Remove DRM from TotalVid and other services requiring WMP higher than 10.00.00.3646

I know there are ways around this as shown in the following thread
Remove DRM from WMV, ASF, WMA using Automate unDRM v2.0 (drmdbg, drm2wmv, DecryptIt)

however I found a site named TotalVid. It has a lot of instructional diy videos that I'm really interested in getting to learn from. However they only give you a 7 day license to view the file after downloading it. If you want to view it after that, you either need to re-purcahse it again, or sign up for a membership. Learning these skills will take a lot longer than a week. So I would like to undrm them for my own personal viewing.

The only problem with this, is that total vid require you to update to WMP 10. So I did from previous version of 9. Didn't go above 10.00.00.3646.

So done a test from a couple of clips that had DRM protection from MS's site. All worked fine. So I went to pay $3.99 to download a file. However this came up on screen after I clicked on the download button, it first came up about checking system status or something like that then redirected me to a page which displayed the following:



Windows Media Player Security Update Required

**Please make sure all security suites/firewalls/anti-virus/anti-spam software is disabled before trying this**

**This must be done in Internet Explorer**

**Please make sure that you have “connect to the internet” checked inside of Windows Media Player by going to

Tools->Options->and checking Connect to the Internet**

1. Please go to http://tinyurl.com/4aj8q to download and run the necessary update. After the update has run please proceed to step 2.

2. Please go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=41436 to complete the update and go to http://www.totalvid.com/drmcheck.cfm to see if your DRM updated to 2.5 or above.

3. Once you are at DRM version 2.5 or above then proceed back to the My Downloads page and download your video.


The first link will install this: Update for DRM-enabled Media Players (KB891122)

However every post with tutorials regarding DRM will tell you not to download this. However without this, then they won't even let me download the wmv file. So I was wondering is there any way around this without having to install KB891122 that will allow me to update my DRM from 2.4 to 2.5.

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks James.

James, unfortunately after upgrading WMP 10.00.00.3646 you won't be able to remove DRM. Hopefully the situation will be changed soon.

So far you may use Tunebite Platinum or any screen video capture software like free ZD Soft Screen Recorder. Unlike drmdbg/drm2wmv, Tunebite and Screen capture programs can't make a lossless conversion (unless you use lossless codec and get huge files) 'coz they actually record either from the Windows Media Player or anything from your screen.

Thanks for taking the time to reply Mate. Unfortunately every time you try to click on the download button from their site, they check your system config before they allow you to get near the wmv file & issue you a license for it. I already had WMP 9 & unDRM 2 so could noDRM a couple of the clips from MS's site, therfore thought that I wouldn't have a problem with TotalVid & went to get a download, however they just keep giving you error messages & telling you to upgrade this & that. I thought that I'd try & be clever, so re-installed an older version of WMP, however that corrupted the licenses, then put my DRM back doen from 2.7 to 2.4 (as it was previously before I was forced to install the upgrades). So in order to view them again, I had to go & re-install the exact same upgrades that I listed in the first post.

The worst thing about it, is that the download for a plumbing instructional is only 70mb's for something that's around 50mins long, so the quality isn't very good to begin with. Then you can only view it for 7 days, after that you either need to purchase a new license or sign up for a membership package.

So being that the quality isn't the greatest to start with, then I honestly don't mind losing some when capturing. As long as I'm able to watch it on the pc or better yet, burn it to DVD, then that's fine. Especially since it takes a lot longer that 7 days to learn about plumbing installation. Not even that, but for a windows one that also interests me, even if I were to buy the DVD from them, they wouldn't even sell me it here in the UK because they don't ship that one outside the US & Canada. So either way, I'm in a bit of a jam.

Believe it or not, I already have Tunebite Platinum installed. I tried to capture one last night on it, but it was just under 1 hr long, then as the timer got to around 45mins. Tunebite stopped recording & said something about after it exceeding 44mins, it assumed something had gone wrong & had stopped recording.

I was planning to try WM Recorder, but noticed on the Faq that it stated that it won't capture DRM enabled media.

So is there anything that you would recommend that would allow me to capture it for something that's around an hour or so long, have been thinking of perhaps trying Camtasia or Snagit. I'm not really worried about size as such, espeically if I can put it on a DVD. If there isn't any that can do it, what about using Video out, to try & tape it through a VCR or something.

Thanks James.

WM Recorder - nice program, but not for the TotalVid
IMHO WMRecorder is the best Windows Media stream recorder. It records streaming content so there is no sense to use it with video downloads. No matter what its FAQ says, I saw some people that had downloaded DRM protected video streams asking a question about removing DRM protection. So WM Recorder can record some DRM protected streams (not sure whether it can record all of them), but it can't remove DRM protection for you.

Screen capture software, VCR,...
I don't really like the idea with VCR, but you may use it if you like. Rewinding a tape - what a nightmare .

I suggest you to use screen capture software.
I would use free ZD Soft Screen Recorder to make lossless screen recording (BTW it can record audio too). After that I would compress the lossless video with MPEG-4/AVC. x264 is a free MPEG-4/AVC codec I can recommend ATM.

p.s. TotalVid claims to have DVD quality videos. 70Mb for 50 minutes??? Is it a video for a mobile phone? Or do they manage to buy DVDs of such a quality?

Even when I use portable profile of my MPEG 4/AVC codec I get about 120 Mb for 40 min. If I convert DVD video (and not captured analogue TV shows) I will get a little bit smaller files.

Although Windows Media can look better on small resolutions, I don't really see how to get DVD quality with it. I hope it is not that awful.
High quality videos worth much more than $5.99/month . For these "few cents" the TotalVid must be very attractive anyway.

I have a graphical version of drmdbg which is still in testing which may work with newer versions of WM10 - please contact me via PM if you wish to help test this.

viodentia rules!!! he has released FairUse4WM and now it is possible to remove DRM protection from Windows Media Player 10 and 11 files
http://stream-recorder.com/forum/showthread.php?t=319

Hello. I have some of the same issues. I've been trying for months to get around totalvid because i need the videos but cant afford the membership. Believe it or not, yeh-- its that tight. I tried connecting my laptop to the vhs/dvd combo so I could record it on the vcr and transfer it to dvd but I couldnt get my lap top to play through my vcr-dvd combo. I've been searching for software, anything and still nothing. Have you found anything yet regarding this?

Another question: I have videos on my samsung camcorder that only plays in audio when I transfer it to my pc. Someone told me to reformat the memory card but the card isnt it because I used another card and it played only audo in windows media player too.. I put my samsung memory card in 3 computers and they all only play the audio. I cant see my video. What would you do?

One more thing, the only solution i've found to the totalvid issue is I sat in front of my computer while the totalvid video played , I used my camcorder to record it while it played. So I actually recorded it with my camcorder but now my video will not show once I down load my memory card to the pc, it only plays the audio. When I put the card back in my camcorder I can see the video with no problem.
What in the hell is going on here?
Thanks

1. DRM removing
To remove DRM protection from video files you may use DRM removal software or Screen capture software.

You may set up your TV Out, but I don't think it is a good idea.

2. watching videos from samsung camcoder
You may need to install video codecs to watch your video. Do you have a MiniDV camera? Anyway try to install freeware K-Lite Codec pack. It should have all the codecs you need to watch any videos. And next time please post questions like this in the appropriate forum.

[Paul_Scott]

TotalVid has great videos and the price of membership is very reasonable. If it were me, I would just pay the $12.99 a month.

My problem is totalvid doesn't work on linux operating system and I don't have my system set up in dual boot yet.

Originally Posted by Paul_Scott

TotalVid has great videos and the price of membership is very reasonable. If it were me, I would just pay the $12.99 a month.

My problem is totalvid doesn't work on linux operating system and I don't have my system set up in dual boot yet.

Contact TotalVid and ask them to support Linux. The more request they get, the more chances that they will actually add Linux support.

Also search for DRM free services.