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I have a Home Theater PC (HTPC) running Windows 7 Media Center. I'm using SiliconDust CableCard adapters to record programming like a DVR. Works great!

I'd like to view some of the recorded programs (in WTV format) on my new 8" Dell Venue tablet running Windows 8.1. I can access the files, but when I try to play them it opens up Windows Media Player and I get audio but no video playback. These are not DRM protected files.

I assume this means that Windows 8.1 understands the WTV container format and whatever audio codec is needed is installed but that I don't have the correct video codec installed. Using MediaInfo, it says the WTV video is in MPEG 2 format. (Other video formats like MPEG 4 play fine.)

I installed ffdshow to get an MPEG 2 codec and that allows me to play test MPEG 2 files but doesn't help with the WTV files.

Any thoughts on what I need to install? Thanks!

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  • Try Media Player Classic. Works for me on a WinXP PC.
    – sawdust
    Commented Jan 27, 2014 at 21:20
  • That's an option. I suspect installing VLC would work as well (still waiting for their Win8 version from Kickstarter to be released). I'd still rather just use the built-in player if I could figure out what codec I need.
    – Scott Bussinger
    Commented Jan 27, 2014 at 23:14

3 Answers 3

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I never did figure out which codec was missing, but the VideoLan VLC player in the Windows Store for apps works great to play the non-copyprotected WTV files.

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Your best bet is to convert them to .ts from .wtv with a program like MC-TV Converter. From there, the program HandBrake should be able to convert them to the necessary format for your tablet!

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    Thanks for the thought. I could transcode them. I could also edit out all the commercials and otherwise compress them. But these aren't video's I have any interest in keeping for the long term. It'd just be nice to be able to watch some shows occasionally from my tablet without special preparation. I used to do this with my Win7 notebook no problem. Win8 is missing some codecs though and it doesn't work out of the box. I'm wondering what codec is missing.
    – Scott Bussinger
    Commented Jan 27, 2014 at 19:59
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install kodi and setup to use wmcserver on your win 7 machine. then all pcs with kodi can share and set recordings from server. easy peasy... works on linux, android, mac, ipad/phone/pod... and many other devices. kodi has codecs and other features

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  • Make your post more clear.
    – geek1011
    Commented Oct 23, 2015 at 13:05

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