Great info and thanks from a newbie...BUT...even if DVDs can be burned from recorded dvr-ms files, what do I do about shows that are copyright protected?

I can burn DVDs from normal TV just fine, but I tried an HBO movie and got the "protected" message, even though the properties box says the file is NOT protected.

And even if there isn't a way to get around the problem of burning copyrighted files to DVD, how about the HUGE waste of time of recording files only to find out later they are copyrighted? So...

1) Can you somehow convert the copyrighted files so you can burn them and show them on other DVD players, and

2) If copyrighted files absolutely cannot be burned to DVD, can we AT LEAST tell if a program is copyrighted before we waste the time and effort recording them?

Thanks for the help!

Depends what you mean by "burn" a DVD... When you "look" on the DVD you created, do you see DVR-MS files?? If so, this is a data DVD. They are proprietary copy-protected files for M$ and are treated as data files (even though it is a video file, it is still a data file in the sense that only a computer can understand what it is) 

You need to create a DVD VIDEO disc. This is strictly a video format. If you look at this type of disc using Windows Explorer on your computer (pop-in a store-bought DVD) and you'll see a folder named VIDEO_TS. This contains the DVD 'files' that a commercial-grade DVD player can play. This is akin to AUDIO files on an AUDIO CD versus MP3 or WMA data files. You cant copy an audio file directly from an AUDIO CD. The actual audio needs to be transcoded into a data (MP3, WMA, FLAC, etc) file to be read/manipulated etc with a computer. In essence, you are going backwards in the process with VIDEO. You start with the data video file (DVR-MS) and need to transcode it as a DVD VIDEO 'file' to be read by consumer-grade players.

I just popped-in 5 or 6 DVDs I created using the aforementioned method into my SHARP Consumer-grade DVD player and all played fine without copy-protection stuff goin on. The movies were all recorded from cable television as DVR-MS files and then some I used dCUT to trim the fat from the extra minutes added from the scheduled recording and then turned into a DVD VIDEO using the MCE CREATE DVD option (SonicEncoders.msi needs to be installed for this to work): MIRACLE, HAPPY GILMORE, BACK TO SCHOOL and MY BODYGUARD all played fine.

So I am unsure of the steps you are taking where you are getting a copy-protection deal goin on with your discs. What files/folders are on present on the root of these discs?? If you do see a valid DVD VIDEO structure on these DVDS, I have a feeling you need the SonicEncoders.msi file to be installed.... just a guess.

-- Dondi

Just a quick note: dCut has the new version 0.95 available for download.

The major addition is the full msi installer. Also, you can now perform cuts on .dvr-ms files without compression/conversion into wmv format.

I am amazed at the ability for dCut to slice and dice files without working up the least bit of sweat. And there are no problems with audio syncing.

There's so much good stuff in there I am compelled to re-posting it here:

New In Version 0.95:

• A full MSI installer. The installer will lay down bits, install the registry, register all the dlls & assemblies you need, and even choose the right settings based on your NTSC or PAL settings. Should do everything you need to be up and running.
• All new compression engine with support for multiple profiles. Allows you to create jobs that compress a DVR-MS to more than one profile. This way you can create a version suitable for TV watching and one suitable for a PocketPC or even Smartphone. Profile names appended to file namees.
• Rule-based automatic job creation. Wanna setup dCut to alwasy compress your favorite show? No problem. Full support for rules which can be independently configured to trigger off of file names matches, compress to one or multiple profiles, and output to the directory of your choice.
• Source and Destination File Linking Support. This feature lets dCut keep track of source input files (DVR-MS files typically) and the output WMV file(s) which were produced by it. When any one file is deleted, all the others are deleted too. Why is this useful? Here's why. Let's say you configure MCE to record a series and keep 5 episodes. And you configure dCut to alwasy compress the show (via rules.) Well, now when MCE decides to delete the old show to make room, dCut will delete the WMVs as well. Or, if you watch the show on MCE and delete it, dCut will delete the WMVs as well. Makes housekeeping much (much) easier.
• Support for Edit only, Compress only, or Edit & Compress options. This will let you choose what you want to do with a file. And, this provides the oft-requested feature to edit a DVR-MS but not compress it.
• Full-blown Configuration application. Not 10' UI-based, but the WinForms configuration app will let you configure everything in dCut, from setting profiles and paths, to creating rules. It's all in there. Much nicer than regedit .
• Support for Media Center Extender devices, including XBox Extendes.
• Support for a proper working directory, so temp files won't be left in inconvenient places.
• And several bug fixes, including a fix for hangs during editing

Thanks for lending a hand! Dondi, that is a good explanation of burning as opposed to transferring files. Appreciate that.

I have a Gateway PC with the Windows XP Media Edition 2005 built in so I am using the Media Center software to burn the DVD's to view on other DVD players in the house, not copying the dvr-ms files onto the DVD.

So far I have only used DVD+RW DVDs and it has worked quite well. I was concerned when I saw the file size of a recorded dvr-ms file, but the media center software prompted me to reduce the quality to fit on the DVD for a two hour movie and it burned and played on other home DVD players just fine.

The only problem was when I tried to burn my first HBO movie and got the dreaded "copyright" message. It was Saturday night's first run of the show "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton". I don't know if all HBO broadcasts are protected, but if any would be, I suppose it would be the first run features. I'll run a test and answer that question.

From your post it sounds like dCut would serve me well in editing the dvr-ms files, but do you think it disables the copyright protection during this process so I could use WMC to burn the files to DVD? Do you know if any of the movies you recorded and burned were protected?

If they weren't protected then dCut looks like good software for editing, but I still don't know how to overcome the copyright problem.

I've never run into copyright protection with recorded movies or TV.... Can anyone else shed some light on this??

Perhaps its your source (cable TV service, satellite provider, etc., in concert with the type of settop box or signal) that is also broadcasting the Macrovision copyright protection in the signal..... What is your setup like??

Cablevision is my provider and I have 2 Hauppaugue 250MCE PVRs connected to two settop boxes provided by the cable company connected via S-Video.

Also, I believe once you turn the DVR-MS file into a .WMV file via dCut, I think the Macrovision stuff (if it were originally copyright protected) would go away and then you could turn around and burn the .WMV files to a Video DVD. Worth a try to see where along the production pipeline process the Macrovision is interfering.

-- Dondi

Dondi,

I purchased NeroVision 6.6.06 and applied package #2.  My first 'project' was to bring in several edited (via DVREDIT) 1/2hr dvr-ms files add a menu and text and burn to DVD video.  I went two for two in creating nice shiny coasters.  I couldn't play them in commercial player or computer.  In commercial player they wouldn't even load.  On computer with Nero DVD player it would take a while and then just start playing the first of the five shows on the DVD.

My next attempt was to re-create the same project but with only one show.  Same steps, burn to DVD, instant coaster.  Doing the same thing again but writing to a folder and I can play it in Nero's DVD player.

Any thoughts......

 

Can someone tell me how to find the SonicEncoders.msi to download and install or how to tell if I already have them?

I have MCE 2004.

Thanks.

You can't download them, and they are not for MCE 2004. You can get them when you either purchase a new MCE 2005 PC from an OEM that wants to ship the Encoders with there PC (or) when you purchase the OEM 3-Pack MCE 2005 set.

---

Chris Lanier
The Green Button Forum Moderator

Err I think there is a link somewhere in this thread to download em. If I recall correctly, I found the link either in this thread or somewhere else on TGB.

-- Dondi

Errrm I believe the reason you are getting coasters is because you are using DVREDIT. I think once you edit using DVREDIT, the file is munged-up and you cant burn these files as a DVD VIDEO file any longer.

Try doing these steps with a single show (NOT EDITED via DVREDIT) and try again. I bet you dont get a coaster, and NERO's RECODE2 will take care of the compression for you. Do this as a test first with a single episode. If this works..... then you know its the step of editing-out the commercials using DVREDIT that is messing you up.

I personally use dCUT as mentioned in this thread. Someone posted that there is an update (I havent personally updated yet, but I am looking forward to doing so). I believe this newer version now comes as an installer which will make life for those who fear the registry a little easier.

Once installed.... sit on the couch and click your in-points, FF, out-points, etc. and recompress your video segments to a file.

Then as another test, again take one file and either use NERO 6.0.6(that you purchased, to add buttons and navigation etc.) or use the internal CREATE CD/DVD function inside MCE (this will automagically add buttons with an MCE menu interface and text using the filename). See what you get from this process. I bet you get a playable DVD for a commercial-grade DVD player.

Breaking all this down, you will be able to tell where along the way your current process results in coasters. My bet is that it is in using DVREDIT to edit your files. I had tried waaay back when I first got MCE and quickly found that once you use DVREDIT, the files are pretty much useless for anything else except for playing and replaying inside either MCE or WMP. So I chucked DVREDIT a long time ago. Nice program, just not useful in a production environment.

Have you tried using NERO to create a VIDEO DVD with any non-edited files yet??
Also, curious as to the contents of those coaster DVDs you made.... are they Video DVDs containing a valid VIDEO DVD structure? or are they data files??? What player or application opens to play these DVDs when you pop them in the computer?? nVIDIA?? WMP??? Nero??

Those be my thoughts
-- Dondi

I've now noticed that if you cut a .dvr-ms file with the new version of dCut (0.95) and choose not to compress it - so it stays in the .dvr-ms format, then try to burn it to DVD using sonicencoders, it dosnt burn as quickly as a non-cut file. From 10 minutes to burn with no cuts - to giving up after 5 hours when cut. I read in the dCut notes that he uses the DVREdit engine (from Alex). Maybe that's why we are seeing this problem again.

Maybe the key is to cut and compress into wmv - then burn. I'll be testing that next.

(Note to a previous poster: Most people have located sonicencoders.msi by searching for it on google.)

This sure is frustrating!!!!!!!

I installed dCut and it easily compressed a dvr-ms file from a half hour regular TV show.

However, I tried to compress an HBO movie and it failed. Then I tried to cut a different HBO movie and it also failed.

The failure message in the dCut Service says: "Unable to transcode content due to "content expired" flag. If you have a Hauppauge TV tuner card, try upgrading your drivers."

My PC is a brand new Gateway so I doubt drivers are an issue.  Looks like dCut is not the solution for the copyright problem.

Dondi, any ideas on what I should try next?

There's no question that HBO/Cinemax and Showtime have content protection. When we first got the Extenders - we could not view anything premium - live or recorded due to copy protection. They have since fixed that for the Extenders.

Cant imagine why you would need dCut for HBO movies - since there are no commercials to cut. I have burned Showtime content to DVD using NeroVision with no problems.

Question for WMV experts!

When I used dCut to compress to WMV, it shows up in the MyVideos area. If I move the file to RecordedTV it will not show up in the listing of RecordedTV. It seems that WMV files cannot live in the RecordedTV area. Having content in MyVideos sucks - there is no description info for the recording (however I know the metadata is there in the file because i see it in Windows Explorer). If this is the intent for using dCut to compress to WMV and leave in the MyVideo area - then this process is less than satisfactory.

So now I can dCut the .dvr-ms files and keep them in .dvr-ms format in the RecordedTV listing with full metadata info. However, if i attempt to burn these cut files to DVD (using sonicencoders), what used to take 10 minutes to burn (precut) now seems to hang at 3% for hours. Its not happy!

Seems like i am going in circles here. Any thoughts?

Hrmmm... I dunno. I havent fallen into the content protection trap thingy at all, so I am not sure wht to tell you.

I would check your Hauppaugue drivers though. Even though you may have a new Gateway MCE, the drivers may be "out-of-date" according to the MCE world. Drivers are being updated all the time. Being that dCut has just been updated, it may need the latest rev for the Hauppaugue card.

Im not sure what the rev is up to at the moment -- can anyone interject here??

***Maybe TGB should have a page listing with links for download of latest rev of drivers for all MCE-compatible hardware etc. Would make life easier for us users.

-- Dondi