Converting WTV files

WTV is the default recording format in Windows Media Center if the TV Pack has been installed and it is also the default recording format in Windows 7 Beta. Microsoft has announced plans to switch from the previously used dvr-ms format to the new wtv format. A few commercial applications can convert wtv files to common video formats like avi or mpeg. There are unfortunately not many free video converters that can convert wtv files.

The only working way at the moment is to convert the wtv video to dvr-ms and from there to another format. That’s not really practicable but it probably is only a matter of time until additional video converters add support for the wtv format. The command line tool ToDvrms can convert wtv files to the dvr-ms format.

The easiest way to convert the wtv files is by placing the todvrms.exe converter in the same folder as the wtv file to be converted. The command is the following:

todvrms.exe c:\test.wtv c:\test.dvr-ms

This will convert the test.wtv file to the dvr-ms format. The developer provides access to another tool that can be used to convert dvr-ms videos to another video format. The software DVRMSToolbox comes with a graphical user interface and can be used to convert the dvr-ms videos.

http://www.ghacks.net/2009/01/18/converting-wtv-files/