Method and apparatus for reducing and restoring the effectiveness of a commercial skip system
A method and apparatus is disclosed which reduces or removes the effectiveness of commercial skip systems such as presently found in VCRs, PVRs, etc. which are designed to delete commercials from signal material upon playback of a previously recorded version of the signal material. In an embodiment, the effectiveness of the commercial skip system is reduced or removed by adding a flat field of selected signal level to active line portions of video lines of the signal material. Other embodiments modify the normal fade to black signal indicative of a commercial to provide a fade to non-black signal. In further embodiments, a fade to non-black signal is inserted in an overseas area of the signal picture. Still further embodiments modify audio signals or selected signals in the horizontal blanking interval which may be used in commercial skip systems to detect the presence of commercials.
1. A method for processing timing of a media signal to defeat a commercial-skip system, the method comprising: monitoring an incoming media signal; comparing a brightness value of the media signal to a threshold value; determining, based on the comparison, that the brightness value of the media signal is below the threshold value; generating, based on the determination, an indicator signal with a logic high value, wherein the indicator signal corresponds to a fade to black signal; determining an amount of time required to generate the indicator signal; delaying the incoming media signal by the amount of time required to generate the indicator signal; and combining the indicator signal with the delayed incoming media signal to thereby defeat or reduce the effectiveness of a commercial-skip system.
2. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
determining the brightness value, wherein determining the brightness value comprises:
determining a plurality of pixel brightness values of a plurality of pixels of the media signal;
wherein determining that the brightness value of the media signal is below the threshold value comprises:
comparing the plurality of pixel brightness values to the threshold value;
determining that each of the plurality of pixel brightness values is below the threshold value.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold value is a brightness value indicative of a transition from media content to a commercial in the media signal.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining the indicator signal with the delayed incoming media signal comprises increasing a brightness of a portion of the media signal.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the portion of the media signal comprises an overscan portion of the media signal.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining the indicator signal with the delayed incoming media signal comprises adding a modifying signal to the media signal.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein adding the modifying signal to the media signal comprises increasing the brightness value of the media signal to a modified brightness value that is above the threshold value.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying the threshold value based on the media signal.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein modifying the threshold value based on the media signal comprises:
determining that a first brightness value of the media signal is less than a stored brightness value; and
in response to determining that the first brightness level is less than the stored brightness value, storing the first brightness value as the threshold value.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media signal is a video signal.
11. A system for processing timing of a media signal to defeat a commercial-skip system, the system comprising control circuitry configured to: monitor an incoming media signal; compare a brightness value of the media signal to a threshold value; determine, based on the comparison, that the brightness value of the media signal is below the threshold value; generate, based on the determination, an indicator signal with a logic high value; determine an amount of time required to generate the indicator signal, wherein the indicator signal corresponds to a fade to black signal; delay the incoming media signal by the amount of time required to generate the indicator signal; and combine the indicator signal with the delayed incoming media signal to thereby defeat or reduce the effectiveness of a commercial-skip system.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
determine the brightness value, wherein the control circuitry if configured to determine the brightness value by:
determining a plurality of pixel brightness values of a plurality of pixels of the media signal;
and wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine that the brightness value of the media signal is below the threshold value by:
comparing the plurality of pixel brightness values to the threshold value;
determining that each of the plurality of pixel brightness values is below the threshold value.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the threshold value is a brightness value indicative of a transition from media content to a commercial in the media signal.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to combine the indicator signal with the delayed incoming media signal by increasing a brightness of a portion of the media signal.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the portion of the media signal comprises an overscan portion of the media signal.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to combine the indicator signal with the delayed incoming media signal by adding the indicator signal to the media signal.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to add the modifying signal to the media signal by increasing the brightness value of the media signal to a modified brightness value that is above the threshold value.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to modify the threshold value based on the media signal.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to modify the threshold value based on the media signal by:
determining that a first brightness value of the media signal is less than a stored brightness value; and
in response to determining that the first brightness level is less than the stored brightness value, storing the first brightness value as the threshold value.
20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the media signal is a video signal.