How do I view .wtv files in OS X?
I have a Windows 7 Media Center machine for our family's DVR. It creates recorded TV files in a .wtv format (used to be .ms-dvr in the Vista days). We have a laptop running Lion that I'd like to watch TV shows on occasionally. Obviously it has no idea what .wtv files are. I checked out Adapter, but it doesn't look like .ms-drv or .wtv are supported for conversion. What's the easiest approach to getting these files to play on my Mac? I'd prefer to run a converter on the Mac if possible rather than the DVR just because it's not often that I'd want to watch a show that way.
How to watch a wtv file on a Mac without using VLC
- Install WtvWatcher on the PC - this will convert all of your wtv files into dv-rms by changing the packaging, not be re-encoding, so it is really quick and deletes the useless wtv file.
- Share your recorded folder with your Mac. I simple turned on sharing on my PC and then connected to it over SMB://192.168.x.x
- Use Handbrake to convert the file to m4v, then add it to iTunes, or watch in in quicktime player or whatever takes your fancy.
How to watch a wtv file on the iPad/iPhone.
- On the PC install WtvWatcher as above.
- Share your recorded folder with your mac as above.
- Install "Air Video Server" on your Mac and tell it to share the shared folder from the networked PC
- Install Air Video player on your iPad, iPhone etc.
- Enjoy.
iPad/iPhone alternative solution
Just use Handbrake to convert the video file into a iPad/iPhone version.
You can use VLC player which supports playing this file type and gets updates for new file types all the time.