unrecognizable .ts file

[dykedyke]

I just bought a Procaster tv with built in dvb tuner and it can record programs to a usb stick.
Recording and playing on tv works fine but when trying to open the .ts files it creates on a computer things get tricky...no program is able to play them or get any information out of them. VLC doesn't even give any errors, it just wont play them. MediaInfo wont give me any details...it only shows file name and size, that's it.

Any ideas? I've worked with .ts files before (from different source obviously) without problems.

[Baldrick]

Maybe encrypted so only the dvbtuner can play them.

[dykedyke]

oh crap...i didnt know that sort of thing existed.

[usually_quiet]

Check your TV's manual. Chances are that it will explain that you can store the TV's recordings on your PC or an external hard drive, but only the individual TV that made the recordings can play them. Your problem isn't unique to you. Others have come here with questions about their own TV, which creates recordings that are unplayable by anything other than itself.

[dykedyke]

it does say on the manual you can only watch recordings on the tv. but i really didnt know tvs/boxes encrypt their recordings.

[netmask56]

Depends a lot on what country (jurisdiction) you are in.

[dykedyke]

Finland

[vid.user]

upload a sample, then we can all have a look.

[dykedyke]

thanks guys for help.

here's the folder structure tv creates: http://highestjourney.net/tmp/DVR/

recordings are in RECS folder. the larger one is HD and smaller SD. sorry if they're too big. they're around one minute each.

[dykedyke]

did anyone have a look, or are the files too large?

[qz3fwd]

did anyone have a look, or are the files too large?

Your TV must save the ts file in some proprietary format since apparantly there are no sync bytes 0x47 in those "ts" files as expected by the software conforming to the mpeg2ts container specification. Should be every 188/192 bytes. Must be a way to keep you from doing exactely what you are trying to do and hide the content. Even if encrypted with DRM I am pretty sure the synch byte is not included in the encryption-only the payload.

Good luck.

[dykedyke]

well, i'm not too worried if I can't open them on my computer.. i'll just buy a €20 usb dvb tuner.