Posted on 03/17/2017 7:43:57 AM PDT by lafroste
excerpt:
How to Decode Dish Network PVR Files
By Marshal M. Rosenthal
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The video file stored on a Dish Network PVR (personal video recorder) is slightly different than that found on DVDs. Convert the Dish PVR video file so that it becomes compatible with DVDs and programs that use the DVD video file format. No software program needs to be downloaded or purchased because there are free online video conversion websites that will convert the Dish PVR file. The online video conversion websites operate in a similar manner to upload the file from the hard drive, convert them online and return the converted file to the hard drive.....continued on linked page
The issue as stated by the OP is that Windows won’t read the USB, not that it won’t read the files. It is a file system issue.
I ran into a similar problem once with a standalone dvd-r player/recorder.
The timer window was set with a minute over capturing some regular show on a cable channel.
A movie came on before the timer stopped and I couldn’t burn the usual disc. There was some kind of copy protection.
Most likely the biggest problem you’re going to have is with the vids themselves. It’s not that they are in a “linux format”, but rather because the DVR makers caved into the *IAA demands that there be some kind of encryption around the video files themselves. You will likely have to search around a bit to determine if there is a hack for the ‘wrapper’ that contains the files. It’s a major PITA.
Is it that you cannot read the movie files or you cannot read the flash drive?
The movie file formats are pretty universal nowadays, most will be either avi, mpeg or quicktime and you can get viewers for all of those on any system.
Now, the file system on the drive may be specific to one OS or another, so that is a bigger problem. There seem to be tools out there to read files from linux partitions in Windows, so I would look into those:
https://www.pendrivelinux.com/accessing-a-linux-ext2-or-ext3-partiton-from-windows/
Take note: While it is in a Linux format, it is a proprietary Linux format. It is not likely you could stand up a Linux PC and just plug in the flash drive and copy/move them and be able to view them.
Believe me, I tried. Your only option is to get a video out capable interface that will use USB to plug in to your Windows laptop/PC and view the movies real time...each one at a time...and save them that way. Time consuming to say the least.
Gee that’s not a problem for me. What movies are worth watching? Here’s your problem. Why are you paying for movies that are not worth watching? Why would you pay for dog turd? See? I just solved your problem.
If you really want that krap, you can play them while you video capture them on another machine. USB video capture devices are cheap.
As the OP stated, he hasn’t been able to get to the files. After transferring the files to a USB successfully, the USB can’t be read on a Windows machine. He searched the internet about Linux to Windows and it returns how to change files, thus he posed his question here. The files themselves are not the current issue. The issue is file system as the USB won’t read on windows as it is formatted to a files system that windows can’t read.
Possibly. I have worked with DVRs for video surveillance that store videos in MP4 but use some special compression algorithms so that you cannot actually view them as regular mp4’s. They require a proprietary viewer software to read the file. It’s possible that regular tv DVRs might be doing something similar.
why would you want to convert anything to Windows? Horrible operating system, even though used world-wide.
The test flash drive we used was reformatted by the dvr before copying. After copying our Windows machines didn’t even know a flash drive had been plugged in. They didn’t even see it.
Spend $50 on an Amazon Firestick and install Kodi. You can watch any movies you had streaming. No need to keep a local copy.
Linux has been able to read NTFS forever.
Linux to Windows not the other way around. Windows does read Linux File systems.
*doesn’t
Are you nuts? Delete classic cinema like Ted and Dude, Where’s My Car? I have sorority Spring Break, Attack of the Mud People, and Texas meathook Massacre! They demand preservation!
Hmmm. Kind of an important point. Does? or Does Not?
Exactly what I plan to do.
Ok so first you need to download a utility to read linux partitions from Windows. However, then you are going to run into the trickier part, that the Dish DVR stores the videos in an encoded format designed so they can only be viewed on the DVR.
Once you can copy the files to Windows you will need to try one of those conversion websites in the previous link I posted and maybe they can successfully decode the Dish format. Otherwise the only option would be to get a utility that can rip the stream from the DVR, then play the files on the DVR for every one you want to keep while the utility rips them and stores them on your computer.
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