Page 1 of 1

Converting WTV to DVR-MS fails... any solution?

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 2:46 am
by sierra
Hello all,
I apologize if this topic has been brought up, but I'm trying to find out if there's a way to convert a WTV file in WMC Windows 10, to a DVR-MS file?
The right-click option which worked in Windows 7 is not working in Windows 10.... (I get an error saying the "...content is not compatible with the dvr-ms file format."

Thanks in advance.

Re: Converting WTV to DVR-MS fails... any solution?

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 2:58 am
by Space
Could it be that the recording is h264 and not MPEG2? I think WTV files can only be converted to DVR-MS format if it is MPEG2 inside the container.

viewtopic.php?t=10388

Re: Converting WTV to DVR-MS fails... any solution?

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 3:30 am
by sierra
Possibly. Is there a way to check the file type? Details of the recorded file show WTV and nothing else.
Thanks Space.

Re: Converting WTV to DVR-MS fails... any solution?

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 5:37 am
by Space
Yes, there is a way to display the codec when playing the video in WMC.

Start the playback of the video as normal in WMC. Then type in 411(info). On a remote this means to enter the number 411 (like you are changing the channel to 411) then press the "info" button (sometimes just has an "i" on it). You can do this on the keyboard by entering 411 and ctrl-D.

This should pop up the debug screen (if it doesn't try doing it again).

While on the debug screen, press the right arrow key (on remote or on keyboard) until you get to the last screen "DEBUG: Presentation" (it will no longer go to another screen when on the last one). On this screen you will see both the audio and video codecs of the currently playing video. Next to the "Video Codec" you will see either MPEG2 or h264.
Image

Re: Converting WTV to DVR-MS fails... any solution?

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:27 pm
by sierra
Thank you, Space!
I never knew there was a debug screen option.
I checked a recording I made this morning, and the last debug screen showed MPEG2 as the codec.
But sadly, the WTV converter option did not work again.

Perhaps the error occurs because I record to an external drive?

Re: Converting WTV to DVR-MS fails... any solution?

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 7:09 pm
by Space
Well, I'm not sure then. Have you got it to work with any of your other WTV files? Are the files copy protected (you can see within WMC on the info page for the video, at the very bottom would be a copy protected indicator).

I found this: viewtopic.php?p=131507#p131507
So there may just be an issue with running that command on Win10.

Note that the program that does the conversion is called wtvconverter.exe and you can try running it on the command line, although I doubt you would get a different result. See command line execution info in the "answer" here.

I don't have Win10 and don't know much about running WMC on Win10, so maybe others have more insight in to this problem.

Re: Converting WTV to DVR-MS fails... any solution?

Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 4:15 pm
by sierra
I tried a WTV conversion on an older WTV file on my external drive and no luck either. Must be a Win 10 issue. The recent recording I made did not show a 'copy protected' indication on the synopsis page.

I'll keep researching to see if there's a solution out there.

Thanks for your help, Space!

Re: Converting WTV to DVR-MS fails... any solution?

Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:32 pm
by grittree
Agree that wtvconverter.exe from both win7 and win8.1 won't run under win10.

Only solution I know is to run win7 in Virtualbox.

Now, if comskip would work on .wtv files .........

Re: Converting WTV to DVR-MS fails... any solution?

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2020 5:15 pm
by sdowney717
Just did it with VLC as a test using convert/save
It seems to have worked ok on this small wtv file.
convert wtv to mpeg.PNG

Re: Converting WTV to DVR-MS fails... any solution?

Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2021 2:50 pm
by rdj
I have been working on an alternative version for Windows 10: this is how it works:

https://rimm.wales/wtvtodvrms.htm

Re: Converting WTV to DVR-MS fails... any solution?

Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2021 5:23 pm
by Space
grittree wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:32 pm Agree that wtvconverter.exe from both win7 and win8.1 won't run under win10.

Only solution I know is to run win7 in Virtualbox.

Now, if comskip would work on .wtv files .........
I know this is a post from January, and I'm not sure if you are talking about a Win10 specific issue here, but comskip DOES work directly on .wtv files (at least on Win7). No need to convert them to .dvr-ms first.