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Chrome plugin that adds a laugh track to all videos

86 points by fjallstrom 8y ago

pkz 8y ago
Awesome hack! Thank you for arranging the stupid hackathon edition in Sweden (participated the first time).
- StavrosK 8y ago
  I really want to organize one of these where I live, but I'm afraid nobody would come. This is the sort of stuff that I love doing, and this really is a great hack.
  - fjallstrom 8y ago
    developer/organizer here. hi! arranging a stupid hackathon is almost too easy, and loads of fun. attendees are usually very forgiving and happy, and if something fails it is stupid and therefor on brand. i make them annually in sweden, and this was year no3. fantastic experience.
    - StavrosK 8y ago
      Thanks for the info! Unfortunately the tech community where I am has shrunk to almost nothing due to the recession, so I don't think there would be enough people joining :(
Jhndb 8y ago
Pretty cool, how does it work?
- fjallstrom 8y ago
  it just listens for silence and cues some audio files in the background. it works most of the time, but could definately be improved.
dersoi 8y ago
I used it on the annus horribilis speech, and now I feel bad...
ddtaylor 8y ago
For me this is pure torture.
- _asummers 8y ago
  This is my nightmare. Laugh tracks are one of the most obnoxious sound additions to any piece of media, to me. If the situation is supposed to be funny, it should be self evident, and should no require some additional cue. Conversely, if something is not funny, the laugh track sounds forced, and it creates a really unpleasant viewing experience for me.
  - laumars 8y ago
    In fairness, often “laugh tracks” are actually live studio audiences (eg Big Bang Theory) and much like how live concert recordings (where you can hear the crowd) are sometimes great when it’s a good concert, hearing the studio audience can improve you’re experience of a genuinely funny TV show. The problem is when it’s artificially added or you hear it on a show you don’t find funny; then it goes from being a subtle improvement to a massively jarring distraction. However given how jarring it is when you don’t find something funny compared with how little it adds to the overall comedy, I can totally understand why people often hate hearing laughter in shows.
    - _asummers 8y ago
      My understanding of the live studio audiences is that they prompt the laughter. Is that correct? If so, the audience laughing at the jokes is just an illusion, even if genuine.
      - laumars 8y ago
        Depends on the show. Some do but some don't. However even ones without a laughter prompt will usually have a compere / warm up acts who will whip the audience up so they're already laughing at jokes before the main show begins recording.
  - 8y ago
xiphias2 8y ago
Is there an inverse mode where it removes the laugh track?
- teekert 8y ago
  For the big bang theory?
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - sneakernets 8y ago
    I have bad news - that one isn't a laugh track, those are real people there specifically for the taping laughing at those terrible jokes. Two and a Half Men had the same "live studio audience" setup.
  - dogsgobork 8y ago
    Not really an improvement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKS3MGriZcs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKS3MGriZcs
    - teekert 8y ago
      Hahaha, cool. But I guess the cringe would be less if they didn't wait for the inaudible laughing to be over...
- sametmax 8y ago
  I would actually pay for that.
  - xiphias2 8y ago
    I don't like the jokes in any movie that needs a laugh track anyways, so I don't have this problem :) But it's a fun deep learning excercise.
onion-soup 8y ago
why? can we let laugh track die off in peace? it belongs to museum of cinematography.
charliesharding 8y ago
I know it was just posted but 0 reviews and it being able to "read and change all your data on websites you visit" is a bit much
- fjallstrom 8y ago
  hai! developer here. uploaded it this weekend during a hackathon. the permissions are absurd, but my sleepy head couldn't figure out how limit the permissions yo youtube only.
  - JamieF1 8y ago
    I made a chrome extension a good while back that only ran on Facebook, I assume it still works. Here's the link if it helps: https://github.com/JamieFarrelly/zuckerberg-reactions/blob/master/manifest.json https://github.com/JamieFarrelly/zuckerberg-reactions/blob/m...
    - fjallstrom 8y ago
      cheers, will check!
maxxxxx 8y ago
Laugh tracks are a clear sign to me that humanity is not as evolved as we think we are. Add butt implants to that.
- criddell 8y ago
  I think the opposite. The effectiveness of laugh tracks make it very clear how social we are. Even when we are doing something in isolation (like watching tv), we want to be part of a group. I'm with you on butt implants though.

86 points by fjallstrom 8y ago

pkz 8y ago

Awesome hack! Thank you for arranging the stupid hackathon edition in Sweden (participated the first time).

StavrosK 8y ago
I really want to organize one of these where I live, but I'm afraid nobody would come. This is the sort of stuff that I love doing, and this really is a great hack.
- fjallstrom 8y ago
  developer/organizer here. hi! arranging a stupid hackathon is almost too easy, and loads of fun. attendees are usually very forgiving and happy, and if something fails it is stupid and therefor on brand. i make them annually in sweden, and this was year no3. fantastic experience.
  - StavrosK 8y ago
    Thanks for the info! Unfortunately the tech community where I am has shrunk to almost nothing due to the recession, so I don't think there would be enough people joining :(

Jhndb 8y ago

Pretty cool, how does it work?

fjallstrom 8y ago
it just listens for silence and cues some audio files in the background. it works most of the time, but could definately be improved.

dersoi 8y ago

I used it on the annus horribilis speech, and now I feel bad...

ddtaylor 8y ago

For me this is pure torture.

_asummers 8y ago
This is my nightmare. Laugh tracks are one of the most obnoxious sound additions to any piece of media, to me. If the situation is supposed to be funny, it should be self evident, and should no require some additional cue. Conversely, if something is not funny, the laugh track sounds forced, and it creates a really unpleasant viewing experience for me.
- laumars 8y ago
  In fairness, often “laugh tracks” are actually live studio audiences (eg Big Bang Theory) and much like how live concert recordings (where you can hear the crowd) are sometimes great when it’s a good concert, hearing the studio audience can improve you’re experience of a genuinely funny TV show. The problem is when it’s artificially added or you hear it on a show you don’t find funny; then it goes from being a subtle improvement to a massively jarring distraction. However given how jarring it is when you don’t find something funny compared with how little it adds to the overall comedy, I can totally understand why people often hate hearing laughter in shows.
  - _asummers 8y ago
    My understanding of the live studio audiences is that they prompt the laughter. Is that correct? If so, the audience laughing at the jokes is just an illusion, even if genuine.
    - laumars 8y ago
      Depends on the show. Some do but some don't. However even ones without a laughter prompt will usually have a compere / warm up acts who will whip the audience up so they're already laughing at jokes before the main show begins recording.
- 8y ago

xiphias2 8y ago

Is there an inverse mode where it removes the laugh track?

teekert 8y ago
For the big bang theory?
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- sneakernets 8y ago
  I have bad news - that one isn't a laugh track, those are real people there specifically for the taping laughing at those terrible jokes. Two and a Half Men had the same "live studio audience" setup.
- dogsgobork 8y ago
  Not really an improvement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKS3MGriZcs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKS3MGriZcs
  - teekert 8y ago
    Hahaha, cool. But I guess the cringe would be less if they didn't wait for the inaudible laughing to be over...
sametmax 8y ago
I would actually pay for that.
- xiphias2 8y ago
  I don't like the jokes in any movie that needs a laugh track anyways, so I don't have this problem :) But it's a fun deep learning excercise.

onion-soup 8y ago

why? can we let laugh track die off in peace? it belongs to museum of cinematography.

charliesharding 8y ago

I know it was just posted but 0 reviews and it being able to "read and change all your data on websites you visit" is a bit much

fjallstrom 8y ago
hai! developer here. uploaded it this weekend during a hackathon. the permissions are absurd, but my sleepy head couldn't figure out how limit the permissions yo youtube only.
- JamieF1 8y ago
  I made a chrome extension a good while back that only ran on Facebook, I assume it still works. Here's the link if it helps: https://github.com/JamieFarrelly/zuckerberg-reactions/blob/master/manifest.json https://github.com/JamieFarrelly/zuckerberg-reactions/blob/m...
  - fjallstrom 8y ago
    cheers, will check!

maxxxxx 8y ago

Laugh tracks are a clear sign to me that humanity is not as evolved as we think we are. Add butt implants to that.

criddell 8y ago
I think the opposite. The effectiveness of laugh tracks make it very clear how social we are. Even when we are doing something in isolation (like watching tv), we want to be part of a group. I'm with you on butt implants though.