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Converting WTV files

WTV is the default recording format in Windows Media Center if the TV Pack has been installed and it is also the default recording format in Windows 7 Beta. Microsoft has announced plans to switch from the previously used dvr-ms format to the new wtv format. A few commercial applications can convert wtv files to common video formats like avi or mpeg. There are unfortunately not many free video converters that can convert wtv files.

The only working way at the moment is to convert the wtv video to dvr-ms and from there to another format. That’s not really practicable but it probably is only a matter of time until additional video converters add support for the wtv format. The command line tool ToDvrms can convert wtv files to the dvr-ms format.

The easiest way to convert the wtv files is by placing the todvrms.exe converter in the same folder as the wtv file to be converted. The command is the following:

todvrms.exe c:\test.wtv c:\test.dvr-ms

This will convert the test.wtv file to the dvr-ms format. The developer provides access to another tool that can be used to convert dvr-ms videos to another video format. The software DVRMSToolbox comes with a graphical user interface and can be used to convert the dvr-ms videos.

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About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.

Author: , Sunday January 18, 2009 -
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Responses so far:

  1. David Kopf says:

    Didn’t work for me on windows7 beta. Copied recorded .wtv program to c:test.wtv, then

    c:>todvrms.exe c:test.wtv c:test.dvr-ms

    terminated quickly with

    “Object reference not set to an instance of an object”

    • Fredy says:

      With windows 7 retail , just right click on the wtv file and click where it says convert to dvr-ms. If you have the RC edition the program should work just fine, just try using the program as administrator, see if this helps.

  2. Fred says:

    try WTV to MPEG Converter 1.4 it works on windows 7.

    • Fredy says:

      to conver wtv files to dvr-ms get wtv converter, here is the website
      http://forums.vso-software.fr/convert-wtv-to-dvd-new-mce-windows-7-video-format-t9479.html
      please say thanks if this worked for you.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Windows 7, starting from 7041 build has an integrated WTV -> DVR-MS conversion. Just Right click on .WTV file in explorer and select “Convert to .dvr-ms”.

  4. koray says:

    on Windows7 RC1 there is a right click command says “Convert to .dvr-ms Format”

  5. VSO software has released a freeware with a GUI to convert .WTV files to dvr-ms or directly to DVD. You can find it in their forum.

  6. here: http://forums.vso-software.fr/convert-wtv-to-dvd-new-mce-windows-7-video-format-t9479.html

  7. I don’t know if this will help you, but I ran into the same problems. I wrote a utility to automate the built-in wtvconverter.exe program. You can check it out at:

    http://wtvwatcher.codeplex.com/

  8. kevin says:

    try wtv converter
    http://www.dvr-ms.com/wtv-mpeg.htm

  9. nonW00t says:

    This is fine but how to remove damn copy protection on recordings?!!!

  10. Andrew Maisey says:

    Windows Live http://download.live.com/ has the free MovieMaker tool which can help you convert your video. Hopefully the superb AVS Media Toolset will support this new format also (http://www.avsmedia.com/AVS-Video-Tools.aspx).

  11. Andrew Maisey says:

    Also same across this post… http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows7/Convert-a-recorded-TV-file-wtv-to-an-older-format which looks very helpful. Although it would likely entail a double conversion to get it away from a Microaoft format!

  12. healthyemily says:

    Just google search

    How to Convert WTV to AVI, MP4, MKV, WMV, MPG and MOV?

    you will find a powerful program as well as a step by step solution

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