How to convert .wtv files

With all the recordings eating up storage space on my DVR, I also was looking to convert .wtv files, but without much luck. Windows Media Center is great to watch these movies, but trying to record them with a touch of the supplied button just archives them on your computer as a .wtv file that you cannot convert to dvr-ms since these are copy protected. So I took a different approach . . . a back door. Using Hauppauge Win TV 885 Video Capture on my Windows 7 os (I use a Studio XPS 8100), I am able to play (in real time) pre-recorded movies stored on my Directv DVR & capture them using Windows DVD Maker. In my case, I have to remember to change the settings for "s video" as it seems "composite" is the default, but so what? Windows DVD Maker takes all the guess work out of encoding as it lets you burn directly to a DVD. I've been able to burn all my DVR's & free up space, not to mention build a nice video library. Directv provides instructions on how to make the connection between your computer & satellite box if you need it.

I use this converter and it works perfectly!
Check it out.

MC-TVConverter (MediaCenter TV Converter)

Hi, some times i lose signal and it make a delay, when i convert .wtv to other type, i have delay on sound...
but when i watch the .wtv on media center, i have not delay...
please help me... ppppp pppplease

it may have been mentioned already . . . but

the latest VideoReDo TVSuite now accepts wtv files.

VideoReDo MPEG Video Editing Software (not free)

I use it to remove adverts from TV movies, save as mpeg, then use Handbrake (free) to encode the file to mp4.

Jed, UK

.wtv can be converted to .wmv using Windows Live Movie Maker.

In the UK, HD TV is h264 and the v large wtv files that WMC produces are not recognised by most wtv converters.

The only apps I have had any success with are VideoRedo and Cyberlink PowerDirector, and they are at best a bit flakey.

Forgive my ignorance, but can't you use the built in converter already with Windows 7?
If you go to your recorded WTV file and right click on it - you'll see at the top of the list

Convert to .dvr-ms Format

This is the old format used by media player previously, and in this format you should be able then to use and burn programmes to DVD etc.

Xmedia Recode is a freeware package that can convert .WTV directly to XVID or DIVX .AVI. Decent speed. It has some extras like cropping, resizing, aspect ratio adjustment. Video quality could be better but I haven't played with adjustments that are available so maybe I'm not setting it up right.

Homepage: XMedia Recode. Also available on most freeware sites. JFGI.

I have windows 7 Home Premium,SP1, and it does not have an option to convert.wtv files to ,dvr-ms on the right click menu for some reason . Could it be a SP1 change?
When I use Movie Maker to convert .wtv files to .wmv, I get severe degradation in video quality.. What I use is WTV Converter, Convert .WTV to DVD - new MCE windows 7 video format : Extra Tools and how-to's. It quickly and simply converts my .wtv to .dvr-ms . I then load that file into my Roxio Creator software( can't handle .wtv but can convert .dvr-ms) which converts it to editable form,.mpg, for burning into a DVD of better quality than Movie Maker. Since that is what I primarily wish to do, it works fine for me:). I have free Any video Converter also that I could use to convert the .mpg to several different formats, if I wish.

Strange I too am on Windows 7 with Sp1 and it does it for me!