We assume you’ve tried different media players and updated them to make the video play, but unfortunately, the video file is not playing on your Mac. To begin with video repair, it’s important to understand video file corruption to choose the repair solution that can fix corrupt video files on Mac.
Video File Corruption 101
Video file corruption occurs when the data required to play the video file or complete the video is corrupt or damaged due to various hardware and software reasons. Here are a few common reasons that cause video corruption.
- Incomplete downloads or transfers: When the Video file is not downloaded or transferred completely from the source can result in corruption.
- Software bugs: Bugs or glitches on the media player or the editing software can corrupt the video file.
Abrupt power outage: Sudden power cuts during a video shoot or transfer can disrupt video data and lead to video corruption. - Faulty storage devices: Video corruption can occur when the video storage location or device is corrupted or has bad sectors.
- Virus and malware attacks: Virus and malware can infect the video file and make it unplayable.
These damages can range from minor to severe. Depending on this, you can choose repair solutions to fix the damaged video file on Mac. Here are a few best options that you can consider.
3 Solutions on How to Fix Corrupted Video Files on Mac
- Repair Corrupt Video Files using VLC Media Player
- Repair Damaged Video on Mac using FFmpeg
- Fix Corrupt Video Files using Video Repair Software
NOTE: Always try video repair on a copy of the original file, rather than the original itself to
1. Repair Corrupt Video Files using VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player is an open-source multimedia player with repair capabilities to fix minor corruption issues on the video file to repair AVI video files.
You can make use of this feature if your corrupt video is in .avi format otherwise, you can rename the video to avi format and fix corrupted videos using VLC.
- Launch VLC Media Player and open the video file.
- Click on Tools and select Preference.
- In the Preference window, click on Codecs.
- In the codecs/muxers section, expand the drop-down next to Damaged and Incomplete AVI File, select Always Fix, and click on Save.
Now try playing the video file on Mac, it should be playing. If not try converting the video file format using VLC Media player.
- Click on the File Menu and select the Streaming/Exporting Wizard option.
- Click on the Transcode/Save to File option and click on Next.
- Click on the Choose button to select the file that you wish to convert and Next.
- Now select the format of your choice, choose a destination, and save the file.
Now try playing the converted video file, you will notice some quality loss depending on the file format of your choice.
2. Repair Damaged Video on Mac using FFmpeg
FFmpeg is a free and open-source command-line tool for handling multimedia files, You can use it to fix damaged video files on your Mac. But there is a catch.
NOTE: FFmpeg requires some technical knowledge. If you’re not comfortable with the commands repairing corrupt video files using this can be a difficult process.
- Download the latest Fmpeg for your device.
- Copy the video file to the desktop to easily access the video during the process.
- Now Launch the terminal, type cd Desktop, and Press Enter.
- Now type: ffmpeg -err_detect ignore_err -i input_video.mp4 output_video_fixed.mp4.
IMPORTANT: Replace .mp4 with the extension of your video file format, and change the output name to a different one than the input.
Now check the output video file to see if the corruption is fixed, or else proceed with the next solution.
Also Read: How to repair corrupt videos using FFmpeg?
3. Fix Corrupt Video Files using Video Repair Software
When the above solutions fail to repair corrupt video on Mac, it’s understood that the video file is severely corrupted and requires a professional Mac video repair tool.
We recommend trying Yodot Video Repair software to repair corrupt video on Mac. Unlike the previous solutions, this tool can repair severely corrupt video files of multiple formats with simple clicks, and it’s completely safe.
Steps to use Yodot Video Repair to Repair video files on Mac:
Step 1: Download and install the Yodot Video Repair tool on your Mac
Step 2: Launch the tool, select the corrupt video, and click on Repair.
Step 3: The tool starts repairing the corrupt video file.
Step 4: Once the video repair is completed, preview the recovered video file and save it on your device.
Now you can play the video file without any issues.
As a bonus, we have compiled some precautionary measures for you to follow to help avoid dealing with video corruption.
Suggestions to Avoid Video Corruption in the Future
Use reliable software: Always use professional tools to edit or watch video files, flaky tools will have glitches and errors that can corrupt your videos.
Backup Regularly: Take a backup of video files on separate storage devices or cloud storage. it helps you recover your files in case of corruption or data loss.
Avoid Interruptions During Editing or Transfer: Ensure that your Mac is not interrupted during video editing sessions or video transfer as it can lead to incomplete data corrupting the video files.
Viruses and Malware: Regularly scan your computer with reputed antivirus software to prevent viruses and malware infection.
Conclusion
Repairing corrupt video files on Mac may seem like a tiring process, but it’s not when you opt for a reliable solution, We have listed some of the best options that you can go for.
Try the solutions listed in this article according to your preference, and we hope you will follow the suggestions to keep your video files safe in the future.
