The invention concerns a method and apparatus for controlling a video-media recording device configured for automatically identifying and selectively skipping commercial message segments of a video signal. The method can include the steps of recording the video signal on a digital recording medium in a digital format; monitoring the video signal to detect an event start and an event end corresponding to a beginning and an end of at least one commercial message; and selectively storing in a memory location digital data identifying an event start information and an event end information. At least one of the event start information and the event end information can identify the location of the one or more commercial messages. The method can also include selectively skipping in a playback mode the commercial portion of the video signal responsive to the digital data identifying the event start information and the event end information.