Mid-Roll Breaks¶
Mid-roll breaks insert commercial-style breaks within programs, splitting a long movie or episode into segments separated by filler content. This simulates the experience of traditional TV commercial breaks.
Mid-roll breaks are configured per-slot in the Slot Editor and Time Slots editors. Any slot type that supports filler also supports mid-roll breaks.
Prerequisites¶
To use mid-roll breaks, you need:
- A filler list with content (commercials, bumpers, etc.)
- The filler list assigned to a slot with the Mid filler type
When editing a slot in the Slot Editor or Time Slots editor, add a filler list and select "Mid" as one of its types. Once a "Mid" filler is assigned, the mid-roll configuration panel appears.
Break Positioning¶
Mid-roll breaks support three positioning rules that control where breaks are inserted within a program.
Fixed Interval¶
Inserts breaks at regular time intervals throughout the program.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Interval | Time between breaks (e.g., every 30 minutes) |
A 2-hour movie with a 30-minute interval gets breaks at 30m, 60m, and 90m.
Percentage-Based¶
Inserts breaks at specific points expressed as percentages of the program's total duration.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Points | One or more percentage values (1–99%) |
A 2-hour movie with points at 25%, 50%, and 75% gets breaks at 30m, 60m, and 90m.
Initial Delay + Interval¶
Combines an initial delay before the first break with a regular interval for subsequent breaks.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Initial Delay | Time before the first break |
| Interval | Time between subsequent breaks |
A 2-hour movie with a 15-minute initial delay and 30-minute interval gets breaks at 15m, 45m, 75m, and 105m.
Break Duration¶
Break duration can be configured in two modes:
- Fixed: Every break has the same duration (e.g., 3 minutes).
- Range: Each break's duration is randomly chosen between a minimum and maximum value (e.g., 2–5 minutes). This makes breaks feel less mechanical.
Limits and Filters¶
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Max Breaks | Maximum number of breaks per program. 0 = unlimited. | 0 |
| Minimum Program Duration | Programs shorter than this are skipped entirely. | Fitted to the slot |
| Tail Buffer | Minimum amount of content preserved at the end of the program before the credits. No breaks are inserted within this window. | 0 |
| Program Types | Restrict mid-roll to specific content types (Movies, Episodes, Music Tracks, Music Videos, Other Videos). Empty = all types. | All |
Starting Values¶
When mid-roll is first enabled on a slot, the interval and minimum program duration are fitted to the programs that slot actually draws from: the interval aims for about two breaks in a program of typical length, and the minimum sits at or below the shortest program in the pool, so none of the slot's own content is skipped. A slot whose pool cannot be measured — a smart collection, or a channel whose programs have not loaded — starts at a 15 minute interval and a 20 minute minimum.
These are starting values, not rules. Raise the minimum to leave shorter programs whole.
Scheduling Strategy¶
The scheduling strategy controls when filler content is selected for mid-roll breaks.
Eager¶
Filler is selected at schedule generation time. The specific filler programs are embedded directly into the channel lineup.
- The TV guide shows the actual filler titles during breaks.
- Filler selection uses cooldown state from the time the schedule was generated.
- Any part of a break that the filler lists cannot fill becomes flex. It is still break time, so the TV guide labels it "Commercial Break".
Lazy¶
Filler selection is deferred to stream time — the moment a viewer is actually watching the channel. During schedule generation, placeholder "Commercial Break" entries are created.
- The TV guide shows generic "Commercial Break" entries.
- Filler selection uses fresh cooldown state, reducing repeats.
- Filler is drawn from the slot's mid-roll filler lists.
Tip
Use the Lazy strategy if you want the most variety in your filler content. Because filler is picked at playback time, the system has up-to-date knowledge of what has recently played and can avoid repeats more effectively.
In the Lineup Editor¶
A program that was split by mid-roll breaks appears as a single collapsed row in the channel's program list, labelled with the number of breaks and showing where they fall across the program. Expand the row to see each segment and each break on its own line. This applies to both strategies.
Example Configuration¶
To add 3-minute commercial breaks every 30 minutes to movies longer than 1 hour:
- Open a slot in the Slot Editor or Time Slots editor.
- Add a filler list and select the Mid type.
- In the mid-roll configuration panel:
- Break Rule: Fixed Interval, 30 minutes
- Break Duration: Fixed, 3 minutes
- Minimum Program Duration: 60 minutes
- Max Breaks: 0 (unlimited)
- Strategy: Lazy
- Program Types: Movies only