Weird file format from smart TV

[servese]

Hi,
Although I've now got a linux box running tvheadend, I used to do my tv recordings using my Smart TV's (TCL U58E6800FDS) built in DVR. I thought I'd recover the old recordings from the USB I recorded them to, but it seems they won't play outside the TV's player. The recordings are stored as one large file called "data.000" (has the file signature of an mpeg2ts but gives no output in mediainfo) a file called "index" which contains garbled binary information, and two other files called "20_ABC HD_20200129_211403" and "epg" which contain metadata about the particular recording I made. When I attempt to put data.000 through ffmpeg, it says "could not find codec parameters". I'm completely stumped about what to do so any help would be greatly appreciated

[Cornucopia]

"Epg" very likely means "electronic program guide", as that is often the acronym used for it.

I would be VERY surprised if the files WEREN'T encrypted. As such, you are basically SOL.


Scott

[servese]

Would there be a way of telling whether or not an Mpeg-TS was encrypted by just using a hex editor?. I've already connected to my TV using ADB and then dumped and decompiled the media centre program that can play the files mentioned earlier, and I couldn't find any references to encryption based on the quick cursory check of the code I made.

Cheers,
servese

[netmask56]

Most big name TV's and PVR's are encrypted mainly because altho not a requirement in Australia our market is so small compared to world markets we tend to get the stock standard version. However many standalone PVR's or if you wish DVR's like Beyonwiz and Topfield, Humax are not encrypted and record in stock standard .TS format and can be easily networked, transferred to a PC or MAC etc. I have a Beyonwiz T3 that has 3 tuners so you can record all the substations simultaneously on 3 channels around 12 programs at once if you want! I also have the V2 that has 2 tuners and I record to my NAS over the network or you can record to an attached USB drive or a memory card. On playback they have programmable jump buttons so it's easy to jump through commercial breaks. They are all based on the European Enigma 2 model which is public domain.

[servese]

Yeah, I've got a raspberry pi running tvheadend currently and it works a treat! I can then play the streams through kodi which also makes it very easy to skip through commercials. The thing is though, I've got some old recordings of shows that I haven't been able to find replacements of online. I might try getting the decryption key using something like this:
https://github.com/openlgtv/epk2extract
But before I go down that path, I want to know if there's a way you could tell if a TS is encrypted, without using something like mediainfo. Are there any headers I could find using something like a hex editor to determine whether or not the file is encrypted? It is a transport stream containing an h264 stream (Aussie HDTV.)

Because it's fewer than 500 megs, I've uploaded some random recording I made from ABC news 24 (SDTV, so MPEG2 in a TS), which is in the same format so maybe someone could find that helpful in determining what's going on with this file.

[servese]

Alright, I've just run the file through dvbsnoop, which provides very detailed output, and the file is indeed encrypted:

dvbsnoop V1.4.50 -- http://dvbsnoop.sourceforge.net/ 

------------------------------------------------------------
TS-Packet: 00000001   PID: (Unkown PID), Length: 188 (0x00bc)
from file: data.000
------------------------------------------------------------
  0000:  47 09 11 98 11 ba 34 d7  03 f7 06 c7 a4 71 4b b5   G.....4......qK.
  0010:  1c 37 58 77 03 18 00 33  98 7f 3b 1e bf 15 d1 3d   .7Xw...3..;....=
  0020:  1c e8 5e 52 2d df c2 2e  d5 a6 67 99 cd 13 59 2a   ..^R-.....g...Y*
  0030:  4b 5e 10 b4 cd be d3 57  df fc f8 9f be e5 bc 52   K^.....W.......R
  0040:  94 aa cf de a0 f1 d8 fa  91 0d 26 87 f5 25 e3 97   ..........&..%..
  0050:  ae 29 43 40 94 53 eb 6a  d9 79 ee 74 b3 e4 5d b6   .)C@.S.j.y.t..].
  0060:  7c 0e 15 22 20 59 67 75  8c d4 1b 1d e3 6b a6 a0   |.." Ygu.....k..
  0070:  6e 8f bb 53 30 00 65 84  48 8f 6a b7 d3 75 e1 48   n..S0.e.H.j..u.H
  0080:  e5 92 bc d7 0d fc b3 8a  01 6e 22 1b e6 25 8b f1   .........n"..%..
  0090:  1c 0b 1a dc 3f 47 4c 40  0f 94 87 0e 24 81 a0 09   ....?GL@....$...
  00a0:  2f a1 c4 49 da 79 64 79  94 4e 07 49 79 7e 7a 45   /..I.ydy.N.Iy~zE
  00b0:  5c 0c 17 21 d2 fa 95 c4  9b d2 c2 9b               \..!........

Sync-Byte 0x47: 71 (0x47)
Transport_error_indicator: 0 (0x00)  [= packet ok]
Payload_unit_start_indicator: 0 (0x00)  [= Packet data continues]
transport_priority: 0 (0x00)
PID: 2321 (0x0911)  [= ]
transport_scrambling_control: 2 (0x02)  [= TS packet scrambled with Even Key]
adaptation_field_control: 1 (0x01)  [= no adaptation_field, payload only]
continuity_counter: 8 (0x08)  [= (sequence ok)]
    Payload: (len: 184)
    Data-Bytes:
          0000:  11 ba 34 d7 03 f7 06 c7  a4 71 4b b5 1c 37 58 77   ..4......qK..7Xw
          0010:  03 18 00 33 98 7f 3b 1e  bf 15 d1 3d 1c e8 5e 52   ...3..;....=..^R
          0020:  2d df c2 2e d5 a6 67 99  cd 13 59 2a 4b 5e 10 b4   -.....g...Y*K^..
          0030:  cd be d3 57 df fc f8 9f  be e5 bc 52 94 aa cf de   ...W.......R....
          0040:  a0 f1 d8 fa 91 0d 26 87  f5 25 e3 97 ae 29 43 40   ......&..%...)C@
          0050:  94 53 eb 6a d9 79 ee 74  b3 e4 5d b6 7c 0e 15 22   .S.j.y.t..].|.."
          0060:  20 59 67 75 8c d4 1b 1d  e3 6b a6 a0 6e 8f bb 53    Ygu.....k..n..S
          0070:  30 00 65 84 48 8f 6a b7  d3 75 e1 48 e5 92 bc d7   0.e.H.j..u.H....
          0080:  0d fc b3 8a 01 6e 22 1b  e6 25 8b f1 1c 0b 1a dc   .....n"..%......
          0090:  3f 47 4c 40 0f 94 87 0e  24 81 a0 09 2f a1 c4 49   ?GL@....$.../..I
          00a0:  da 79 64 79 94 4e 07 49  79 7e 7a 45 5c 0c 17 21   .ydy.N.Iy~zE\..!
          00b0:  d2 fa 95 c4 9b d2 c2 9b                            ........
==========================================================

I'll see if I can find a way to dump the keys from somewhere, but that isn't relevant to this particular forum.

[servese]

Hmmm, just looked up the encryption type and it's got weak encryption that is definitely brute-forceable:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG_transport_stream (jump to Transport scrambling control)

I'll update you on whether I'm successful in brute-forcing this.