MP4 video file only playing first two mins out of 18 mins

raemie10

I had a very rough and ready last-minute videographer to take a video of my wedding a few months ago.
In a horrible tun of events, my dad passed away a couple of months ago and my mother is dying.The video never played (was sent it via wetransfer) after 2:34 mins and the guy who did the video is of no help (saying his laptop is broken and files gone etc)
I will be beyond devastated if I can't access this video. The file is 1.29GB so it's like the video is there but just won't play.
I've tried to play it in media player/vlc etc but it's of no use.
Is there any kind of service online that someone could recommend that could possibly rescue/repair the file?
Thanks

jimmycrackcorm

Have you only tried to view in VLC or actually used it's features to repair?

https://www.stellarinfo.com/blog/repair-corrupt-video-file-vlc-media-player/

raemie10

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

Have you only tried to view in VLC or actually used it's features to repair?

https://www.stellarinfo.com/blog/repair-corrupt-video-file-vlc-media-player/

Yep, tried those things they suggested and none worked, nothing played at all, not even the first couple mins when I tried them actually.

Inquitus

Can you redownload it?

raemie10

Inquitus wrote: »

Can you redownload it?

The guy who did the video wetransfered it to me and is now saying his laptop is broken and his files all gone so he can't resend it unfortunately.

Inquitus

I have never used wetransfer but it seems they email you a link and store the files themselves for at least a period? Its not a direct transfer, can you not redownload it from the link and see if perhaps it got corrupted the first time?

You only get 7 days storage for a free send and 4 weeks if he used Pro, sounds like time is up.

There are professional video recovery services, I'd look into those.

raemie10

Inquitus wrote: »

I have never used wetransfer but it seems they email you a link and store the files themselves for at least a period? Its not a direct transfer, can you not redownload it from the link and see if perhaps it got corrupted the first time?

Ya, it was only available for 7 days and that was quite a while ago. Gutted.

Inquitus

Try the free demo version of this and see if it works, if it does, its on sale at $19.99 at the mo.

https://www.nucleustechnologies.com/video-repair/

enniscorthy

Hi see if you can upload to youtube as private video

Johnboy1951

make and store separately, several copies of that file.

Copy it to a few people to see if they can do anything with it ..... presumably there is nothing very personal on it that should not be seen by another.

If the information is in the file then it should be able to be recovered, although you might have difficulty playing it.

ED E

If you feel comfortable with it raemie10 you can send me the file and Ill try to get FFMPEG to reconstitute it IF theres actually data there. No promises.

Thargor

Install the full Klite Codec Pack and try to play it in Media Player Classic:

https://codecguide.com/download_kl.htm

Johnboy1951

What formats do the video and audio in the file have?
What 'wrapper' is used? (file extension should be an indication).

Maybe it is in some Apple format which your PC cannot play ......

EDIT: There are companies who deal in video who could probably help ....... but be sure to send them a copy and not the original. Any of those advertising copying tape to DVD and such facilities should be able to help.

Sirsok

1.2 gb for an 18 minute video would seem quite small anyway.

We had issue sending videos to people on wetransfer. Figured out the person wasn't allowing the link to 100% downloaded, the whole length of the video was the same but the footage wasn't there as wasn't downloaded properly

ED E

Sirsok wrote: »

1.2 gb for an 18 minute video would seem quite small anyway.

Not really, h264 at 720P thats pretty normal/generous.

ED E wrote: »

IF theres actually data there. No promises.

raemie10 sent me the file this morning, just had a look at it.

Metadata:
    major_brand     : mp42
    minor_version   : 0
    compatible_brands: isommp42
    creation_time   : 2019-05-31 11:38:14
  Duration: 00:21:42.33, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 8556 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(eng): Audio: aac (LC) [mp4a / 0x6134706D]
      48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 156 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2019-05-31 11:38:16
      handler_name    : Mainconcept MP4 Sound Media Handler
    Stream #0:1(eng): Video: h264 (High) [avc1 / 0x31637661]
      yuv420p, tv, bt709/bt709/bt709
      1280x720 [PAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 8393 kb/s
      59.94 fps, 60k tbn (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2019-05-31 11:38:16
      handler_name    : Mainconcept MP4 Video Media Handler
      encoder         : AVC Coding

Extracting frames only I get to the spot the OP suggests, after that its the same frame that shows signs of corruption and then nothing (grey frames).

hb_audio_resample_update: avresample_open() failed (Error number -22 occurred)
[18:04:44] decavcodec: hb_audio_resample_update() failed
[18:04:45] reader: done. 1 scr changes
[18:04:46] work: average encoding speed for job is 359.208466 fps
[18:04:46] comb detect: heavy 54 | light 170 | uncombed 8982 | total 9206
[18:04:46] decomb: deinterlaced 54 | blended 170 | unfiltered 8982 | total 9206
[18:04:46] vfr: 4580 frames output, 4626 dropped and 0 duped for CFR/PFR
[18:04:46] vfr: lost time: 0 (0 frames)
[18:04:46] vfr: gained time: 0 (0 frames) (0 not accounted for)
[18:04:46] aac-decoder done: 7200 frames, 1232 decoder errors
[18:04:46] h264-decoder done: 9206 frames, 68833 decoder errors
[18:04:46] sync: got 9206 frames, 78062 expected
[18:04:46] sync: framerate min 29.970 fps, max 59.960 fps, avg 59.934 fps
x264 [info]: frame I:16    Avg QP:17.83  size:152186
x264 [info]: frame P:1651  Avg QP:20.87  size: 12961
x264 [info]: frame B:2913  Avg QP:24.49  size:  1326

VLC and HB show same issue, frame count doesnt increase. There's data but its trash or all zeros.



Video isnt my day job but as far as I can tell the file the OP has is worthless. Could be bad upload (that wetransfer didnt fail) or could be a dud encode. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.


If the laptop still had the pre-upload copy AND IF that copy was complete then even if the laptop is broken the file MIGHT just be recoverable from the hard disk within. If it is it's not a big job. But you'd have to get the videographers assistance with that.

Thargor

I have a vague memory of a Conor McGregor fight that my brother sent to my father on Wetransfer a good while back behaving in the exact same way the OP describes actually.

raemie10

Thargor wrote: »

I have a vague memory of a Conor McGregor fight that my brother sent to my father on Wetransfer a good while back behaving in the exact same way the OP describes actually.

And no way of fixing I imagine? Thanks

raemie10

ED E wrote: »

Not really, h264 at 720P thats pretty normal/generous.




raemie10 sent me the file this morning, just had a look at it.

Metadata:
    major_brand     : mp42
    minor_version   : 0
    compatible_brands: isommp42
    creation_time   : 2019-05-31 11:38:14
  Duration: 00:21:42.33, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 8556 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(eng): Audio: aac (LC) [mp4a / 0x6134706D]
      48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 156 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2019-05-31 11:38:16
      handler_name    : Mainconcept MP4 Sound Media Handler
    Stream #0:1(eng): Video: h264 (High) [avc1 / 0x31637661]
      yuv420p, tv, bt709/bt709/bt709
      1280x720 [PAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 8393 kb/s
      59.94 fps, 60k tbn (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2019-05-31 11:38:16
      handler_name    : Mainconcept MP4 Video Media Handler
      encoder         : AVC Coding

Extracting frames only I get to the spot the OP suggests, after that its the same frame that shows signs of corruption and then nothing (grey frames).

hb_audio_resample_update: avresample_open() failed (Error number -22 occurred)
[18:04:44] decavcodec: hb_audio_resample_update() failed
[18:04:45] reader: done. 1 scr changes
[18:04:46] work: average encoding speed for job is 359.208466 fps
[18:04:46] comb detect: heavy 54 | light 170 | uncombed 8982 | total 9206
[18:04:46] decomb: deinterlaced 54 | blended 170 | unfiltered 8982 | total 9206
[18:04:46] vfr: 4580 frames output, 4626 dropped and 0 duped for CFR/PFR
[18:04:46] vfr: lost time: 0 (0 frames)
[18:04:46] vfr: gained time: 0 (0 frames) (0 not accounted for)
[18:04:46] aac-decoder done: 7200 frames, 1232 decoder errors
[18:04:46] h264-decoder done: 9206 frames, 68833 decoder errors
[18:04:46] sync: got 9206 frames, 78062 expected
[18:04:46] sync: framerate min 29.970 fps, max 59.960 fps, avg 59.934 fps
x264 [info]: frame I:16    Avg QP:17.83  size:152186
x264 [info]: frame P:1651  Avg QP:20.87  size: 12961
x264 [info]: frame B:2913  Avg QP:24.49  size:  1326

VLC and HB show same issue, frame count doesnt increase. There's data but its trash or all zeros.



Video isnt my day job but as far as I can tell the file the OP has is worthless. Could be bad upload (that wetransfer didnt fail) or could be a dud encode. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.


If the laptop still had the pre-upload copy AND IF that copy was complete then even if the laptop is broken the file MIGHT just be recoverable from the hard disk within. If it is it's not a big job. But you'd have to get the videographers assistance with that.

Thanks so so much for checking into it. I really appreciate it. Here's hoping that the guy who took it is telling the truth (saying his laptop is broken and will be a couple months before he can afford to get a new one and try and recover old files).. though I doubt it, all his messages seem a bit bizarre.
I buried my mother yesterday so would pay any amount of money to get the video working.

Thanks all for your help.

Thargor

raemie10 wrote: »

And no way of fixing I imagine? Thanks

I honestly don't know sorry, if a download doesn't complete things can get messy, Ed Es analysis would imply your file is junk sadly, keep at the guy though, ask him if you can have the hdd to get the file yourself.

Johnboy1951

Thargor wrote: »

I honestly don't know sorry, if a download doesn't complete things can get messy, Ed Es analysis would imply your file is junk sadly, keep at the guy though, ask him if you can have the hdd to get the file yourself.

+1

or at minimum ask if ye can agree on someone else to recover the file as it is important to you.

If he really has the file on the HDD, and has not overwritten it or the HDD has not failed completely, then the file is recoverable with physical access to the HDD.