Convert files from DVR to PC friendly format

This dude has an external hard drive (w/ USB and eSATA connectors) hooked up to a DVR and has recorded hundreds of hours of video on it. The DVR is a DirecTV+ HD DVR HR21-700. The desired result is to get the video from the external hard drive to be viewable and editable on the PC. I researched this same thing a few months ago and found a guide somewhere, but I can't seem to find the same guide.... any wisdom? ideas? suggestions? advice? links? apps?

THANKS!

[dlb]
:-D

 

I'll try it, but I think that program assumes that the files from the DVR can be recognized by the PC. When the external hard drive that was connected to the DVR is plugged in to the PC, no files are visible. The PC shows that space is used, but the files are 'invisible'. Yes, I enabled the viewing of hidden/system files and folders. I'll try the link, but from what I remember, the process is a fairly involved one that required using Linux (via a live Knoppix disc for example) and then converting the files to MPEG or AVI in Linux, the moving them back to the external or storing them on C:....

 

I've done some research, and it seems that the DVR doesn't use a file structure recognized by Windows, that's why Linux is needed to read the drive. I think once I hook the external up to a Linux system, I should be able to at least see the files and hopefully copy them to a different drive pre-formatted as NTFS.

 

:confused :confused :confused :confused :confused

What happened to the replies to my posts in this thread? The member that replied had posted links that I need....

???????????????????????

 

Well, I used this program to enable viewing of the external drive in Windows. It does show 3 partitons: one as a 'swap file', a small partition, and the main partiton. But it doesn't show any data as being on it. I have assigned the Q: R: S: to the 3 partitions, and if I click on any of 'em, it says "S: is not formatted. Do you want to format it now?" Obviously I don't want to format it; it's full of recorded video from the DVR in post 1 above. How do I get the file to be viewable? What format are they in? What happened to the original responses to this thread a week ago? There were some links that I need to check out!