Ah, it seems I did not have File Watcher logging enabled. I've enabled logging and am now recording another show. We'll see what happens.

However, I discovered, since my initial post, that the required xml file would suddenly appear in \DVRMSToolbox\CommercialsXml, after several minutes. (I had shutdown MCE and began to search the SA config for a possible answer). When I restarted Media Center, I could then skip the commercials in that particular recording. It made me wonder if SA needed some time to work on the dvr-ms, before being able to output the xml file.

Being somewhat of a nooby with SA, I'm really not clear on how it's supposed to work.

-phil