Liberating TSP files from a dead DVR

ddrueding

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A friend gave me a dead DISHDVR625. All he wants is the video of his kid in the commercial. I was able to get the video files (*.TSP) off using the latest Ubuntu, but I can't identify which one I need unless I can play them.

The program with the most promise is PVR Explorer Pro, but it crashes on most of the files, and doesn't look to have had active development for years.

I can't think that work on this has stopped?

As an aside; going through someone's old video on their DVR (without knowing what the content is until you play it), is a lot like going through someone's garbage. Your opinion of them is bound to sink a little...
 

ddrueding

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Thanks Will. I haven't gone in there to have a look yet, but based on the activity on the PVRExplorer group, it seemed pretty dead.
 

Chewy509

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Have you tried playing them with mplayer? Run it from the command line on the file, and hopefully it should be able to detect the container format and codec...

It may be a start.

PS. I thought most DVRs recorded MPEG2, MPEG4 or similar industry standard?
 

ddrueding

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PVR Explorer Pro does run on all the files, and says something about an offset before converting to MPG at 200MB/s+, so it must be easy. I'm wondering if the files it is crashing on are encrypted, compared to the ones that work that aren't?
 

Pradeep

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Pretty sure all STB DVRs encrypt the drive contents, so they are only readable by that one DVR. Content provider paranoia.
 

ddrueding

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That does indeed seem to be the case. Looks like I'll be going the analog route, then. Hooking it up to a DVD recorder and ripping what I'm after.
 

sechs

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Pretty sure all STB DVRs encrypt the drive contents, so they are only readable by that one DVR. Content provider paranoia.
Not everyone.

The U-verse DVR just records the incoming stream, without any changes. I might suspect that satellite DVRs work the same.

However, you'd be foolish to think that the incoming stream isn't encrypted in some way....
 

SC Fred

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Liberating .TSP files

Good evening gentlemen,
I have been away for some time, but I came across this thread and had to comment. I have been recording Dish movies, sporting events, and assorted specials for a few years now, and I had no idea this was causing so much trouble. In about 2007, I purchased a Emerson EWH100F VHS-HDD-DVD recorder. This unit, when connected between the Dish unit and the TV will record the signal, after decoding before it goes to the TV. The result is a group of files that will play on all DVD players, as far as I know. I've used it to record about fifty painting shows for my wife , and about a dozen sporting events I deemed worth the effort.
I know this may seem like an expensive solution, but it does work. You may be able to use other types of of dvd recorders, as long as they have the hard drive internally. I usually just record them directly to my DVD disk. It records as a video TS
Good luck, SC Fred
 
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