Yeah, well depends on your intent... if you want to maximize storage and keep files online, I do suggest making WMVs and keeping the files online. And yes, they will show up in MyVideos and the info there for the file is nothing useful whatsoever. Here's a hint that I think works -- try using dCut to watch the WMVs. You can use dCut as the player/viewer etc. I havent checked on this in a bit, but I believe you can add a folder location where you save dCut files as a folder to look for files to edit as well and I think dCut can edit WMV files. On the left side there is the episode description box and episode title etc. All the info you would see if you imported these files into Windows Media Player 10; which is another absurdity concerning MCE -- All these files once imported into WMP10 keep the metadata info in-tact and get added to ALL TV. This is not the case under MCE2K5 for some reason.

RecordedTV only relates to DVR-MS files unfortunately. Regarding the burning thing.... if your intent is to rid the system of the file and offline onto DVD, I would leave the burning as an overnight process or a while-away-at-work process etc if it is taking that long. (This is occurring with DVR-MS files transcoded with dCut??).

I prefer creating WMV files from the DVR-MS stuff. There is nothing useful about DVR-MS files once you "edit", resave, encode, transcode, or muss with them. This is a proprietary file format. Once you "break the seal" so to speak, you mess with the DVR-MS file integrity. You are better off sticking to the WMV file format once you decide to "break the seal".

-- Dondi

Moonblues, can you describe how you are burning your Showtime content to DVD?

When I record an HBO movie I end up with a dvr-ms file. Will Nero import that and burn it to the DVD? Or do I need to take other steps in the process?

Hey Grouper.... instead of editing your files and then compressing as a DVR-MS file, you should compress it to WMV.

Again, I think this is because of DVREDIT being used as the back-end and once the "the seal is broken" on a DVR-MS file, it will become problematic when trying to record onto a VIDEO DVD. Any application that tries to transcode this mangled DVR-MS file will give you problems.

ALTERNATIVELY,

You can import a DVR-MS file into nero... only if you havent edited it. You can import the original DVR-MS file into Nero and have NERO compress it and burn it all in one shot and get you a VIDEO DVD

OR

You can use dCut, edit out commercials etc, and then save this out as a WMV file..... then when you burn to a VIDEO DVD, you can either use the internal CREATE CD/DVD option OR import the WMV file into NERO and burn to VIDEO DVD in there. I think MOON commented that re-transcoding the WMVs is a bit longer than burning the native DVR-MS, but herein lies the trade-off between amount of content that can be squeezed onto a VIDEO DVD (# of episodes of a show, video quality, etc.) versus speed of production.

Hope this helps,
-- Dondi

You can import the .dvr-ms files directly into Nero VisionExpress. From there you can burn to DVD. You can also cut the file while in VisionExpress - however - once cut - i've experienced audio sync problems. Hopefully the newer updates will have fixed the syncing probs.

Dondi is so correct - anytime you cut these nasty .dvr-ms files (using DVREdit based utilities like dCut) - they take forever to burn.

If you want to perform cuts, the only resonable approach seems to be to use dCut to cut and compress to WMV. Then burn to DVD from the MyVideo (edited videos) list. Don't know if this is an option for protected content though. Maybe use VisionExpress for protected content.

Well guys, I seem to be going nowhere fast.

I downloaded Nero 6.6.0.8 trial version. Chose the  "burn DVD video files" option.  Nero Express comes up and it will not let me add dvr-ms files. Will only accept .bup, .vob, and .ifo files.

I looked at the Nero Burning ROM feature and it wouldn't work with dvr-ms files, either.

Do I have to purchase the license to get this to work with dvr-ms files? How are you guys getting it to work with those files?

Nero VisionExpress is the product you need.

Not Nero Express/Burning Rom.

These are different products.

Thanks, Moonblues. I'll give that a try.

I have found that when it is 'stuck' at 3% it will never finish.  I have left it for up to 36 hours with no progress.  Watching the processes in Task Managaer you can see the processes CPU percent drop off to zero when MCE hits 3% in the Create CD function.

I've had the problem even with unedited content.  I haven't been able to figure out the pattern.  I have burned a bunch of DVD's from MCE with unedited content and with content edited with DVREDIT.  But about 10% of the time they hang at 3%.  I am trying to use Nero now but created a couple of coasters so far but that maybe related to the fact that it was content edited in DVREDIT.

Frustrating....

Use dCut to edit... save as WMV, then burn to DVD.

The final app has nothing to do with whether or not you get a resulting coaster; it is the *******ized DVR-MS file that is creating the problem.

-- Dondi

An interesting post (lifted liberally from another thread on burning problems)

Troubleshooting:

If a burn fails at 1-2%, the file was not able to be added to the burn list. At this stage the files are being quickly checked to be sure they can be burned.

If a burn fails at around 4%, the file failed scanning. This stage is a more thorough scan of the file. A dvr-ms file that has a hiccup mid-way through will fail at this stage.

If the burn fails in the 20-50% range, it is a transcode error. The file could not be transcoded to a format suitable for burning. Up to this point the most common cause of failure is with codecs used to record the file.

If the burn fails in the 60-100% range, there was a problem with the physical burn portion of the process. DVD Drive, Hard drive temp file storage, and media issues may be a factor here.

I would love to know the source of this info. Is there some double secret FAQ somewhere? Many of us have seen the freeze at 3%, so maybe this is a different variation of problems.

Well, guys, although you have given me a great intro into the video editing and DVD burning world, I have made zilcho progress in my real objective...to burn a DVD from a program recorded from HBO.

I think I've done everything suggested in this thread with no success.

My latest attempts were to try to convert the dvr-ms to a wmv using dCut. No go on that.

Also learned how to use VisionExpress. Created many NVC files and learned how to put multiple shows on a DVD, but none of NERO's applications will work with HBO files because they are somehow "protected".

This is so stupid. It's not like I'm some big video pirate. I just want to show the dang things in my living room!!!! Of course none of the sales guys said anything before I bought the PC. And now when I tell them I can't burn HBO shows I just get blank stares.

So I am once again stuck. If anybody hears anything about how to overcome this problem please let me know.

Thanks for all the help. This is a great site.

If all you are trying to do is find a way to play recorded content in your living room - while your MCE machine is located somewhere else in the house, then you might want to consider getting a Media Center Extender. Extenders now play protected content from HBO/SHO etc.

To learn more - there are other threads here on TGB covering Extenders.

hi all,

i am like grouperdave trying to find a way to convert protected dvr-ms files (i want to archive "the directors," a show about filmmakers).

the only thing i've found so far are hardware solutions:  such as www.facetvideo.com (but i'm not sure if they have coaxial connectors) or http://www.bgsales.com/video-stabilizer/sima-scc-2-scc2.html (pro color corrector that strips out macrovision AND the CGMS-A protection that HBO uses).

every program i've used to try to convert my protected dvr-ms file either says outright it can't do it because it's protected, or just seizes up with no warning at all.  we need a hack, but after scanning a couple hours on the net, i don't think one exists yet???

btw, i would like to contribute to the posts above initiated by dondi on burning/converting dvr-ms files.  i've tried everything out there and IMO the best way to do this right now is to convert to MPEG2 with Showbiz DVD 2.0, TMPGEnc Express 3.1.3 or Power Director 3 (only 3-5 min per hour recorded, plus in perfect sync).  then cut/edit with Womble MPEG Video Wizard, which is super easy, fast and precise.  another reason this method is better than the one discussed above is that the edited MPEG2 file will burn directly to DVD with NO transcoding if it fits on a DVD (only 15-30 minutes).  whole process to convert/edit/burn takes less than an hour!

if anyone knows a better method, though, i am all ears...

I too love PowerDirector for fast MPG conversion... very very fast.

If I were to sit down at my video workstation in the den and do this, yes, I would open up PowerDirector3 convert DVR-MS to MPG and (me personally, I would import into after effects and resave as MPG) and then create a DVD using Adobe Encore.....

The solution I cited in the thread was a solution mainly based on tools freely avaible to MCE users and as much as a 10' solution as possible (using the remote editing, saving and burning to DVD). Also, my MCE is in the living room connected to an HDTV so mouse & keys are not used so much.

The tools are out there and I guess it comes down to what you like. There are 1001 ways to skin a cat and I just cited the solution that gives me no hassles whatsoever.... incidentally, could you guys tell me of something that is copyright protected, so I could test out?? I have not come across this at all. Maybe its a hardware setup thats common (same PVRs??) or maybe the cable or satellite settop boxes??? Are you guys connecting via RF, S-Vid, composite??? Its interesting though.

-- Dondi

Now that I've had time to look into my coaster problem, here is what I've found so far....

• The 'costers' are unreadable even by Windows Explorer.
• I tried using Nero to burn a 1/2 hour unedited dvr-ms file and got a coaster (left it to process while I went to bed and had clicked the shutdown checkbox)
• I sat and watched the whole process while it burned the 1/2 hour show and got an error message as follows...

• Unable to create the disc structure: I/O error in DVD engine.

  Burn process Failed!

  An error log was created that can be very helpful in diagnosing problems.  Would you like to save it?

• Figuring Nero might be the problem, I decided to re-confirm that I could burn a DVD through MCE using the same unedited 1/2 hour show.  I got an error in MCE saying an error occurred while burning the DVD.  I got the following event log messages in Windows....

• Event Type: Error
  Event Source: SonicMCEBurnEngine
  Event Category: None
  Event ID: 0
  Date:  3/5/2005
  Time:  5:19:05 PM
  User:  N/A
  Computer: DGVLSC61
  Description:
  Exception occurred:
  excp'n type: Microsoft.MediaCenter.AddIn.ListMaker.ListMakerException
   excp'n msg:
  No stack trace available.

• Event Type: Error
  Event Source: SonicMCEBurnEngine
  Event Category: None
  Event ID: 0
  Date:  3/5/2005
  Time:  5:19:13 PM
  User:  N/A
  Computer: DGVLSC61
  Description:
  Exception occurred:
  excp'n type: Microsoft.MediaCenter.AddIn.ListMaker.ListMakerException
   excp'n msg:
  StackTrace
     at Sonic.MCE.PlugIn.SonicListMakerApp.ThrowLMException(ExceptionType inExceptionType, Exception inInnerException, String inExceptionMessage, String inDevComment)
     at Sonic.MCE.PlugIn.SonicDiscWriter.Burn()
     at Sonic.MCE.PlugIn.SonicDiscWriter.ProcessList()

• So at this pint I am guessing that something got messed up when I installed Nero.

I'll attach the nero log file also.  It has the write error inside of it.

 

If anyone has some ideas how to proceed, I'm all ears!!  I opened a case with sonic since the event log said it was a SonicMCEBurnEngine fault.

 

Thanks,

BT