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I have some .ts files (programs recorded from my Sharp TV on USB stick) that I want to store/play on my PC.

However, although they are listed on the stick when its plugged in the PC nothing will recognize the files. I have tried VLC (the "slider" moves but there's no sound or video) and changed the extension to MPEG, MP2, etc. but no joy.

I have tried converting the files with file converters and demuxers but none of these recognize the files. Are the files corrupted (they play on the TV) or do Sharp have a unique file structure?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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The Sharp TS files are encrypted in some way: playing them back is only possible on the original TV. I recorded the same minute of TV on my Humax PVR and my Sharp TV: the files are about the same size, 25Mb or so, but the content viewed through a hex editor is wildly different. Annoying isn't it? Paddy – PaddyinWales Jan 17 at 16:28

2 Answers

up vote 3 down vote

For what I've heard, those files are not meant to be played on other system, than the TV.

It looks like there's an encription on them, that makes converting it to other formats rather difficult.

The recordings are not intended to be portable. They are just supposed to allow people to watch the recorded TV programs on their TV at a more convenient time, or pause and resume the show as necessary. The recordings cannot be played back with anything other than the TV that made them.

You can read more here.

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up vote 2 down vote

TS files are MPEG-2 video files (TS == Transport Stream), recordings of television broadcasts (in high definition).

VLC can play .ts files

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html

There is also a similar question here.

How to play .ts files? (and other unusual formats)

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"TS files are MPEG-2 video files" Not exactly. TS are MPEG transport stream files, which are different to your normal MPEG program stream files (ie MPG, VOB, etc). They are intended for streaming situations and can sometimes carry prorprietary/non-standard streams, which it sounds like may be the case here (if VLC can't play them). This is in the same sense that camera RAW formats are all based on TIFF but that doesn't make them compatible, because they contain proprietary streams. – neon_overload Jan 18 at 3:49

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