
Streaming television hardware manufacturer Tablo is offering a free trial of its commercial skip feature to customers with an active electronic program guide subscription, the company announced in a blog post on Tuesday.
The Canadian-based maker of the popular Tablo line of networked-DVR hybrid devices says customers with an active subscription to the company’s electronic program guide can enjoy free access to the commercial skip feature through the end of the month.
The commercial skip feature normally costs $2 a month or $20 a year (CA $3 a month or CA $30 a year). When enabled, it automatically skips commercials on most recorded programs, including prime-time shows, movies and local and national newscasts. It works by uploading a portion of a completed recording to Tablo’s servers, then analyzing the program for commercials using specialized algorithms developed by the company.
The feature is automatically live on eligible Tablo Dual Lite and Tablo Quad devices. Customers who have purchased a Tablo device within the last 30 days already have trial access to both the premium guide data and the commercial skip feature.
The free trial lasts until September 29.