Extract text from PIN files
To convert your PIN file to another format, you need VLC media player or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "PVR Recording" file type, you need software like VLC media player or a similar tool.
The .PIN file extension is a fragmented format used by over seven distinct software ecosystems, creating significant confusion for users trying to open or convert it. The most common use case (approx. 14%) involves video recordings from set-top boxes (STBs) utilizing ALI Corp chipsets. These files often behave as proprietary containers for MPEG streams or serve as index files for DVR recordings. Users frequently run into problems here because standard media players like Windows Media Player cannot parse the proprietary headers or encryption often applied by the TV receiver. To watch these on a PC or share them, conversion to MP4 or MKV is essential, often requiring specialized demuxing tools or robust players like VLC media player.
Another major source (13%) is the Pinnacle Game Profiler, where the .PIN file stores controller mappings and game settings. These are binary or formatted text files locked to the specific software; users often want to convert these to TXT or PDF to archive their configurations or view them without installing the now-legacy software. Other variations include Senstone voice recorder audio notes (requiring conversion to MP3 for playback), Nemetschek Allplan CAD pinboard data, and American Auto-Matrix building automation graphics. Because of this variety, the first step in any workflow is identifying the source: if it's large (MBs/GBs), it's likely video/audio; if small (KBs), it's likely a settings file.
Convert.Guru analyzes your PIN file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PINE, PLN, P12, BIN, PNG, PDF, JPG, RAR, YM, TD6, TD4, MAGNET and MP4 files.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our PIN converter.