Playing and Saving a Streamed Video File

[MannyNoela]

Hello,

I recently watched a streamed soccer match through Windows Media Player. The streamed video was saved as a "Video CD Movie" file type with the following name:
<20080203-gha-nig-0000-750-vod-gb-2043[1].dat> -- I found this file in the "Temporary Internet Folder" on my PC.

I want to be able to burn this file onto a DVD for later viewing. What process should I follow (BTW, I tried to use VLC media player to play this file, but it wouldn't.).

Any thoughts? Manny

[Baldrick]

Have you tried rename it to asf or wmv and then play with Windows Media Player? But it could also be DRM-protected.

[MannyNoela]

thanks -- but renaming with asf or wmv extensions doesn't solve the problem.

[tomlee59]

A VCD .dat file normally should be playable by VLC. If it doesn't, it could indicate a problem with the file. If it's a multi-title VCD, VLC sometimes chokes (depending on how it was authored), so maybe you're ok.

First off, there's no particular reason to turn it into a DVD; it's just extra work, and the quality cannot improve. I'd recommend reauthoring it into a VCD. Nearly every DVD player will play VCDs just fine.

Next, download a copy of VCDEasy (see the Tools section of this site). The free version (v1.1.5.2) is limited to MPEG1; luckily, a VCD is in MPEG1 format, so the free version is all you need.

Next, use its rip utility to rip the .dat file into a plain old mpeg1 stream. For yuks, try playing the files it produces. Hopefully, VLC will do fine. Assuming no problems, use VCDEasy to recreate a VCD. Burn, and you should be good to go. I recommend creating the .bin/.cue image files, and then using a separate burning tool to create the disc.

[MannyNoela]

thanks very much for the responses:

I tried VCD Easy and it gives the following error:
Cdxa2mpeg.exe execution failed. Unknown chunkid (h2u) encountered (the file is not a mpeg file with Riff header (*.dat file).

Another utility (VDCGear) also reports that it cannot see the mpeg stream in the file.

So probably, there is an issue in the file. I would appreciate any other thoughts ... or maybe some other utility to directly record the video as it is being streamed. I tried WMRecorder and it didn't work.

Thanks - Manny

[mats.hogberg]

So probably, there is an issue in the file.

Probably, no: certainly, this is not a VCD .dat file. Try loading it in GSpot, to see if that can determine what it really is. Are you 100% sure this .dat file is really the video you watched?

/Mats

[MannyNoela]

Gspot says "file type unknown" - so it probably will not be the correct file.

I am only assuming that it is the correct file -- it is in the temporary internet folder -- where other streamed video files such as flash video files (Flv) are placed after it is played; the size seems reasonable (about 600 megs). So thats the basis for my assumption. Could these files be placed anywhere else?

I can give the website for the streamed videos, if that will help.

thanks -- MannyNoela

[Ai Haibara]

I'm not sure GSpot does well at providing information on Windows Media streams/videos (since it was streamed using WMP, I'm still inclined to believe it's some form of ASF/WMV, even if changing the file extension to one of those didn't quite work.) Maybe MediaInfo would be able to provide a little more information about the file.

What size is the .dat file? Have you tried loading it into Media Player, to see if it plays there?

[MannyNoela]

Thanks very much for your assistance.

After trying several options here without success, I finally was able to use WM Recorder to directly capture the file as it is streamed. it worked beautifully. (BTW, most of the files captured by WM Recorder are about 650Mgs (similar to the one that was saved directly by the program into temporary internet files folder. So now, I am looking for ways to put a couple of the matches on one DVD and burn them with menus.

I posted a question regarding this second task in the "Newbie Conversion" forum, and would welcome your comments.

Thanks again for all your assistance -- Manny