Tag Archives: tvheadend

How to Install Comskip on a Raspberry Pi

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The raspberry Pi makes a good platform for watching Live TV. Software packages like TVHeadend, OSMC/Kodi, NextPVR and Plex allow you to turn a normal Pi into a powerful media centre.

Recording your favourite TV shows is great, as is being able to skip through commercial breaks on playback. Every time an ad break arrives, just press “fast forward” a few times and hey presto, you are watching the next part of the show. You still have to actually press the button though, and sometimes rewind too, if the break is overshot. However, there are software tools that will skip the breaks for you, and one of these is Comskip.

This procedure explains how to install Comskip on a Raspberry Pi, with examples pertaining to TVHeadend. You might have come here from my earlier article “How to Watch and Record Live TV on a Raspberry Pi“, to which this article is an effective continuation. Or you might have some other existing system to which you want to add comskip. Even if you are using a different backend, like Plex, this article should still be useful.

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How to Watch and Record Live TV with a Raspberry Pi

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This procedure explains how to turn a Raspberry Pi into a DVR, or “digital video recorder”. A DVR is a box that sits under your television, allowing you to watch digital television and record it to a hard disk. TV and recordings can also be “streamed” to other devices on your network, such as phones, tablets and PCs.

Procedure last updated 8th Jan 2022 for OSMC 19 / Kodi “Matrix” / Pi 4.

Commercial examples of DVRs are available from manufacturers like Humax and Panasonic, providing access to free digital TV services, which in the UK are called Freeview and Freesat. Other brand names are used in other countries, but the underlying technology is the same. By following the article, you will be able to view, record and stream free digital TV. (You won’t be able to watch encrypted services, like those broadcast by Sky and BT).

Why turn a Pi into a DVR? You might be just curious about the possibilities. You might be looking to move from a paid-for service (eg. BT or Sky) to a free one. You might want to replace older equipment or just get access to more modern services, such as HDTV (high definition TV). I was looking to replace my old Topfield DVR, and the procedure below worked for me.

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