How to Repair Corrupted MP4 Files?

“I went on a trip with my family. I took a digital camera with me to capture the good memories. The trip went well. I captured many pictures and videos, which came out well. However, after three days, I returned home and was excited to upload those videos on Instagram. When I connected my device to the system to transfer videos from the SD card. To my surprise, the video files were not playing, and I am afraid they are corrupt. Can anyone help me to repair corrupt MP4 files?”

This is an actual scenario a user had posted on the discussion forum. Unfortunately, this is a very common issue with MP4 files and can be fixed with the help of suitable approaches. Below this article, we have discussed how you can repair a corrupt MP4 video file without any hassle.

MPEG-4 Part 14, or MP4, is a media container format that stores audio, video, subtitles, etc. Like other video formats, MP4 allows you to stream video online. The extension .mp4 is derived from the MPEG-4 Part 14 files. The advantage of using MP4 is that it can be used on multiple devices like mobiles, tablets, laptops, PCs, etc. In addition, it allows you to add metadata to the files and quickly send them to your friends via email, social media, and other platforms.

Symptoms of Corrupted MP4 Video File:

Refuses to Open or Play – When you play the MP4 video, you may face the MP4 file not showing a video error, or the video will play without audio. This is the symptom of a corrupted MP4 file.

Variation in File Size – You can notice the difference in file size. When you play the video, it will play only 80% of the video because of file size variation, resulting in a corrupt MP4 file.

Choppy Video Playback – Video playing choppy, lagging, or stuttering can be signs of MP4 corruption. Flickering and blurry videos are also other possible symptom of MP4 corruption.

Synchronization With Audio and Video – Your MP4 audio and video will not sync while playing, resulting in an audio and video out-of-sync issue.

Issue With Codec – The video file plays with the help of a codec. If there is any issue with the codec, it makes the MP4 file unplayable.

How to Repair Corrupted Mp4 Video Files?

To repair a corrupt MP4 video, the most recommended method is to use professional Video Repair Software like Yodot. Download and install Yodot Video Repair Software and follow the steps mentioned below:

Steps to Fix MP4 Video using Yodot Video Repair:

● First, download and install the Yodot Video Repair tool on your laptop or PC to recover corrupted MP4 files.

● Open the tool and click Select File to select a corrupt file, and in the next screen, click Choose Reference MOV File to give a reference MOV file and click on Repair.

● Once you click on Repair, the tool starts the repair process and shows the repaired file details. Next, click on Preview to preview the repaired MP4 file.

● If you are satisfied with the repaired file, click on Save to save the file.

Fix MP4 File Using VLC: Make a Copy of the Video File to Get Access

Here we will change the MP4 file format to AVI format using VLC. By trying this method, you can get access to your video file. It’s an alternate way to fix a broken MP4 file:

● Make a copy of the original MP4 file and change the file extension to AVI by renaming the file

● Open the VLC media player and click on Tools → Preferences → Input or Codecs.

● Click on Always Fix and Save, which is in the bottom right corner of the screen.

Repair Damaged MP4 Video Files by VLC Transcoding

Transcoding is a process of decoding files into a single file format, and this will make the corrupted video file play in unsupported media players. Follow the steps given below to repair corrupted MP4 files by VLC transcoding.

● Launch the VLC player, and click Convert/Save from the Media option.

● Add the MP4 Video, which needs to be transcoded by clicking on Add.

● After that, click on Convert/Save. Select a file name and the desired location on the Convert window to fix the corrupted MP4 file.

● Choose the appropriate input codecs from the profile option to fix the corrupt MP4 file.

● Click on Edit Selected Profile to modify the profile settings for the specified profile and hit Start to repair the corrupted MP4 file.

Increasing Cache Values in VLC

The mandatory cache size to play video in VLC is 300 milliseconds. Increasing the value makes VLC cache more data before playing the video, and it helps to avoid freezing video issues and might fix corrupted MP4 video. Let’s see the below steps on how to increase the cache value:

● Launch the VLC player and click on the Tools option

● Click on Preferences below the tools option.

● Click All to fix the corrupt MP4 file in the show settings section.

● Later, select Input/Codec and click on the Advanced option

● On the File caching(ms) menu, increase the cache value to 1000.

● Click on Save and restart the VLC Player to fix the corrupt MP4 file.

Change Video Output Settings in VLC

Changing video output settings in VLC might repair corrupt MP4 video files. Given below are the procedures to change the settings:

● First, launch VLC, click Tools, and go to Preferences → Video.

● Change the settings from Automatic to DirectX (DirectDraw) video output on the deinterlacing menu.

● Finally, click on Save and restart VLC to fix the broken MP4

Simple Tips to Prevent MP4 File Corruption

● Always work on the copy of the original MP4 file

● Having an antivirus might prevent MP4 files from corruption

● Take a regular backup in an external hard drive

● Make sure you use a reliable application to edit the video.

Conclusion:

I will end the article here, and I hope you get an idea of how to repair damaged video files from this article. If your MP4 file is severely corrupted, Repair using the Yodot Video Repair. Help your fellow mates by sharing this article.

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