my DVR: One, I don’t need an engineering degree to program it correctly, and two, I can zip through all the commercials faster than I ever did with a VHS tape. (Nod along like you know what I’m talking about.)
But sometimes it would be nice to skip the ads altogether, especially when the kids are in the room and oops! That family movie you recorded on a major network at night is wall-to-wall with ads for not such kid-like stuff.
A brand new app may be changing all that.
Designed by two guys who do have engineering degrees, Commercial Break, which launches in Beta today, is an iOS app that analyzes audio and video signals to determine whether a channel is currently broadcasting commercials. Can you see where this is going?
Open the app, select the channel you’re watching, and Commercial Break sends an alert when the ads are over and your show has returned. Pretty simple.
It’s also a really smart idea should you be avoiding most “commercial television” with your kids, but want watch a movie or show on a regular network; or one that’s running at night when the commercials often become less appropriate for kids.
Half-naked women selling web hosting platforms or soft drinks, anyone?
I gave the beta version of the iOS app an initial try (Android coming soon) and was pleasantly surprised to see how quickly the alert came through–about 5 seconds into programming. It worked well with the non-HD version of CNN, but I will say it was out of sync with CNN-HD so that’s a kink that has to be worked out.
While Commercial Break isn’t going to sway my love for my DVR, it could make watching live TV more appealing, especially for parents. Then again, the more technology allows us to skip ads, thereby lowering the commercial audience for a sponsor, the more we can expect to see marketers popping up in other, sometimes less obvious ways. Like the fast food logo on your kids’ soccer team t-shirts or the surreptitious product placement in the middle of a show.
But for now, with football season coming up, I can hustle my children away from the TV during the not-so-appropriate commercials and still make it back in time for the next play. That’s a good thing. -Julie
The Commercial Break iOS app is currently free while in beta in NYC and covers the four major networks, plus a handful of basic cable channels (no Bravo or AMC yet). Nationally, Commercial Break works with CNN and ESPN/ESPN2, with a few more on the east coast. In 2014, they plan to roll out to more cities (and hopefully more channels too) along with an Android version.
