Playing USB drive from TV on PC

Hello @NE5,

NE5 said:

Can someone tell me how to play a flashdrive on a desktop that has recordings made on a smart TV please ?

• It depends what Suffix they have.
• There are various 3-rd Party softwares that can play most things you throw at it like VLC.
• You may need to convert the files [ if possible ] to a general format for playing. This will involve extra time and work though !
• However, in your circumstance, I would think it is down to some sort of encryption used when broadcasting the program per copyright for example.

I hope this helps.

NE5 said:

Your 4th point is valid and highly possible, I hadn't thought of that, because after all, they are being recorded to play back later on the TV !!

The files are .tn3 , and on the desktop have no sound, and are all only 10 seconds long, but play back perfectly on the TV,

I'm surprised if nobody else does this, I hadn't thought of it as anything at all other than watching something on the desktop rather than the TV

What are you recording? Where are you getting these files from (what source - streaming/gaming software)? How are you creating (saving?) these files to the USB?

A .tn3 file is usually associated with Atari and are simply short (the T stands for :tiny") animated graphics (which would have no sound anyway).

In this format, they're not the sort of video files, as such, which can be played back outside the creating source

NE5 said:

Hello

Can someone tell me how to play a flashdrive on a desktop that has recordings made on a smart TV please ?

Is this a recording of a Freeview broadcast? If so it is commonly a .TS file with MPEG-2 encoding. Windows 10/11 does not come with an MPEG-2 codec, but if you try to play an MPEG-2 file in Films & TV it will offer to install the free Microsoft MPEG-2 Video Extension from the Store, then it will be able to play it.

Microsoft said:

Play MPEG videos in your favorite video app on your Windows 10 device. This extension helps video apps installed on Windows 10, such as Microsoft Movies & TV, to play MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 videos. If you have MP4 or MKV video files that don’t play, this extension should help. Also, if you can’t play videos that have file name extensions such as .mpeg, .mpg, .ts, .m2ts, .mkv, and .avi, this extension might help you play them.

https://apps.microsoft.com/store/det...n/9N95Q1ZZPMH4

Was the programme in SD or HD? If it was HD then the recording may have been encrypted, if so only the device that recorded it can play it back. Only an SD recording is always unencrypted and can be played back on other devices like a PC.

The licence to use the Freeview/Freesat epg imposes a requirement on the box makers to encrypt (and copy protect) when the broadcaster flags it in the broadcast stream (the actual broadcast is not encrypted). This has to be using a single key unique to the box.

Decrypting HD recordings on replacement Humax << BLUSAS Forum

NE5 said:

The files are .tn3 , and on the desktop have no sound, and are all only 10 seconds long, but play back perfectly on the TV,

That sounds like there is a thumbnail preview included in the file, and that's what you are playing. Try VLC Media Player, it understands and can play back almost any recording format.

If VLC doesn't work, try the media player called XnViewMP:

TN3 File - What is a .tn3 file and how do I open it?