Anyway around DRM protected WTV file?

[peggypwr1]

Hello I use WMC on Windows 7 to record OTA HD channels. I would like to edit out the commercials but when I use TEMPENC to demux the WTV file, it says the file is DRM protected. Anyway around this?

[usually_quiet]

Hello I use WMC on Windows 7 to record OTA HD channels. I would like to edit out the commercials but when I use TEMPENC to demux the WTV file, it says the file is DRM protected. Anyway around this?

If these channel were recorded from an antenna, then the wtv files should not be encrypted. Encryption should only be present on recordings from some paid tv-only channels that the service provider wants to protect. Try MC-TVConverter to convert the files from .wtv to .mpg or .ts.

[lowellriggsiam]

usually_quiet, It may be possible that it contains a digital broadcast flag.

[usually_quiet]

usually_quiet, It may be possible that it contains a digital broadcast flag.

That only happens once in a great while, and by accident. It is not legal to intentionally use a digital broadcast flag to restrict recording over-the-air broadcasts in the US. Anything that is sent over-the-air is required to be designated "copy freely"

[lowellriggsiam]

Usually_quiet I just today I got one recording the AFC playoff game, fortunately my western digital media player will still play it. Just makes it troublesome to edit out the commercials.

[usually_quiet]

Usually_quiet I just today I got one recording the AFC playoff game, fortunately my western digital media player will still play it. Just makes it troublesome to edit out the commercials.

That is unfortunate, but encountering a real copy protection flag on an over-the-air broadcast is still rare. DVD recorders seem to have more detection issues than TV cards used with Media Center. The last documented widespread occurrence I remember hearing about that affected Windows Media Center was an NBC broadcast in May 2008.

Finding two real encrypted .wtv recordings from recent broadcasts received by antenna would be highly unusual. We don't know which TMPGEnc product is being used, and sometimes software not intended to be used with the .wtv container will report all .wtv files are encrypted.

[lowellriggsiam]

It wasn't really important wether a flag existed, or not. I had been testing my ATSC tuner and collected a 10 minute clip. I am fine as long as I can watch what I record. Since I can do it on my western digital media player it's a bonus. The picture is a hell of a lot clearer than the coax from the cable. I just found I could import the file into Nero Vision Xtra from multimedia suite 10. I just removed a comercial and am exporting it wish me luck.

[usually_quiet]

It wasn't really important wether a flag existed, or not. I had been testing my ATSC tuner and collected a 10 minute clip. I am fine as long as I can watch what I record. Since I can do it on my western digital media player it's a bonus. The picture is a hell of a lot clearer than the coax from the cable. I just found I could import the file into Nero Vision Xtra from multimedia suite 10. I just removed a comercial and am exporting it wish me luck.

My understanding is that Windows Media Center recordings made from shows marked "copy once" can only be played on the same PC in which they were recorded and using media extenders, such as an XBOX 360, connected to the computer. How did you copy and play the file on the Western Digital media player and what reported the file was encrypted?

[lowellriggsiam]

Just reporting back that my digital broadcast flagged dvr_ms file that I loaded into Nero Vision Extra exported successfully. It looks like it may be a solution to the posters problem.

[lacywest]

Hello I use WMC on Windows 7 to record OTA HD channels. I would like to edit out the commercials but when I use TEMPENC to demux the WTV file, it says the file is DRM protected. Anyway around this?

Using Windows 7 ... do a right click with mouse and convert to DVR-MS and then try using TEMPenc ... please report back ... I would like to know ... the rest here ... most likely would be interested ... also

[pepegot1]

To go: http://www.xdimax.com/grex/grex.html#TVG See if that helps

[usually_quiet]

To go: http://www.xdimax.com/grex/grex.html#TVG See if that helps

That product is not able to resolve all copy protection issues, as you seem to believe. It will not be of any help to anyone recording from an antenna using a PC TV tuner card.

[usually_quiet]

Just reporting back that my digital broadcast flagged dvr_ms file that I loaded into Nero Vision Extra exported successfully. It looks like it may be a solution to the posters problem.

If Nero Vision Extra can open and edit your .dvr-ms file, it is not a copy-protected recording, just a normal one. I have not heard of anything, particularly commercial product, able to open and edit copy-protected .dvr-ms recordings. In other words, the broadcast flag was not used to restrict recording last night's AFC championship game.

VideoReDo TV Suite H.264 can also import and edit unencrypted .dvr-ms and .wtv recordings.

For those who don't already have or want to purchase the commercial products that work directly with .dvr-ms and .wtv files, MC-TVConverter works well and quickly for copying unencrypted Media Center recordings to more user-friendly containers.

[lowellriggsiam]

usually_quiet, the file reported that it was protected. It had a license tab and in the properties it said it was. I tried loading the file into handbrake and it reported that the file was either encrypted, protected, or badly authored. I then copied the raw dvr_ms file to a wd passport hdd I receintly picked up and hooked it up to my western digital media player, navigated to the file and it played. I tried loading the file into Nero Vison and it loaded, edited, and exported cleanly. Might I add the new version of Nero Vision is so much improved since version 6.

[usually_quiet]

usually_quiet, the file reported that it was protected. It had a license tab and in the properties it said it was. I tried loading the file into handbrake and it reported that the file was either encrypted, protected, or badly authored. I then copied the raw dvr_ms file to a wd passport hdd I receintly picked up and hooked it up to my western digital media player, navigated to the file and it played. I tried loading the file into Nero Vison and it loaded, edited, and exported cleanly. Might I add the new version of Nero Vision is so much improved since version 6.

It looks like something went wrong, but I still doubt a broadcast flag was intentionally set to "copy once". Otherwise there would be lots of complaints about it today. There are too many rabid football fans out there recording games for a widespread problem to go unreported. In the 10 months that I've been using Media Center to record ATSC broadcasts from an antenna, I haven't seen any copy protected recordings, and it is used nearly every day.

Programs that work for .dvr-ms don't always accept .wtv files. HandBrake can't deal with the .wtv container at all. I just tried the latest version of HandBrake on a .wtv file that I know is not copy protected. It gave me the error message you saw, but accepted the same file when converted to .dvr-ms by Windows 7's utility. When I first started using Windows 7's Media Center last year, I recall that most programs I tried either produced warnings or failed to open the .wtv files. I'm not going to download the Nero 10 Multimedia Suite trial to test it for .wtv files. I have assembled a collection of freeware at this point which works well for what I'm doing.

The .wtv container is supposedly more secure, and that is why Windows 7 and Vista machines that have TV Pack 2008 installed to allow installation of CableCARD tuners use .wtv, not .dvr-ms. Better protection was needed to pass Cable Labs' certification requirements for use with a CableCARD.

[lowellriggsiam]

Let me start with nice to meet you, nice to have a sensible/rational dialog. The file on my pc no longer contains the copy flag, the one I transfered to my passport drive still contains the flag. It may be possible for them to have created a temproary flag, although I cannot see why. I should ask what your oppinion is of CableCARD tuners I may consider such a device when I upgrade my equiptment later this year. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883113153 is what I am currently eyeing, or something similar.

[usually_quiet]

Let me start with nice to meet you, nice to have a sensible/rational dialog. The file on my pc no longer contains the copy flag, the one I transfered to my passport drive still contains the flag. It may be possible for them to have created a temproary flag, although I cannot see why. I should ask what your oppinion is of CableCARD tuners I may consider such a device when I upgrade my equiptment later this year. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883113153 is what I am currently eyeing, or something similar.

I don't have a CableCARD tuner yet, but have been looking into them. A couple of additional CableCARD tuners are supposed to be released this year, so there should be more posts on this topic later. I don't want to go too far off topic on this, so I'll just stick to DRM and .wtv.

Copy protected .wtv files are likely to be more common with a CableCARD tuner. Depending on the channel and service provider, a lot of recorded programming could be tied to the PC that recorded it, or even unrecordable. That's not to say that I wouldn't be interested in a CableCARD tuner. One of these devices still looks like a better deal for me than a cable company DVR, or a TiVo, and it would be more convenient than using a DVD recorder or analog capture device with a cable box.

The FCC forbids the use of anything but "copy freely" on local channels, either over-the-air, or on cable. However everything else is eligible for "copy once" protection, if the cable company or channel owner wants to use it. In addition, premium channels like HBO, paid on-demand movies, and paid on-demand events can use "copy never" protection if they meet the FCC's requirements. I don't have a subscription to a premium channel, and don't use paid on demand services, so I don't care about recording them.

[peggypwr1]

Weird, happened again to another recording off CBS.

[usually_quiet]

Weird, happened again to another recording off CBS.

Does MC-TVConverter convert the file? If so, there is either a bug in TMPGEnc, or it is as lowellriggsiam said, and the copy protection placed on the file is temporary.

[peggypwr1]

Yes sir, just tried it, MC-TV did manage to convert, there is a bug in TEMPENC then, however, I do not have the latest version, so that could be the problem!

[usually_quiet]

Yes sir, just tried it, MC-TV did manage to convert, there is a bug in TEMPENC then, however, I do not have the latest version, so that could be the problem!

Yes, that's the reason. TMPGEnc 4.0 Xpress can import .wtv files, but earlier versions of TMPGEnc can't. For future reference, you will almost always get better answers from VideoHelp members if you provide information on what product and version you are using.

If you want to keep using what you have, you will need to convert your .wtv files first. Since we still don't know which TMPGEnc product and version you have, it is difficult to say what end format you should use for converting your .wtv files before importing them.

[peggypwr1]

I am using V 4.7.6.304

[usually_quiet]

I am using V 4.7.6.304

...of what TMPGEnc product?

Since we still don't know which TMPGEnc product and version you have, it is difficult to say what end format you should use for converting your .wtv files before importing them.

It should be unnecessary to play 20 questions with someone who as been a member since 2005.

[peggypwr1]

I am using 4.0 xpress

[usually_quiet]

You have the latest edition in the TMPGEnc XPress product line, and support for .wtv files was added in TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress version 4.7.4.299, so the problem is not a lack of support for the .wtv container.

MC-TVConverter uses Microsoft's own Direct Show filters when converting .wtv files to .mpg, so it shouldn't be able to convert a recording with real "copy once" protection either. For that reason, I agree that a bug is causing the problem.

I couldn't find anything in the revision history for TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress that listed the exact issue you describe. However, all updates for TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress are free to download for registered owners of the software, so you might as well try an update to the latest version number to see if it fixes the problem.

TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress accepts both .dvr-ms and .mpg files, so if an update doesn't fix the problem, the choice between the two is up to you. Both types of conversion just change the container used to store the video and audio, so you won't loose anything but a little of your time no matter which one you choose.

[dylz]

mc-tv converter does it for me, have you tried the new ripbot version it now supports .wtv protected files.

[peggypwr1]

Mc-TV converter works well, HD all the way!

[usually_quiet]

I did some reading at thegreenbutton.com last night , and it appears all Windows Media Center recordings are indeed temporarily marked "protected" during recording. If no "copy once" flags are detected, the "protected" markers are removed later. See http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/p/89476/455190.aspx#455190

I don't know how long it takes to reset the relevant markers, and suspect it would be best to wait a little while before processing .wtv and .dvr-ms files.

[ktjensen]

Is the delay issue still valid? Should I be setting my automatic conversion applications to wait an hour before doing a conversion, because the WTV file is temporary protected?

and RIPBOT does not work on WTV protected files. just fails and stalls.

HANDBRAKE also fails and stalls

MC-TV Converter fails as it createas only a 2 second file

Seems to be no easy way around a WTV file with DRM protection on it

[usually_quiet]

Is the delay issue still valid? Should I be setting my automatic conversion applications to wait an hour before doing a conversion, because the WTV file is temporary protected?

and RIPBOT does not work on WTV protected files. just fails and stalls.

HANDBRAKE also fails and stalls

MC-TV Converter fails as it createas only a 2 second file

Seems to be no easy way around a WTV file with DRM protection on it

An hour seems reasonable, but I can't say how long a wait is actually necessary. I don't get around to working on the recordings I want to save until the next day, at the earliest.

I have not yet experienced problems caused by temporary or permanent protection placed on a .wtv file. I only record free over-the-air TV using my PC, so I probably won't ever see a .wtv file with permanent protection unless I get a CableCARD tuner start recording from cable.

If the protection is permanent, there is no way to remove it. You would have to resort to recording the screen via screen capture software while playing the file in order to make a portable copy.