fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Filip G.) (10/02/89)
The whole article about TV commercials, so get ready: I am designing/building a prototype and here present the theory and other bs. This is *LONG*. A few flames. I am in the process of designing a TV commerical-deleter. I am also building a prototype with a *VERY* promising future. Here is the "thing": The box has a digital timer, a 6502 + eeprom, a 8 bit ADC, a filter, and a VCR control interface. (& let's not forget PS!) (the 6502 is because I have an APPLE //e....) The operation: You set the timer for the show you want to watch. The box will turn itself ON about 3(+5) min AFTER the time set and get a frequency reading from the filter from the TV program airing. It will then scan the video signal as long as similar noise levels and "studio-specific" signals are present. If a noticable change is detected, it will sent out a "pause" code to the VCR interface. As soon as similar "noises" appear from the filter, it clocks the "pause" once more. When the show is over, it either does a "rewind" or "stop" and waits for you till morning. The theory: Before you get the torch out let me explain what I have noticed over the YEARS of watching TV. 1. The actual "show" has a very different audio and video qualities than the commercial. This is known as "studio-specific-noise". Hence, it is possible to detect a sudden change it that spectrum. Granted, you all have brains and could come up with 20 different situations where this project would DIE. But look at it from my point of view; You guys (gals) talked and talked for YEARS and have NOTHING to show for your wisdom. I, on the other hand, have something that works MOST of the time. (No flames please, as I know UNIX quite well and know where /dev/null is....grin) 2. I have watched most of the TV in the past year on a green monochrome composite monitor through my VCR. If you read the specs for most composited, you will see that they have a wider MHz bandwidth than all of the TV's on the market. I have seen, in the bottom of the screen, TV technicians pass messages between each other in the form of numbers, rasters, and YES!!! text!!!!. AND *YES*, THOSE MESSAGES CHANGE FOR EACH SHOW, COMMERCIAL, AD, ETC. So, my point is that Those TV people HOPE that everyone has a TV which DOES NOT show the full bandwidth. Granted, not all shows have those messages but almost ALL of the commercials DO. So there... 3. One can also focus on the audio aspect of the deal. Since one studio's equipment (or at least the wear on thereof) is differents than anothers, it follows that one can make (like me) a filter to "see" if the level of the noise is the same. This can be processed by a MPU and used to control a VCR or your brain, for all I care. 4. More features and/or explanations will follow. For the technical part: It is NOT hard. It DOES require access to logic analysers. (I was surprised that the UNIV of PITTSBURGH would not allow a SOPHOMORE EE to use their laboratory but that, my friend, is another jihad) I had to resort to HOME_MADE stuff. You also need a CPU of some sort. (BTW, I DON'T EVEN WANT TO HEAR THAT THIS CAN BE DONE WITH ANALOG ALONE. YOU ANCIENT ANALOG EE'S CAN DO IT, IF YOU WANT BUT DON'T SPOIL OUR (the new generation) FUN. (this flame comes from the fact that I and others were given a sermon about how nice, beautiful, and kind analog logic is by some old (hence ancient) professor in my EE department. Not to say that it's bad or that it won't work, it's just that we should be PROGRESSING not falling behind in our ideas.)) One more thing (for this section): as far as the VCR interface. Right now I have VOIDED the Warranty by making DIRECT connections inside the VCR. This allows me complete control of what I am doing. The same can be accomplished be a IR programmable interface. Just like the ones which you can program with the codes from several hand-remotes. This keeps the manufacturer happy (God knows why, after all, I am an EE and will not DARE to mess up a $500 item...) Anyways, being a fulltime sophomore EE, chores call, see ya. "'hope that helps," Filip G. -- _______________________________________________________________________________ "The FORCE will be with you. Always." It *IS* with me and has been for 8 years. Filip Gieszczykiewicz "..of future fame...." FMGST@PITTVMS or fmgst@unix.cis.pittsburgh.edu