[Wylug-help] Topfield PVR Recordings

[Smylers]

Using Guppy[*1] I've transferred to my Ubuntu laptop some Freeview
recordings made on a Topfield PVR.  VLC generally plays both TV and
radio recordings fine.

I'd like to convert some radio recordings to MP3 files, so I can listen
to them on an MP3 player.  Any suggestions on how to do this?

The files have .rec extensions.  The file command just describes them as
"data".  The first few bytes of each file (both video and audio) are the
text "TFrcP", then character 0x10 and 3 null bytes:

   5446 7263 5010 0000 00 

Anybody know what that is, or have ideas for how to find out?  Obviously
VLC has worked out what it is; is there anywhere among its myriad
options, menus, and windows where it will divulge that?

Or is there a way of capturing VLC's output, and saving that in MP3
format?

Actually, VLC won't quite play all of them.  So far I've found at least
one video file which VLC declines to play, with the input error "no
suitable access module".  It plays just like any other file on the PVR
itself (and I've transferred it multiple times, so it doesn't seem like
corruption in transit).  If I find out which 'access module' VLC has
detected for for the files it will deign to play, is there a way of
specifically instructing it to use that for the others?

I also tried Totem; it doesn't recognize any of the files ("Could not
determine type of stream").  I haven't tried any other software for the
simple reason that I don't know if it -- this seemingly simple task is
my first foray into doing anything with video on a computer, so I'm
already well out of my depth here!

Thanks in advance.

Smylers

[*1]  http://guppy.nongnu.org/