How to edit corrupt video file?

[David H]

My Canon DVD camera occasionally gets a bug and a scene freezes before jumping to the next one. It plays regardless and just pauses on screen before hopping to the rest of the video file. But because Youtube and editing programs can't handle these corrupt files it means I can't load it into the editor (Video Pad in this case) to remove the offending scene.

I did manage this once before so know it has a workaround, but seems more intransigent this time and not allowing any of my attempts to beat it. I have tried converting it from VOB but my converter program picks up the corrupt scene (the first in the 5 minute film) and won't use the rest, as plan B is to try and convert to WMV and see if Windows Movie Maker fared any better.

These glitches must be common as my Olympus camera does the same thing as well sometimes so must be a way to load it onto an editor to crop the offending scene, but not with my current software. Ideas?

[markeesing]

Good day. I'm sorry to hear that you had experienced corruption on your video files. I have encountered that same problem before and what I did was I immediately looked for something helpful on Google. I tried using DivFix. What format were your videos on? You can check out http://www.techyv.com...dit%20corrupt%20video to find other ways to solve your concern. Hope this helps.

[Wak]

If you can get your video copied onto a CD or DVD or on to your computer then the program called "CDCheck" may be able to repair any errors.
http://kvipu.com/CDCheck/
I've had this program installed for years and used it quite a lot with no problems.

[Wak]

There's also "Avidemux" (FREE) which I use almost weekly to edit videos(remove Adverts, etc.).
http://www.avidemux.org

[David H]

Thanks guys, I'll need to try them out and see now but hopefully something will work. I'm surprised something as trivial as a damaged scene can jam every single program I use and hope it doesn't do the same for all.

[David H]

Oh dear, I must be having a bad day, I've used the CD check which analysed the file and said it had a cyclic redundancy error, and now what? No actual instructions or clues. I knew about the error already so didn't really need it to work that part out, does it fix them as well?

[David H]

Update, it may work by recovering, the help page uses target file as C:\output which got it going, and is running as I speak. I don't yet know where the new output will go, and I couldn't even make a copy to my computer to play with rather than the original as it wouldn't accept the error. If this recovers it minus errors then it will be a job well done, I will report back.

[David H]

It just completed the task and gave the error reports, if you know where the result may be hiding (if there is one?) please let me know as c:\output is not one I'm familiar with but their own choice.

[Wak]

Hi David, sorry to be so long coming back.
When you press the RECOVER button at the top, a panel opens where you can put the file details at 1/ and choose the Output Directory at 2.
After being told of any faults I just press CONTINUE at the bottom of the panel and it usually sorts things out OK.
If the above doesn't help try editing the bad section out with AVIDEMUX program.
If Avidemux asks if you want it indexing, say YES.

[David H]

I did the recover with their suggested output location and it did whatever it had to in about 6 minutes, and I had to go out and as the location was unlike anything familiar haven't known where to start to find where it's gone. I tried something known like the my documents target but it didn't seem to like anything I tried so far. I then had to disappear for a couple of days so will get back to it tomorrow. My Video Pad editor can't read the file so hope if I haven't managed to save whatever it did on the CD Check will keep going and if not hope AVI can read it instead. I managed to remove the scene the first time it happened but clearly not using what I have now so may have been a free trial I had to remove when it ran out and forgot whatever I did by now. I'll report back when I've got more results either way.

[David H]

Looks like it's too much for it, it just crashes the program entirely when I try and even refuses entirely to play any other good VOB files. I'll keep trying...

[David H]

OK, I tried CD check again and used my documents as the target which it accepted, but wasn't anywhere to be found- where's the best place to send it and how do you find it after it's complete as it seems to be going into oblivion at the moment and nothing to help in the guidance notes.

[Wak]

Hi David, If CD Check seems to be sorting something out and then sending the file somewhere then all I can suggest at the moment is this:-
If you are giving it a VOB file to deal with then go to START, SEARCH and look for all files called *.VOB. You could reduce the number of files found if you can add an approximate date to the search.
How big is the file you are trying to repair?

[David H]

It's a 5 minute video file, all the other programs I used refuse to touch it, and until I can see where CD check is hiding its output (if it is outputting anything at all or just saying it is) I have good and bad news.

The good news is whatever fault my file has picked up there is a program which can happily not even notice it and carry on regardless. The bad news is it's not free, and for now I used the trial version but am stuck with the watermark which is pretty naff and ugly but for something I may use every couple of years I'm no way ever paying for a video editor when Video Pad does exactly the same when the files are intact. I suppose the rule is you rarely get anything professional for nothing and if you need anything beyond the norm it's like panning for gold trying to find a program which doesn't charge you in any field.