# Donated version of MCEBuddy & Comskip just doesn't work, seems to not even try
**URL:** https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/donated-version-of-mcebuddy-comskip-just-doesnt-work-seems-to-not-even-try/4782
**Category:** Commercial Removal
**Tags:** comskip, commercialremoval, plex
**Created:** [August 7, 2022, 2:05pm UTC](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/donated-version-of-mcebuddy-comskip-just-doesnt-work-seems-to-not-even-try/4782 "2022-08-07T14:05:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@KeKyKo](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/u/KeKyKo)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2022, 2:05pm UTC](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/donated-version-of-mcebuddy-comskip-just-doesnt-work-seems-to-not-even-try/4782/1 "2022-08-07T14:05:34Z")
NOTE: Don’t forget to attach your conversion log or MCEBuddy.log file as appropriate
I’m at wits end with MCEBuddy & Comskip. I donated to both but they just don’t work. I use it with PlexDVR. I just want it to remove commercials. I get it, its not perfect all the time but it seems like the apps doesn’t even try. Its just a straight recording commercials and all. At first it would rename one of my files in a way the Plex cannot see it. I fixed this with custom renaming. I have it set to .TS Unprocessed, because I want to watch it ASAP after recording, BUT WITHOUT COMMERCIALS ☹
Can someone PLEASE look at my Log and see if I am missing something, I really, REALLY want this to work. Thank you very much.
[Eyewitness News Sunday Morning - Eyewitness News Sunday Morning.ts-TV SHOWS-2022-08-07T09-39-07.log](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/uploads/short-url/65wLfN9m0eZ3ZMsxlvsOVRanwck.log) (327.7 KB)
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### Author:  [@Goose](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/u/Goose)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/donated-version-of-mcebuddy-comskip-just-doesnt-work-seems-to-not-even-try/4782/2 "2022-08-07T18:41:21Z")
It looks like you’re using some custom version of Comskip
> Checking for donator version of Comskip
> 2022-08-07T09:40:10 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → Launching process C:\Comskip\comskip.exe
> 2022-08-07T09:40:10 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → Process arguments -h
> 2022-08-07T09:40:10 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → UI Session Admin Process : True
> 2022-08-07T09:40:10 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → Starting process as a UISession process with Admin privileges. This requires atleast 1 user to be logged into the system (remote desktop or locally)
> 2022-08-07T09:40:10 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → Setting process priority to Normal
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → The commandline used was:
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → C:\Comskip\comskip.exe -h
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → Usage:
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → comskip [-h|–help] [-w|–debugwindow] [-n|–playnice] [–zpcut] [–zpchapter] [–videoredo] [–csvout] [–plist] [-m|–demux] [-p|–pid=] [-t|–ts] [-d|–detectmethod=] [-v|–verbose=] [-u|–dump=] [-s|–play] [-q|–quiet] [–ini=] [–logo=] [–cut=] []
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → -h, --help Display syntax
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → -w, --debugwindow Show debug window
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → -n, --playnice Slows detection down
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → --zpcut Outputs a ZoomPlayer cutlist
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → --zpchapter Outputs a ZoomPlayer chapter file
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → --videoredo Outputs a VideoRedo cutlist
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → --csvout Outputs a csv of the frame array
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → --plist Outputs a mac-style plist for addition to an EyeTV archive as the ‘markers’ property
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → -m, --demux Demux the input into elementary streams
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → -p, --pid= The PID of the video in the TS
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → -t, --ts The input file is a Transport Stream
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → -d, --detectmethod= An integer sum of the detection methods to use
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → -v, --verbose= Verbose level
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → -u, --dump= Dump the cutscene at this frame number
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → -s, --play Play the video
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → -q, --quiet Not output logging to the console window
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → --ini= Ini file to use
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → --logo= Logo file to use
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → --cut= CutScene file to use
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → Input file
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → Output directory
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → Detection Methods
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → 1 - Black Frame
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → 2 - Logo
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → 4 - Scene Change
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → 8 - Resolution Change
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → 16 - Closed Captions
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → 32 - Aspect Ratio
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → 64 - Silence
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → 128 - CutScenes
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → 255 - USE ALL AVAILABLE
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → Comskip 0.80.038, made using:
> 2022-08-07T09:40:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → mpeg2dec-0.4.0 - by Michel Lespinasse [walken@zoy.org](mailto:walken@zoy.org) and Aaron Holtzman
> → Process exited with code 2
> INFORMATION\> → Comskip version : FREE
> WARNING\> 2022-08-07T09:40:13 MCEBuddy.RemuxMediaCenter.RemuxMCERecording → AllowH264CopyRemuxing is SLOW with the bundled Comskip. Use ShowAnalyzer or Comskip Donator version ([http://www.comskip.org](http://www.comskip.org)) to [speed up](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/62) commercial detection. Codec detected → h264
And it’s broken so it doesn’t run.
> 2022-08-07T09:40:37 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → ComSkip: invalid option “–output=C:\Program Files\MCEBuddy2x\working0”
Why don’t you try the default version of Comskip that comes with MCEBuddy
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### Author:  [@KeKyKo](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/u/KeKyKo)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2022, 8:07pm UTC](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/donated-version-of-mcebuddy-comskip-just-doesnt-work-seems-to-not-even-try/4782/3 "2022-08-07T20:07:33Z")
I’m “suppose” to be using the donated version of Comskip. I linked MCEBuddy to it in the settings. I don’t understand, it doesn’t seem that difficult to kink the two together in the directions. I want to use the donated version of Comskip because I read that it is faster. I will unlink them and see what happens.
I really appreciate you taking the time to look over my logs. Thank you very much 🙂
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### Author:  [@KeKyKo](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/u/KeKyKo)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2022, 11:20pm UTC](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/donated-version-of-mcebuddy-comskip-just-doesnt-work-seems-to-not-even-try/4782/4 "2022-08-07T23:20:56Z")
FINALLY! I just want to delete those pesky commercials and support devs. I dont know what is happening with MCEBuddy 2.5.7 and my system but it just will not work. So I delete MCEBuddy 2.5.7 again (3rd time) this time I decided to download the file again, just to get a fresh copy but this time I downloaded the Beta version (MCEBuddy 2.5.8) Hey, what the Hell. I installed it without my paid version of Comskip. IT WORKS. I want to use my paid version of Comskip with MCEBuddy but I dont want to push it. Thank you to those who helped 🙂
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### Author:  [@KeKyKo](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/u/KeKyKo)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2022, 3:18am UTC](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/donated-version-of-mcebuddy-comskip-just-doesnt-work-seems-to-not-even-try/4782/5 "2022-08-10T03:18:17Z")
SPOKE TOO SOON. Just tested out another recorded program and not one commercial was removed. It was a straight recording, all commercials. I read the log and it looks like it did cut commercials but Im not so sure. But the final product was no commercials were removed. I have also noticed that the more I record the less commercials are removed, like the tv stations are smart and changing their algorithms or something like that. OR this whole software is a scam ☹
Here is the log to the show I tested with. If someone can take a look at it and see what happened I would really appreciate it.
[The Young and the Restless (1973) - S49E218 - The Young and the Restless.ts-TV SHOWS-2022-08-09T13-31-34.log](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/uploads/short-url/yCC1Zq7ycO3CDk00Rs9RFgU9WmJ.log) (611.4 KB)
Thank you.
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### Author:  [@Goose](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/u/Goose)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2022, 11:19am UTC](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/donated-version-of-mcebuddy-comskip-just-doesnt-work-seems-to-not-even-try/4782/6 "2022-08-10T11:19:38Z")
According to the logs it’s finding and cutting commercials.
> Using C:\Program Files\MCEBuddy2x\comskip\comskip.ini for initiation values.
> 2022-08-09T13:38:55 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Comskip → Commercials were found.
> → Process exited with code 1
> 2022-08-09T13:38:57 MCEBuddy.CommercialScan.Scanner → Commercial Scan: Percentage Complete 94
> INFORMATION\> 2022-08-09T13:38:57 MCEBuddy.CommercialScan.Scanner → Using EDL file for commercial removal
> 2022-08-09T13:38:57 MCEBuddy.CommercialScan.Scanner → Testing EDL File Validity
> 2022-08-09T13:38:57 MCEBuddy.CommercialScan.Scanner → ParseEDL: Cut Segment Start:375.720 End:592.990 Action:0
> 2022-08-09T13:38:57 MCEBuddy.CommercialScan.Scanner → ParseEDL: Cut Segment Start:897.030 End:1069.940 Action:0
> 2022-08-09T13:38:57 MCEBuddy.CommercialScan.Scanner → ParseEDL: Cut Segment Start:1380.080 End:1594.060 Action:0
> 2022-08-09T13:38:57 MCEBuddy.CommercialScan.Scanner → ParseEDL: Cut Segment Start:1910.510 End:2218.820 Action:0
> 2022-08-09T13:38:57 MCEBuddy.CommercialScan.Scanner → ParseEDL: Cut Segment Start:2436.870 End:2637.300 Action:0
> 2022-08-09T13:38:57 MCEBuddy.CommercialScan.Scanner → ParseEDL: Cut Segment Start:2979.910 End:3221.550 Action:0
> 2022-08-09T13:38:57 MCEBuddy.CommercialScan.Scanner → ParseEDL: Cut Segment Start:3494.190 End:3597.730 Action:0
Infact your converted file is half the length of your original file
Original 59 minutes
> ‘D:\TV SHOWS DVR\The Young and the Restless\Season 49\The Young and the Restless (1973) - S49E218 - The Young and the Restless.ts’:
> 2022-08-09T13:31:36 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Base → Duration: 00:59:58.77, start: 1.400000, bitrate: 22378 kb/s
Converted 35 minutes
> ‘C:\Program Files\MCEBuddy2x\working0\The Young and the Restless (1973) - S49E218 - The Young and the Restless.ts’:
> 2022-08-09T13:41:11 MCEBuddy.AppWrapper.Base → Duration: 00:35:39.46, start: 1.400000, bitrate: 21829 kb/s
So it’s working. If you want to fine tune your commercial detection see this topic
> [@Tuning Comskip and Custom Comskip INI's (Country / Channel specific)](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/tuning-comskip-and-custom-comskip-inis-country-channel-specific/29):
>
> Tuning Comskip Commercial Detection See [this post for details if you’re want to install a custom version of Comskip](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/64). Tuning Comskip INI’s Comskip can be fine tuned to better detect and cut commercials for each country/region. There is a file called comskip.ini in the comskip directory in the MCEBuddy installation directory (by default C:\Program Files\MCEBuddy2x). The details of the tuning parameters can be found at: [http://www.kaashoek.com/files/tuning.htm](http://www.kaashoek.com/files/tuning.htm) NOTE: Starting v2.4.1 there is a GU…
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### Author:  [@KeKyKo](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/u/KeKyKo)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2022, 1:38pm UTC](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/donated-version-of-mcebuddy-comskip-just-doesnt-work-seems-to-not-even-try/4782/7 "2022-08-10T13:38:01Z")
Goose, thank you for looking at my logs. Especially many thanks for the clips of the logs to show me what you are looking at. This gives me an idea of what/where to look in the logs on my own to try and solve these issues on my own. I will use your findings with my log to figure out what is happening 🙂 Thank you again.
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### Author:  [@jsam01](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/u/jsam01)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2022, 1:51am UTC](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/donated-version-of-mcebuddy-comskip-just-doesnt-work-seems-to-not-even-try/4782/8 "2022-08-12T01:51:07Z")
I never got around to figuring out trying to tweak comskip but here is a suggestion, something I do now and then-
you can call comskip yourself and it’ll generate the edl file. you can then open up the video in MCE Buddy’s Custom cuts (assuming video and edl are in same directory) and it’ll show you the cut points, so you can click through them and get an idea how accurate they are.
Because my recordings are from all sorts of different channels I was never able to be happy with tweaking comskip.ini, so now I mostly just use Custom cuts and create the EDL file manually.
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### Author:  [@p37307](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/u/p37307)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2022, 7:01pm UTC](https://discussion.mcebuddy2x.com/t/donated-version-of-mcebuddy-comskip-just-doesnt-work-seems-to-not-even-try/4782/9 "2022-08-25T19:01:33Z")
For CBS soaps, any CBS programing really, I find it best to have no pre-padding (like a minute or two) before the show starts. I had to play around with the pre-padding to get it just right for comskip to work. I would turn off pre-padding in PlexDVR for CBS, like Young and the Restless and Bold and the Beautiful. Same for Big Brother, CBS Sunday Morning, etc. Like I said, really anything on CBS. CBS comes on with that big CBS icon and bar of music at the start of each new show with heavy black space. Trust me, I had to play around to keep my wife happy with her programs. Several years, no problem with CBS pre-padding turned off in the DVR recording.