How to convert .wtv files

henkfrijters said:

Windows 7 is using the .wtv file format for recorded TV.
Does anybody know (preferably free) tools to convert these files to for example .avi ?
In the past I used the dvr-ms converter, however this is not a free tool... and I hate to have to pay again for a new tool

So I know this because since changing from Vista to Windows 7 I noticed that native wmc capture changed from DVRMS to .wtv . I had already had all the trouble of finding a DVRMS converter (i convert to WAV only for audio stuff) and searched as you are doing but one day I just happend to right click on a .wtv file in Windows 7 and there is a context menu entry just for the purpose of converting .wtv to DVRMS - no external programs needed.

Rather late a solution for you I suspect but I hope it helps someone else.
So to recap: right-click on your .wtv file in Windows 7 and you'll see just under "Add to Windows Media Player list" an entry labelled "Convert to .dvr-ms Format".

Hey all,

Not sure if this is helpful, but you can easily convert the .wtv files to another format by using Windows Live Movie Maker, though it may be a little slow and obviously can't do batches... I use it to get rid of commercials and put out a high-quality .wmv file on shows I follow (rather than later spending $50+ to buy the series...)

azaraith said:

Hey all,

Not sure if this is helpful, but you can easily convert the .wtv files to another format by using Windows Live Movie Maker, though it may be a little slow and obviously can't do batches... I use it to get rid of commercials and put out a high-quality .wmv file on shows I follow (rather than later spending $50+ to buy the series...)

Hi,

I've been toying around with W7 recorded .wtv files looking for a quick way to get rid of the commercials too and after reading your post I tried the WLMM app to get rid of the commercials. However, after spending a bit of time editing and deleting commercioals, I lost the edits when I tried to save the file in a "720p HD convert" porcess. The progress bar was still dead after ~20 min and required a reboot to clear the screen. How do you do it, if I may ask?

Orpheous said:

You can set up MCEBuddy to convert your .wtv files to a schedule, into various preset formats.
I've just installed it and it seems to do the job fairly well, although it didn't manage to automatically remove the ads (as advertised). Bear in mind that the source files themselves won't be converted.

Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out first chance I get. 'Ad' removal is a highly desired feature for archiving shows. Hope a tweak can be found to include.

sawbuck said:

azaraith said:

Hey all,

Not sure if this is helpful, but you can easily convert the .wtv files to another format by using Windows Live Movie Maker, though it may be a little slow and obviously can't do batches... I use it to get rid of commercials and put out a high-quality .wmv file on shows I follow (rather than later spending $50+ to buy the series...)

Hi,

I've been toying around with W7 recorded .wtv files looking for a quick way to get rid of the commercials too and after reading your post I tried the WLMM app to get rid of the commercials. However, after spending a bit of time editing and deleting commercioals, I lost the edits when I tried to save the file in a "720p HD convert" porcess. The progress bar was still dead after ~20 min and required a reboot to clear the screen. How do you do it, if I may ask?

I've had the same problem a few times, but it will work. I usually save the project file first before trying to run the final conversion. Unfortunately, even when I've got it to work I discovered another bug - the audio is out of sync. I guess it really doesn't help that you can technically convert and edit with WLMM if it never actually works right...

VideoReDo TVSuite V4 allows you to edit wtv files directly and save to mpeg as well as other formats. Unfortunatly it's not free, you can download a trial version at VideoReDo MPEG Video Editing Software

I convert the HD .wtv files to .dvr-ms files and then use Windows Live Movie Maker to remove the commercials and save the TV shows under the 480p widescreen option. The files are more than twice the size of a typical .avi television show at that bitrate, but they do look very nice.

My only issue is that the sound level is much lower after they've been converted to the .wmv files. Is there anyway I can tweak WLMM so that the sound level is significantly higher and closer to the original levels?

The .wtv and .dvr-ms files only play with Windows Media Center, and it's so loud I usually have to lower the volume while I watch it which lowers my system sound levels to around 40%. To get a similar volume when playing the converted .wmv files and my JetAudio volume set to maximum, I have to raise the system volume over 80-85%. Then I have to always be careful to lower the general volume control when I'm done or other files will be blasted over my speakers.

Also, is there a new edition of movie maker in the 2011 release that is a significant improvement and worth replacing Windows Live Movie Maker for what I'm using it for - removing commercials and converting TV recordings?