cannot playback .ts file (seems to be no video pid on it at all)

[perfection]

I am using the DVR on my Conditional Access System (CAS) Set Top Box to record a program that is telecast at the same time as my favourite program. Recording is as easy as clicking an option after attaching a USB hard drive (FAT32)

The recording happens flawlessly and i can even PLAYBACK THE RECORDED PROGRAM through the DVR menu options and view it on my TV.

Now I take the recording and attach the USB hard drive to my PC for viewing or knocking off the adverts for an uninterrrupted viewing session. The file has a .ts extension (example DVR002.ts). Here is where the problem starts. NO PLAYER CAN PLAY THIS VIDEO BACK. I have the needed codecs includingKlite codec pack, ffdshow filters and HDTVPump (for WMP) and have tried KMPlayer and VLC latest builds but NO - IT STUBBORNLY REFUSES TO PLAY.

So i decided to investigate after googling.
- I ran the file though mpeg2repair and the error i get is "FAILED TO FIND VIDEO PID" and the video pid field has no options all.
- I tried to convert the file using at least 3 converters but the file fails to even be inputted into the programs. One of them HDTVtoMPEG2 says :"could not find a channel"
- I tried Videoredo plus and the error i get is "the transport stream does not contain an mpeg program"
- The HDTV pump plugin allows me to view properties and wherein i find that in the video section pid, frame rate, aspect ratio, video size, stream type all all blank fields supporting the fact that there is no video pid
-tsMuxeR says "some tracks not recognised. The tracks were ignored" and the metafile data records "MUXOPT --no-pcr-on-video-pid --new-audio-pes --vbr --vbv-len=500"

I have tested at least 9 recorded samples on a variety of USBs over several days and different channels

What can i do? What does all this mean? Is there any way we can ADD a video pid to the ts file (now)? Or are there settings i have to change in the set top box before recording - if so please explain in detail how and what

I stay in India(Mumbai) and use a wired cable service from 7star cable that runs into my CAS STB

I repeat recording is happening but NO playback or recognition (not even audio - though two audio pids exist as per mpeg2repair) on my PC with a full complement of codecs, directX up to date and all Win XP updates to-date.

Please help

[the_man_one]

the file is probably encrypted

[poisondeathray]

what does mediainfo (view=>text) say ? copy & paste it back here

maybe you can upload a small sample ?

[perfection]

This is what mediainfo reports

General
ID : 1 (0x1)
Complete name : C:\Documents and Settings\Sanjit Keskar\Desktop\DVR003.TS
Format : MPEG-TS
File size : 25.1 MiB
Duration : 1mn 0s
Overall bit rate : 3 470 Kbps

Yes, I have uploaded the file named DVR003.TS with pleasure as i would love to have this issue probed and solved as alot depends on it. Please invetigate and let me know what can be done

Yet now i fear that what the_man_one wrote might be true about the file being encrypted (i did not know that this was a possibility in the world of common video) - perhaps that is why is plays flawlessly thru the DVR itself and not at all otherwise. If this is the case what are my options to 'capture' the contents for editing and viewing with minimum audio/video quality loss

Thank you evcer so much posiedoneathray for the attention and help - it is imperative that i archive these recordings for my personal knowledge and catering career development

[edDV]

Yet now i fear that what the_man_one wrote might be true about the file being encrypted (i did not know that this was a possibility in the world of common video) - perhaps that is why is plays flawlessly thru the DVR itself and not at all otherwise. If this is the case what are my options to 'capture' the contents for editing and viewing with minimum audio/video quality loss

If the digital file is encrypted, capture the analog A/V output from the DVR.

[perfection]

Yes but this means i will have to invest in a TV capture card; internal for my PC (and locate it close enough to the DVR and TV setup) or external for my laptop to capture on - while cureently all i need to do is attach a USB disk or drive and start.

Let's see what to do after poisondeathray investigates and posts back

[poisondeathray]

I tried many different things, some of the streams are scrambled. I don't think this will work. You will probably have to capture it

" Packet found tagged "SCRAMBLED""