Skip to main content

Wish you could skip the ads on live TV? This startup aims to do just that

Samsung 7150 HDTV review hero
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
Chances are you watch television, and chances are you cope with the annoying ads that interject your favorite program by browsing the Web or checking email, but what if you could view TV entirely unmolested by ads?  That’s the concept that’s driving Skipr, a startup company building a platform that automatically removes advertising from live programming.

Commercial-skipping solutions for TV have been around a while — Dish Network’s Hopper DVR, which was released in 2012, is credited with popularizing the idea — but Skipr’s is the first that doesn’t require a home theater PC, and is available independently of cable or satellite service. The company’s approach is two-pronged: It uses a set-top box running Android TV, which processes the signal from a cable or satellite DVR, and cloud-powered software that detects and removes any advertising.

Assuming your television and DVR have HDMI ports, Skipr’s solution is plug-and-play. There is a caveat, however, as only a limited number of channels, including ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox, will be supported at launch because of the expense involved in identifying commercials.

“Our solution runs in the Cloud where horsepower is plentiful, but it’s an expensive task to perform,” the Skipr team writes on the official website. Support for more channels will come down the line, “[a]s the Skipr network grows.”

That’s not the only improvement in the pipeline. Skipr’s aiming to replace skipped ads with content of actual interest, such as social media, videos related to the current TV channel and program, streaming music, stocks, weather, and screensavers. Even cooler is what Skipr calls GameHopper, a feature that automatically switches from one sporting event to another during commercial breaks.

Skipr has plans for personalized channel guides and Twitter stream overlays, but for now, it’s fine-tuning core functionality. To that end, the company’s soliciting sign-ups for a beta program. We’ve reached out to the company for more information.

Editors' Recommendations

Kyle Wiggers
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…
Specs, pricing, design of the new Apple TV unveiled ahead of launch
apple tv specs  70

Most reports about the anticipated new Apple TV over the past few months have simply retreaded old information -- practically a dozen sources have confirmed that, indeed, it won't launch with Apple's beleaguered TV subscription service, and that it'll ship with a new Bluetooth remote and App Store support. Until now, though, the most pertinent details about the hardware -- storage capacity, and supported resolutions, to name a few -- remained safely locked away within Apple's Cupertino HQ. But thanks to a few impeccably well-placed moles at 9to5Mac, we've now got a much clearer picture of just what form the new Apple TV will take.

The sources say the new Apple TV, which is set to be unveiled at an event on September 9 and go on sale in October, will look physically much like its predecessors. It'll be constructed mostly of plastic in order to avoid blocking wireless signals, and stands a bit "taller" and "thicker" than previous-generation Apple TVs due to some souped up specs. The new shape's apparently to accommodate both the upgraded storage capacity -- 8GB up to 16GB, depending on the model -- and the greater heat output of its A8 processor, the same chip that powers the iPhone 6.

Read more
Android TV Channels aims to line up streaming apps alongside live TV
Android TV hands on

In the modern age there are essentially two basic ways to get your TV fix: linear, or live, television, and on-demand programming. But what if you could combine the increasing arsenal of on-demand streaming video apps with live TV channels in order to surf through all of your content in one place? That’s the idea behind Google’s newest feature for the Android TV smart platform, Android TV Channels.

Announced today at Google I/O 2015, Android TV Channels will line up network TV channels like ABC and CBS alongside streaming apps from a variety of streaming video partners, including TED, Vevo, the Huffington Post, Bloomberg, AOL, Pluto, the Weather Network, and European streaming service Zattoo, allowing users to “surf” through broadcast TV and streaming content in one streamlined channel grid.

Read more
This 300-inch Epson 4K Projector with HDR 10 is $500 off today
The Epson Home Cinema 5050UB 4K HDR Projector at a side angle on a white background.

If you've been waiting to save big on projector deals, you're going to love this offer at Best Buy. Today, you can buy the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB 4K HDR Projector for $2,500, saving $500 off the regular price of $3,000. A huge 25% off the usual price, this might still not be cheap exactly but anyone seeking out a great 4K projector will know this is worth it. If you're interested, keep reading while we tell you more.

Why you should buy the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB 4K HDR Projector
Rivaling the best projectors around, the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB 4K HDR Projector has plenty of great features. It has 3LCD, three-chip technology so it can deliver three times brighter colors and reliable performance so you get quality images every time. HDR technology helps expand the contrast and color range of the pixels on your projector leading to a brighter and more colorful and natural image.

Read more