Comskip deletes all Jimmy Kimmel programs

General Support / Questions Commercial Removal
1

Jimmy Kimmel Live!_KNXVDT_2026_08_14_22_33_00.wtv-Comskip to.wtv-2026-08-14T23-58-03.log (847.9 KB)

After WMC records Jimmy Kimmel programs on my Win 10 PC, Comskip runs and deletes the program. For several months now, this happens every time I record this program. I have several logs of this type of occurence. Can this be fixed?

2

That’s by design! I’m sorry but I couldn’t resist.:grin:

3

To Goose. Since I didn’t get a response, I paid for and downloaded the latest release 27.1 today. Maybe that’s why you haven’t answered?

ALSO can you change my email address from Caronaz@ to Glfgy8@gmail.com? I can’t seem to find a way to do that.

4

After paying for, downloading and installing 2.7 I still have the problem. Do you want another log file? Sure would appreciate you looking into this for me.

Thanks Dale

5

Hi, apologies for the delay. I had a look at your log file and it looks like Comskip is detecting commercials; your file went from 66 minutes to 40 minutes, approximately 24 minutes of commercials which sounds about right for an hour long show.

I didn’t quite understand what you meant by it deletes the show. I see that the file is converted. Are you saying that it’s deleting the actual show instead of the commercials?

6

YES, after it processes the show, it deletes the whole file, not just the commercials. It’s gone! And 5x a week it does this. Every Jimmy Kimmel show. All my other shows are fine, just this one.

7

Well since I have had no response and no fix, and also, while Comskip trashes my Jimmy shows, it also clips other shows a lot, I have uninstalled MCEBuddy. I’d like to ask for a refund, as I updated MCEBuddy to the latest release, and it did’nt help.

Dale

8

I missed your answer, but while it may have processed the show, it deleted it Every time after processing. Since I have uninstalled MCEBuddy, the show is there every day.

9

If the original file is deleted after the conversion succeeds, then it’s because one of the following options have been enabled

  1. Settings → Delete original
  2. Settings → Archive original (and the archive path is set in Settings → System settings, the original is moved to the archive path or if the archive path is inaccessible or conversion fails it’ll move it to the failed folder path)
  3. Settings → Sync converted files (if this is enabled, when the converted file is deleted then MCEBuddy also deletes the original file)

If you can attach MCEbuddy.log file I can take a look and see which setting is enabled

10

Looking closely at the log snippet from your first post, there is an important detail regarding how files are named and placed:

  • Source File: F:\Recorded TV\Jimmy Kimmel Live!_KNXVDT_2026_08_14_22_33_00.wtv
  • Destination Path: F:\Recorded TV
  • Profile / Task: WTV Unprocessed / Comskip to.wtv
  • Rename by Series: False

When converting to the exact same format (.wtv) into the exact same source folder (F:\Recorded TV) without a custom renaming pattern, MCEBuddy typically replaces or updates the destination file.

However, because the conversion job successfully matched internet metadata via TMDB:

Season : 24
Episode : 146

If your task or monitor settings are configured to organize, move, or rename series episodes into show/season subfolders, or if Windows Media Center’s database loses track of the newly written/overwritten file, it can appear as though the entire recording vanished from your WMC Recorded TV view. Alternatively, check if the processed file was placed in C:\Temp (your Archive folder) or F:\Temp (your Failed folder).

If you reinstall MCEBuddy and are willing to give it another shot, uploading both the full conversion log to completion and the main mcebuddy.log file (found in the MCEBuddy2x\log directory) will show the exact file move/delete commands executed at the end of the run.

11

Looking closely at your task settings in the conversion log header, there is an important detail regarding how MCEBuddy is handling the output destination versus the source file:

  • Source File: F:\Recorded TV\Jimmy Kimmel Live!_...wtv
  • Destination Path: F:\Recorded TV
  • Task Commercial Skip Cut: False
  • Pre-Conversion Commercial Remover: True
  • Auto Increment Filename: False
  • Rename by Series: False

What is happening to the file:

When Pre-Conversion Commercial Remover is used with profile WTV Unprocessed, MCEBuddy cuts the commercials from the original .wtv file and attempts to write the newly stripped file to the Destination Path (F:\Recorded TV) using the exact same filename.

If Windows Media Center (or Windows file sharing / antivirus) has an open handle or lock on the original file in F:\Recorded TV, the process replacing the original with the trimmed version will fail to move or overwrite properly.

Alternatively, if MCEBuddy successfully replaces/overwrites the file in-place, Windows Media Center will no longer recognize it because the file modified by MCEBuddy lacks the exact proprietary WMC database/DVR metadata tracking tokens it expects for active recordings, causing WMC to either show 0-minute duration or clear it from the Recorded TV library view (making it appear deleted, even though the file might have been stripped or corrupted in the process).

Suggestions to fix this:

  1. Output to a different folder:
    Instead of setting the destination directly back into F:\Recorded TV, point the task’s Destination Path to a dedicated output folder (e.g., F:\Processed TV or F:\Videos). Check if the file successfully ends up intact in that folder.
  2. Use Commercial Markers instead of direct cutting for WMC:
    If your goal is to watch .wtv recordings inside Windows Media Center with commercials skipped automatically without altering the actual recording stream, consider using the Commercial Skip Cut → False option with EDL/chapter markers, or leaving the cutting step to a standard format container (like .mp4 / .mkv).
  3. Upload the main log:
    As @Goose noted, uploading your complete mcebuddy.log (found in your MCEBuddy installation/log directory) will show the exact end-of-job routine, confirming whether the file was moved, overwritten, failed during the final destination copy, or removed by a retention/cleanup rule.
12

Based on the log Dale attached in the first post, here is what is actually happening to the file:

1. The show isn’t being deleted—it’s being moved or renamed

Looking at the settings dumped in the conversion task log:

  • Destination Path: F:\Recorded TV
  • Rename by Series: False (so standard renaming is off)
  • Metadata Download: Download Series Details -> True
  • Metadata Match Found:
    TMDB Match:
Title: Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Season: 24
Episode: 146

Because metadata matching is enabled, MCEBuddy identifies Season 24, Episode 146. Depending on the file naming pattern and destination settings configured in your conversion profile/task:

  • The converted file is saved as a .wtv back into F:\Recorded TV.
  • When WTV Unprocessed completes, MCEBuddy moves the converted file into place and removes the original source file from the working monitor directory.
  • Media Center or Windows Explorer may not show it in the same list if the filename or metadata (tags) changed, or if it was placed into a series subfolder (e.g., Jimmy Kimmel Live!\Season 24\...).

2. Check the Archive / Failed folders

The configuration shows:

  • Temp Working Path: F:\Temp
  • Archive Folder: C:\Temp
  • Failed Folder: F:\Temp

If your Monitor Location has Archive original checked, the unedited recording is moved to C:\Temp upon completion. If a step errors out at the end, it goes to F:\Temp.

3. Check for the output file

To verify the converted file is intact:

  1. Open Windows File Explorer and check F:\Recorded TV (including any subfolders).
  2. Search F:\ and C:\Temp for *Kimmel* or files modified around the conversion finish time (23:59).
  3. You should find the ~40-minute converted .wtv video file there.

(Regarding your email change request: profile email changes cannot be handled publicly in forum threads. Please send a direct private message to @Goose or contact support directly through the email associated with your purchase.)

13

OK I ran it again as requested. Here are the files you requested:

(attachments)

Jimmy Kimmel Live!_KNXVDT_2026_09_15_22_33_00.wtv-Comskip to.wtv-2026-09-19T14-30-22.log (1.49 MB)
mcebuddy.log (956 KB)

14

Thanks for uploading the full logs Dale. Looking closely at the settings dumped from your configuration in mcebuddy.log, we can see the exact settings in play:

1. The delete/archive settings:

In your Monitor Task (F Drive) and General Options:

  • Monitor Delete Original -> False
  • Monitor Archive Original -> False
  • Sync Converted -> False

This confirms that MCEBuddy’s engine is not deliberately deleting or archiving the original source files after conversion via those general options.

2. What is causing the file to disappear: Destination & In-Place Overwriting

Look at your Conversion Task setup:

  • Task: Comskip to.wtv
  • Source: F:\Recorded TV\...
  • Destination Path: F:\Recorded TV
  • Profile: WTV Unprocessed
  • Rename by Series: False
  • Auto Increment Filename: False
  • Save Subtitles: True (notice all the .srt files being generated in F:\Recorded TV from your log!)

Because your destination path is set directly back into your Windows Media Center recordings directory (F:\Recorded TV) with the exact same filename and extension (.wtv), MCEBuddy takes the cut/trimmed .wtv file and overwrites the original recording in-place.

Here is why that makes the Kimmel recordings “vanish”:

  1. Windows Media Center (WMC) Database Invalidation:
    Windows Media Center tracks recordings using internal metadata and timestamps stored in its hidden DVR database (Recorded TV registry / ehome database). When MCEBuddy rewrites/re-muxes the .wtv file in-place, the underlying internal file stream tags and container structure change. WMC detects this mismatch or corruption against its active database entry and immediately removes the item from your Recorded TV menu.
  2. Why Jimmy Kimmel Live specifically?
    Late-night talk shows are frequently scheduled with soft padding (your log shows W M / W M R V A c t u a l S o f t P r e P a d d i n g : 418 and post-padding of 180). If WMC or the Windows Media Center Background Receiver Service still holds an open read/recording lock on the padding or the file when MCEBuddy attempts to finalize and overwrite the destination, the file replacement can fail or result in a zero-byte/truncated file.

How to solve this:

  1. Set your Destination Path to a different folder:
    • Open MCEBuddy → Click Settings → Select your Conversion Task (Comskip to.wtv) → Click Edit.
    • Change Destination Path from F:\Recorded TV to another folder, e.g., F:\MCEBuddy Converted (or create a subfolder like F:\Recorded TV\Processed).
    • Do not have the destination be identical to the monitored source recording folder when cutting .wtv files directly.
  2. Check your folder with Windows File Explorer:
    • Look directly in F:\Recorded TV using Windows File Explorer (not through Windows Media Center’s TV UI) to see if the files are physically present or if they were replaced with a smaller size.
15

Looking at the settings dumped from both your conversion log and mcebuddy.log, here is the critical part of your setup:

Your Current Settings:

  • Monitor Location (F Drive):
    • Search Path: F:\Recorded TV
    • Monitor Delete Original -> False
    • Monitor Archive Original -> False
  • Conversion Task (Comskip to.wtv):
    • Profile: WTV Unprocessed
    • Source File: F:\Recorded TV\Jimmy Kimmel Live!...wtv
    • Destination Path: F:\Recorded TV
    • Auto Increment Filename -> False
    • Rename by Series -> False

Why Jimmy Kimmel “disappears”:

  1. In-place file replacement:
    Your monitor location reads from F:\Recorded TV and your task outputs directly back to F:\Recorded TV with the exact same file name and format (.wtv). When MCEBuddy finishes cutting the commercials, it replaces/overwrites the file in F:\Recorded TV.

  2. Windows Media Center database corruption / de-listing:
    When WMC records a program, it maintains an internal database entry with exact stream timecodes, packet metadata, and tracking identifiers.
    When MCEBuddy strips 24 minutes of commercials and writes a modified .wtv back into F:\Recorded TV:

    • WMC detects that the recording timestamps/stream length no longer match its internal recording catalog.
    • WMC interprets the recording as invalid, expired, or corrupted, and removes it from the “Recorded TV” list inside the WMC interface.
    • The file was never deleted by MCEBuddy—it was processed and saved, but WMC no longer displays it.

  3. Why only Jimmy Kimmel?
    Jimmy Kimmel is being matched against TMDB/the internet database (Season 25, Episode 4), rewriting tags/metadata into the file container. If other shows you record are not matched or if different profiles are used for them, WMC may tolerate them or handle them differently.

How to verify and fix this:

  1. Check Windows File Explorer directly:
    Open File Explorer (not Media Center) and go to F:\Recorded TV.
    Look for Jimmy Kimmel Live!_KNXVDT_2026_09_15_22_33_00.wtv. You should see the file there, but with a smaller file size / shorter duration (~40 minutes instead of ~67 minutes).

  2. Output to a separate folder (Recommended):
    In MCEBuddy, edit your conversion task Comskip to.wtv:

    • Change Destination Path from F:\Recorded TV to another folder (e.g., F:\Edited TV or F:\Videos\Jimmy Kimmel).
    • Do not point the output destination back into the active WMC recorded TV directory if you are overwriting original files in-place.

  3. If you want WMC to skip commercials without altering files:
    If you want to keep watching directly inside Windows Media Center with commercials skipped, don’t re-encode or cut .wtv files directly. Keep the original recording intact and use an external tool like WMC Commercial Skipper / EDL markers, or convert the trimmed shows to standard .mp4 / .mkv files saved into a regular video library folder.

16

Whoops! The Kimmel Show I sent earlier, from 9/15, worked! But the show from 9/18 erased again. I’ve enclosed both logs and the MCEBuddy log below, taken after one worked and one failed:

(attachments)

Jimmy Kimmel Live!_KNXVDT_2026_09_18_22_33_00.wtv-Comskip to.wtv-2026-09-19T15-53-26.log (1.47 MB)
mcebuddy.log (1.13 MB)
Recorded TV after 1 missing and one worked.rtf (2.63 MB)

17

Dale, looking at the logs and comparing the two shows reveals the exact reason why this is happening.

The Clue in the Logs: Identical Broadcast Dates

Notice what happens during the metadata download step for each episode:

  1. For the 9/15 recording:

    • WMC recorded it on 2026-09-15.
    • Original Broadcast Date from WMC metadata: 2026-09-15T07:00:00Z
    • Online Match (TMDB): Season 25, Episode 4 (Guest: Stephen Colbert)

  2. For the 9/18 recording:

    • WMC recorded it on 2026-09-18.
    • But look at the broadcast timestamp embedded in the 9/18 recording:
      W M / M e d i a O r i g i n a l B r o a d c a s t D a t e T i m e : 2026 - 0 9 - 1 5 T 0 7 : 0 0 : 0 0 Z
      (This happens frequently with syndicated repeats, late reruns, or guide data reuse—it retained the original 9/15 air date).
    • Online Match (TMDB): Season 25, Episode 4 (the exact same episode metadata).

Why the 9/18 show “erased”

Look at your Conversion Task settings:

  • Destination Path: F:\Recorded TV
  • Rename by Series: False
  • Auto Increment Filename: False
  • Download Series Details: True
  • Write Metadata: True

Because:

  1. Both recordings were identified as the same show/season/episode (Season 25, Episode 4).
  2. Both files had their destination pointed back into F:\Recorded TV.
  3. When MCEBuddy processes and replaces a file in-place, having identical destination paths and matching metadata will cause MCEBuddy to overwrite the existing target file, or cause Windows Media Center’s DVR catalog to discard one of them because it treats duplicate recordings of the exact same episode ID as redundant.

Furthermore, because you are outputting directly into F:\Recorded TV (the active WMC directory) rather than a separate directory, WMC gets confused whenever an in-place .wtv file is rewritten, and removes the entry from the Recorded TV menu.

How to Fix This Completely

  1. Do not output directly back into the monitored recording folder:

    • Go to MCEBuddy Settings → select your task Comskip to.wtv → click Edit.
    • Change Destination Path from F:\Recorded TV to a separate folder (e.g., F:\Recorded TV\Processed or F:\Processed TV).
    • This prevents MCEBuddy from overwriting files in-place and prevents WMC’s database from corrupting or purging the recording listing.

  2. Enable Auto Increment Filename:

    • In your conversion task settings, enable Auto increment filename.
    • If two recordings ever share similar names or match the same metadata, MCEBuddy will append -1, -2, etc., ensuring no file is ever overwritten or lost.
18

I totally understand your fix, but! While WMC outputs to one folder and comskip moves it to a second folder, how do I watch the show with WMC. WMC will still be looking at folder 1, not folder 2, right?

19

You can easily add the second folder into Windows Media Center so that all processed recordings appear and play directly inside WMC!

Windows Media Center allows you to watch recordings from multiple folders or drives seamlessly:

Option A: Add the Processed Folder to WMC’s Recorded TV Library (Recommended)

  1. Open Windows Media Center.
  2. Scroll to Tasks → select Settings.
  3. Select TV → Recorded TV → Recorded TV Folders.
  4. Choose Add folders to watch and click Next.
  5. Select the drive or location where your new processed folder is (e.g., F:\Processed TV or F:\Recorded TV\Processed) and check the box next to it.
  6. Click Next and Finish.

Now, Windows Media Center will automatically aggregate and show the converted .wtv files from both your live recording folder and your processed folder in your Recorded TV menu without getting the database confused or corrupted during the cutting process.

Option B: Add it to WMC’s “Videos” Library

Alternatively, if you ever decide to convert shows to .mp4 or .mkv instead of .wtv:

  1. In WMC, go to Tasks → Settings → Media Libraries.
  2. Select Videos → Add folders to the library.
  3. Browse to and select your processed folder.
  4. You can then access and play all commercial-free shows under the Video Library on the WMC main menu.

Setting up MCEBuddy to match:

  1. In MCEBuddy, edit your Comskip to.wtv conversion task.
  2. Change Destination Path to your newly created folder (for example, F:\Recorded TV\Processed).
  3. Under the Conversion Task settings, also check Auto increment filename so repeat airings with identical metadata never conflict or overwrite each other.
20

You can easily configure Windows Media Center to monitor both folders!

By default, WMC looks at your primary recording drive (F:\Recorded TV), but it allows you to add multiple watched folders to its library. Once added, any recordings placed into that folder will show up right alongside your regular recordings inside Media Center.

Here is how to set it up:

Method 1: Add the new folder into Windows Media Center’s Library

  1. Open Windows Media Center.
  2. Scroll to Tasks → Settings.
  3. Select Media Libraries (or TV → Recorded TV depending on your WMC menu setup).
  4. Choose Recorded TV (or Movies / Videos if you want them grouped separately), then select Next.
  5. Choose Add folders to the library and click Next.
  6. Select On this computer (includes mapped network drives) and navigate to your new folder (for example, F:\Processed TV or F:\Recorded TV\Processed).
  7. Check the box next to your new folder, complete the wizard, and click Finish.

Now, whenever MCEBuddy finishes processing a show into that destination folder, WMC will display it directly inside your library without trying to overwrite the active recording database entry.

Alternative: Keep them directly in Recorded TV (using Auto Increment)

If you strongly prefer not to create a second folder and want all files to stay physically inside F:\Recorded TV:

  1. In MCEBuddy, edit your Comskip to.wtv conversion task.
  2. Check the box for Auto increment filename (or enable a custom naming format).
  3. This ensures MCEBuddy never replaces/overwrites an existing .wtv file in-place with the exact same name, which is what breaks WMC’s file handles and database tracking.