This should have been a nice short post and how easy it is to using the WTV features of GoodPlayer to watch Windows Media Center recorded TV files on the iPad, unfortunately it’s not that simple.

Last week GoodPlayer for iOS was updated and added support for WTV files so I thought I would test it and see if it works. My first test was with a standard def recording of a Channel 4 show.

It’s pretty easy to copy a show over, from iTunes you select the GoodPlayer app and browse for a the recording. It then copies the file to the iPad without converting it. The SD file I tried played ok but without sound, which is the exact problem I had when playing WTV files on my Raspberry Pi and I suspect it’s a codec issue.

The next file I tested was a HD recording from BBC One HD, again copying it over was easy but when I tried to play it all I go was a couple of frames at a time and it wasn’t watchable. I tried copying over mp4 version of the HD show I converted with Handbreak and that played perfectly so it looks like you are still going to have to convert files before copying them over to the iPad.

So compared to the Nexus 7 Media Center playback features the iPad (3rd gen) are about the same and native WTV support is not possible with either device.

The app cost £1.99 from iTunes

 

Copying the file over:

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SD WTV file playing back, unfortunately no sound.

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This is what a WTV HD file looks like on the iPad, not good.

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A converted MP4 file works fine.

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