WTV format

[hartless]

Hi,

Could anyone help? I have recorded WTV format bbc-hd in windows media center on windows 7. I am not sure what tools to use for conversion (to some more readily known hd format) and editing. what is wtv format say as oppose to h264 or any other hd format? If anyone could help thanks in advance.

Regards

Hartless

[jman98]

Note that Windows 7 allows the recording of DRMed TV shows. I do not know of any way to work around such.

Depending on your version of Windows 7 you may be able to right click on the WTV and convert it to DVR-MS. If you don't see an option to do this, try installing DVRMSToolbox (it's free). If I remember correctly VideoReDo (not free) can open unprotected WTV files. DVR-MS is much easier to deal with than WTV.

WTV is a Microsoft proprietary extension of DVR-MS with a different container but similar support for MPEG-2 video and either AC3 or MPEG-1 layer II audio.

[usually_quiet]

wtv is a container format. MC-TVConverter can transfer the video and audio from a .wtv file to a less proprietary container. I have used it many times for that. It can also convert .wtv recordings to a few other formats. MC-TVConverter won't work on copy protected .wtv files, but unless the recordings were from a paid service, they are unlikely to be copy protected.

[sambat]

Pipped at the post.


http://mctvconverter.vivolum.net/

[russell_t]

I use ffmpeg to convert my WTV files (NTSC) from the command line using one of Zeranoe's static builds (http://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/). Due to DVB teletext subtitles in the video files, I use the -sn switch to omit the teletext, but other than that issue, this method works well for me.

Here's an example, from WTV to MKV container, with x264 and AAC audio:

ffmpeg -i input_filename.wtv -c:v libx264 -b:v 2000k -c:a libvo_aacenc -b:a 192k -sn output_filename.mkv

Perhaps someone on the forum who is knowledgeable about DVB teletext can contribute useful information.

Russell

[wonmanfactory]

Hello Russell,
I want to keep the subtitles. And actually I only want the subtitles, how can I extract that?

[usually_quiet]

MC-TV Converter's description says it can extract subtitles from .wtv files. It works for N. American closed captions from an ATSC broadcast, but I do not know if it works for DVB-T subtitles too, being in a country that uses a different form of captioning for TV.

[wonmanfactory]

MC-TVConverter as its name, it is a converter. it doesn't extract nor preserve subtitles.

[sambat]

MC-TVConverter can optionally extract closed captions (North American format) to a .srt file when the settings are checked and TS is the selected conversion method - but it states specifically that Teletext is not supported.
If the conversion to .TS format preserves the teletext stream however, it may be that CCExtractor could be used to save them.
I don't have access to PAL material to test.

[jman98]

womanfactory - Don't hijack threads and especially don't hijack old threads. Next time just make a new thread for a question like this. The fact that someone over a year ago asked how to convert WTV doesn't mean you can just ask any old related WTV question in this thread. Our forum rules say not to hijack threads.

[usually_quiet]

MC-TVConverter as its name, it is a converter. it doesn't extract nor preserve subtitles.

I use MC-TVConverter almost daily. As was pointed out to you, it does extract a form of closed captioning used in N. American TV broadcasts (ATSC) to a .srt file, if you select the option to output a .ts file and check "save subtitles to file" in the Settings window under "stream selection". It also preserves those subtitles in their original form, if .ts is selected as output, because they are encoded in the video's MPEG-2 user data.

The version of MC-TVConverter that I am using doesn't say DVB-T subtitles are not supported, but it isn't the newest version, so sambat is likely correct about it being unable to process them. CCExtractor may work, if you convert the .wtv files to DVR-MS format. Both Windows 7 and MC-TV converter can perform the conversion from .wtv to DVR-MS. It is also possible that CCExtractor will not work, because it expects the subtitles to be in teletext format, not in the DVB-T subpic based format.

As I understand the technology, DVB-T carries all subtitles in a separate stream, not in the video itself, and they are encoded differently from ATSC "subtitles". This means russell_t can't help you unless at some point he obtained .wtv recordings from TV broadcasts in a country using DVB-T and he managed to extract subtitles from them.

It is probably a good idea to start a new thread and get help from some European members.

[jagabo]

MC-TVConverter

Is it just me or is this program slower than molasses? It takes something like an hour to remux (or demux) a 1 hour video.

[Selur]

It's not a bug, it's a feature

[usually_quiet]

MC-TVConverter

Is it just me or is this program slower than molasses? It takes something like an hour to remux (or demux) a 1 hour video.

It is not just you. That is why I am using an older version.

[wonmanfactory]

Hello Sambat,
I have uploaded a WTV file to my ftp. Would you like to test?

If you want to you can logon to bbmimi.eu/ using some ftp client like FileZilla
username is guest@bbmimi.eu
password is mysRYgF^b

[sambat]

400MB is too much for me to download.

[wonmanfactory]

Sorry about that.
I have uploaded a 40MB wtv file for you. Would that be better?

[sambat]

Yes that's doable.

[wonmanfactory]

Do MC-TVConverter or CCExtractor work?
I tried both of them.

[sambat]

Can't login to the server.


[Attachment 18013 - Click to enlarge]

[wonmanfactory]

Not so sure why.
I have generated a new password for you.
Please see attachment

[sambat]

Got the file, no luck with the subs.
While the subs can be viewed using WMC to play back the .wtv file, none of the methods like ProjectX or Graphedit work when it comes to extracting them.
Here's the MediaFire link for anyone who wants to give it a shot.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/64nz7khhl2c5bru/bbc_news.wtv

[wonmanfactory]

Oh! Really??
I am learning how to use GraphEdit though. You found out it's no use!

[usually_quiet]

I took a look at the sample file too. The only subtitles present seem to be in DVB's subpic format. Sadly, all the tools I found that are capable of extracting subtitles from .wtv files are for teletext or for N. American closed captions. I could not find a tool capable of extracting subtitles in DVB's subpic format from .wtv files in any way that is useful. I tried using GraphStudio to write the output from the subtitle pin to a dump file, but the data in the resulting file isn't in a format that any of my programs recognize, and I don't know how to convert it to a standard format.

If the recording was made with a different PVR program that produces .ts files containing the complete broadcast transport stream, ProjectX might be able to demultiplex it and save the subtitles in a more useful form. ..but even then, if getting a text file is your ultimate goal, you would still need to do a lot of the work manually.

[sambat]

Similar using Graphedit:
http://www.extrabuttons.net/manual.htm
Although the subtitles are selectable on the WTV file during playback on WMC, it seems it's how the information is stored by WMC - not if it is/is not Teletext that's the roadblock.

[wonmanfactory]

Sambat,
I have been exactly working on that webpage too.
Thanks for you guys' keen help!!

[wonmanfactory]

Sambat, have you tested the method described by that page?
It does work for me at all.
First of all WTV has different pins.
Even if I convert my WTV to DVS-MS, I am not able to drag the out pin to the in pin of the Decrypt/Tag box
How should I do about it?

[usually_quiet]

Never mind. I missed something in your post.

[Edit]I thought of something worthwhile to mention. The method from http://www.extrabuttons.net/manual.htm only works for DVB's teletext/text-based subtitles, since Windows Media Center's older DVR-MS file format does not support DVB's graphical/subpic subtitle format. I have read some reports that most broadcasters in the UK, particularly the BBC, have stopped using DVB's teletext/text-based subtitles, If that is true, the method you are trying to use will not work for many recent recordings from UK broadcasters, including the sample you uploaded for us.

[wonmanfactory]

Oh... "usually_quiet", thanks for letting me know though.
This has been really frustrating. It's shocking that how few people in this side of the globe are interested in working with subtitles.
I have just started working on C++ Directshow programming. I am totally new to c++. I am absolutely horrified by the language. Hopefully Teletext is extractable.
Can you give me a general guide? What is teletext? Is it text-based data? or pixel-based data? How is it different from Closed Caption (I assume this is what you use in North Ameria)?

[usually_quiet]

Oh... "usually_quiet", thanks for letting me know though.
This has been really frustrating. It's shocking that how few people in this side of the globe are interested in working with subtitles.
I have just started working on C++ Directshow programming. I am totally new to c++. I am absolutely horrified by the language. Hopefully Teletext is extractable.
Can you give me a general guide? What is teletext? Is it text-based data? or pixel-based data? How is it different from Closed Caption (I assume this is what you use in North Ameria)?

I know much less about them because of where I live, but the DVB standard allows for both text based subtitles, which some call teletext, and subpic subtitles which are graphics-based and very similar to the type of graphics-based subtitles used for DVDs. Unlike N. American closed captions these are not carried in the GOP user data of the video stream, but are broadcast as separate streams.

Your sample seems to have only graphics-based subtitles since there were no subtitles available to watch using Media Center after I converted to DVR-MS format. Also, the pins labeled DVR-4 and DVR-5 on the WTV filter box for your sample wtv file in GraphStudio relate to DVB subtitles. Based on what I'm seeing in the properties windows DVR-4 looks to be for DVB's subpic subtitles, and DVR-5 looks to be for DVB's text subtitles. When I tried to capture the output from them, all I got from DVR-5 was an empty file, while the file I got from DVR-4 contained some data.

The form of broadcast subtitling used in N. America for ATSC digital TV is known as closed captions here. They are text-based, but the technology is different from teletext or DVB text-based subtitles. There are two types of closed captioning used in ATSC broadcasts, EIA-608 and EIA-708. EIA-608 closed captions are supposed to be discontinued at some point, but as far as I know a firm date has not been set. Both EIA-608 and EIA-708 closed captions are carried by the MPEG-2 video stream within its GOP user data. Most software that converts N. American closed captions into subtitles only converts EIA-608 captions. The developers of CCExtractor have only recently begun work on EIA-708 captioning.

EIA-608 captioning is ATSC's replacement for NTSC analog line 21 closed captions. Before being added to the ATSC standard, EIA-608 captioning was used for some DVDs produced for N. America instead of or in addition to subpic subtitles. EIA-608 captioning is added to an NTSC analog signal as line 21 analog closed captions so it can be carried by coax, composite video, or S-video connections. EIA-608 intended for use by people with analog CRT TVs who connect their TV to an external digital receiver using coax, composite video, or S-video and want to use their TV's built-in closed caption hardware to decode the closed captions. EIA-708 includes more features but no video connections transmit EIA-708 data, so the device that tunes the signal is responsible for decoding the captions and adding the text to the picture.