Xref: utzoo sci.electronics:3738 rec.video:4147
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!osu-cis!att!mtune!mtund!smc
From: smc@mtund.ATT.COM (Steven Casagrande)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics,rec.video
Subject: Re: VCR comercial eliminator
Summary: Color Subcarrier detector
Message-ID: <1039@mtund.ATT.COM>
Date: 1 Sep 88 18:01:06 GMT
References: <257@ivucsb.UUCP> <16314@apple.Apple.COM> <17659@glacier.STANFORD.EDU> <1831@loral.UUCP> <45@calmasd.GE.COM>
Reply-To: smc@mtund.UUCP (Steven Casagrande)
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Lincroft, NJ
Lines: 27

In article <45@calmasd.GE.COM> jnp@calmasd.GE.COM (John Pantone) writes:
>
>>I don't know why everyone is discussing fade to black detection, special
>>signals in the vertical sync, or whatever for commercial detection.  All
>>ya gotta do is monitor the sound track and wait for the volume to go up.
>
>There is no signal present on broadcast tv which presages a commercial
>

A few years back there was a device that would detect the Color SubCarrier
transmitted by the TV Station.  Apparently, if you were trying to tape
a B&W movie (i.e., late at night), it would detect the switch from
the B&W movie to the COLOR commercial, and would then stop the tape
(using a hardwired pause line - this was about 6 yrs ago).  It was
supposed to be pretty fast, but I wonder if the station would just
transmit the color subcarrier anyway during the movie (to avoid this 
effect).  I think VIDICRAFT made this box, and it was called "The
Commercial Eliminator" or something like that.

Of course, this wouldn't do squat for a color show.....

     ___           
   =======    "The Power of the Force             +---------------------------+
 =.....=====   stopped you hosers, eh!"           |       TIME  0:00          |
=.......=====	 -- Strange Brew                  | KANSAS  83 chOKLAHOMA  79 |
=......======	                                  +---------------------------+
 ===========   Steve Casagrande    These are not the ideas of AT&T Bell Labs,
   ======      att!mtund!smc       but they reserve the right to purchase them.