Feature Request: Television sound switch to music during commercials

  • 5 April 2023
  • 4 replies
  • 181 views
L
Userlevel 2

A great feature for my own personal use and business users (thinking specifically of sports bars in this instance) of Sonos would be to have the television-connected speakers automatically switch to music when television commercials start, and back to the television audio once the game starts again.

 

Please let me know when this update is available, with my sincere thanks. 

 

 

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4 replies

AjTrek1
Userlevel 7

Hi

That’s an interesting request. However, the most I’ve see done reference commercial breaks is for a smart TV to lower the volume or a smart remote to allow you to fast forward as follows:

  • 30 second intervals (multiple presses increases the time)
  • Smart Fast Forward through commercials and stop a few seconds before the commercial ends (this is possible with my Xfinity remote)

My point being...TMK...your request appears to be more-inline with the TV manufacturer to install software that might play generic music audio during a commercial. Also, the CEC (to make your request possible) as it relates to a Sonos sound bar is also controlled by the TV manufacturer. 

At the moment I don’t see Sonos investing in that type of AI.  Especially given the many TV manufacturers in the field...each with their own implementation of the ARC -HDMI CEC.

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.
melvimbe

To sum up what @AjTrek1 stated, Sonos speakers have no idea whether the audio it’s getting through HDMI Arc connection is a TV show, movie, commercial, or your home movie of cousin Eddie’s wedding.

So you need to ask your TV, cable box, or streaming box maker to implement that feature.  But since these companies are dependent on content creators that are dependent on ad revenue...I highly doubt they’ll be too interested in your idea….unless you want to may them a premium subscription fee.

Danny
jgatie

 

buzz

I don’t know if this is still the case, but at one point there was an indicator added to a specific video frame in network feeds alerting local stations where they could insert a local commercial.

Taking advantage of this would require that the flag is passed along by the local station or cable company, cable box, and the TV’s audio feed to SONOS. I don’t see any incentive by anyone in the signal chain to pass this flag along to the consumer. I can imagine that the contract with local stations and cable companies would specifically prevent passing this flag along.

Even if this flag was available to SONOS, short snips of music would be distracting. A fast forward might be more reasonable, where appropriate. (Makes no sense for live broadcasts.)

The most practical approach would be to record the program and skip ahead during playback. Commercials are delivered in various lengths. In a national, live newscast the other day I noticed that commercials came in blocks.

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