Corrupt mpeg file SOS!

[groover km]

Hi all -

I've got a serious problem that hopefully someone can help me solve - I recorded a 'season finale' show last night that I can't play the final 30 mins of! AaaaRRGH!!!

Recording info:
Duration - 2:00hrs (split into 2x1hr timelslots; comskip started running on the first hr while the 2nd hr was recording, if this matters)
Quality setting - High
Filesize - 4.5GB (approx)

Problem:
File will not play/ FF/ Skip past approximately 1:30hrs; attempting to do so will skip back to the start of the file. I know the whole show was recorded, because if I open it in WMP10, I can move the slider to the end of the file and see the credits - it just won't play.

'Fixes' attempted so far:
Tried simple demux / remux using TMPGEnc. Result: same as above.
Tried creating new PS using PVAStrumento. Result: same as above.
Tried creating AVI using VirtualDub (getting desperate by this point; it was 2am!). Result: loaded the MPEG, but crashed before completion.
My wife is going to try burning the MPEG to DVD today while I'm at work - yeh, good luck with that, hon.

I suspect there may be some curruption in the file, either in the audio header or GOP/ timestamp structure (?), but I'm not sure (PVAStrumento reported something along these lines, but I'm not at home right now to recreate)

Desired Result:
I don't care at this point what the problem is or how it was caused - I just want to play the file! Also don't care if this means mpeg2, mpeg1, avi, play on the MVP or the Desktop, use GBPVR or anything else.... yep, I'm that deperate.

Can anyone advise me on the best way to solve this?

[capone]

I had an issue like this when I went from Intervideo back to nVidia (which I didn't get going in the other direction).

Some recordings showed time indexes that were only 17min for a 60min recording, would jump wildly on a skip, had mixed up comskips that caused leaps, etc.

Maybe you can reencode into another format like divx, xvid, etc. I never fixed, just worked around and manually compensated for.

Btw, if it was 24, the last 30 weren't very climatic...more setup for next season. Reacing a recap on a fan site would be about 90% the same experience.

[groover km]

Thanks Capone - if all else failed, I was going to try reencoding tonight to DivX but I wanted to see if there was a quicker way to do work round it.

You were right by the way, it was 24 - what makes it worse is it was my wife's recording. Don't know about you guys, but if I go home and say " aaah, forget about it, the last 30 mins weren't very climactic..." I can be pretty sure the NEXT 30 mins will be...

Thanks again.

[stefan]

On the release notes for today's version of gbpvr, it says something about fixed problem with 4GB+ movies on the mvp. Don't know if your problem is related, but it could be worth giving 92.8 a shot :-)

[dgeezer]

Not to be an advocate for filesharing, but, I saved myself when I didn't get an episode of The amazing race recorded for my wife ( operator error ) by downloading the missing episode from a torrent site....

I was actually amazed at the quality and speed. That show was popular enough to have plenty of peers.

I didn't want to hear: "And, why is this PVR thingy better than the VCR?" again.

[capone]

If it helps, it's hard to see where that line is. I mean, unless you count the possiblity you may be to lazy/busy (or honest, to the letter of the law) to skip commercials, what is the difference between P2P and PVR (when it comes to TV)?

After that, unless the show is branded w/ a local channel logo (to at least give them promotion), or you're a Neilson family, you're getting something that was free (provided it wasn't a premium channel, like HBO, that you don't pay for) and viewing it w/o the commericals you are supopsed to watch, anyway.

At that point, and I think is the case w/ the current state of PVR life, just watching and telling others to watch is the very best of the least they could hope for.

[pcostanza]

Just read an article last week that they will start flagging hdtv broadcasts so they can't be copied and that they are also closing down bitorrent sites due to the sharing of tv shows. They are making money now on season dvd sets so those sites are taking money from the companies pockets and they are using the new laws to stop that.
Just letting you know that you may be watched if you're getting your shows from the bit sites. None of my business, just hate to see someone else get into trouble.

[capone]

I think the courts already shot that down before it got started...the flagging part. The end to P2P is an ongoing campaign, that I think is still in the courts.

[groover km]

Thanks guys... I looked for the .torrent this morning but couldn't find it posted anywhere; it was maybe too soon (looking for it again is my back up plan for tonight).

The Broadcast Flag bill was thrown out by the court earlier this month as it was ruled that the FCC were outside their jurisdiction in petitioning for this technology (check http://www.eff.org). While a short-term victory, unfortunately it isn't dead and buried just yet - expect the MPAA (who the FCC were acting on behalf of) to simply lobby congre$$ directly in order to extend the jurisdiction of the FCC.

I think it is encumbent upon us all to be informed and aware of just what is currently going on with regard to IP laws, copyright infringement, software patents, and the erosion of the concept of 'Fair Use'.

I don't want my GBPVR to become a thing of the past because the broadcasters (who stand to lose the most) at some point decide to encrypt everything and then hide behind the DMCA.

[capone]

It'll be there. I've seen about 5 versions (different qualities) posted in just one newsgroup (ab.multimedia)...and that's not even the first place they show up. It's there somewhere.

You're right about keeping informed, but things like this are very hard to make go away. It it the nature of 'net and what ppl put there to adapt. It's like trying to stop water in a leaky house...plug the holes where you find them, but it always finds a way to flow anyway.