How to Repair Corrupt Video Using the FFmpeg Method?

Read time 8 minutes

Video has emerged as the contemporary means to present information to a broad audience and facilitate their understanding of the conveyed message. Digital video content is widely favored across various audience segments, including education, entertainment, digital marketing, and social sharing. Over the last decade, digital content has undergone significant evolution, witnessing widespread embrace of video content.

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Despite ongoing advancements in technology, our PCs are susceptible to corruption and damage, causing issues with stored content, including videos. The inaugural digital video, using Sony’s D1 format, emerged in 1986. Considering the span of time since then, we now have a diverse array of digital video formats, known as containers, that deliver superior performance and higher quality even under substantial compression.

When video file(s) get corrupted or damaged, it’s quite a challenging scenario, prompting individuals to swiftly seek solutions online. During the search, various methods or workarounds will surface, each promising effective fixes, yet finding one that truly works is seldom the case.

Among various manual approaches for repairing corrupt or damaged video files, FFmpeg stands out due to its advanced technical capabilities. In this article, we’ll guide you on utilizing FFmpeg to attempt the repair of malfunctioning multimedia files.

Before we jump on the video repair part, it is imperative to understand FFmpeg, what it is and what we can use it for?

What is FFmpeg?

FFmpeg, a software endeavor, encompasses libraries and software tools for managing various multimedia components such as video, audio, and streams. It operates under either the GNU Lesser General Public License 2.1+ or the GNU General Public License 2+, contingent upon the activated options. The moniker “FFmpeg” draws inspiration from the MPEG video standard, with “FF” denoting “Fast-Forward.”

What is FFmpeg used for?

FFmpeg is inherently crafted for command-line usage, eschewing the need for a specialized GUI. Its applications encompass video and audio file processing, format transcoding, fundamental editing, video scaling, integration of post-production effects, and adherence to standards such as SMPTE and ITU.

FFmpeg encompasses components such as libavcodec and Lavf, serving as a library for audio/video container multiplexing and demultiplexing. Additionally, it includes a command-line program for FFmpeg, enabling transcoding of multimedia files. The libavcodec library is widely adopted for audio/video encoding and decoding, commonly utilized in both commercial and free software products.

Things Possible With FFmpeg

• Listen to text using a chosen voice.
• Modify, adjust, or remove file information.
• Incorporate a logo or set up Picture in Picture (PiP).
• Generate digital audio through mathematical expressions.
• Utilize one or multiple webcams and seamlessly stream their input within a single interface.
• Apply filters to multimedia files, perform encoding, decoding, transcoding, multiplexing, demultiplexing, and streaming.
• Transform video into individual frames and vice versa.
• Alter or adjust frame rate, bitrate, maximum file size, and related parameters.

How to Repair Corrupt Video File Using FFmpeg

Now that you have a foundational understanding of FFmpeg, let’s proceed to the steps for repairing and recovering corrupt or damaged video files. The prerequisite before we begin is ensuring FFmpeg is installed on your system.

The outlined process entails two distinct stages. Initially, we will transform the video into static images, and subsequently, we will reverse this transformation to recreate the video.

Convert Video to Still Images

Assuming you’ve downloaded the FFmpeg zip package and extracted it somewhere, now place the corrupt or damaged video file in the bin folder.

1. Hold the Shift button and select Open command from right-click menu.
2. Type the following command in command prompt:
   .\ffmpeg.exe -i .\videoname.wmv -an -f image2 filename%03d.jpg

The video is now converted into multiple images – stills, 99,739 stills were created, before moving to the next stage:

Extract Audio

Below command will initiate the audio extraction:

Figure out the exact audio duration:

The output will be something like below though; the numbers would be different depending on the duration of your video file:

Now, before we start converting the stills back as the video, we need to calculate the frame rate of output video, so that both the audio & video can match.

For doing so, divide the number of stills by the audio duration number:

In this case, it is 99739 divided by 3323.603 which will be 3.0093, type the command as below:

Convert the Stills Back to a Video

In the final stage, mix the audio & video to construct the repaired video file, type the command below:

You have effectively restored a corrupted video utilizing FFmpeg via command-line operations. FFmpeg offers various techniques to tackle video file corruption. While FFmpeg proves more efficient than manual methods in resolving video corruption problems, it cannot guarantee a solution for every video issue or error. In cases where the video file is severely corrupted and irreparable, we recommend using a specialized tool like Video Repair for optimal results.

It is an advanced tool which boasts minimal yet intuitive UI with meaningful options.

The design ensures effortless accessibility and seamless compatibility within the Microsoft Windows ecosystem. Additionally, there are no limitations on the size of corrupted video files or the quantity of video files you intend to load and repair simultaneously.

The tool has been designed to work seamlessly with a wide array of video file formats, including but not limited to MP4, MOV, MPEG, MKV, AVI, WMV, FLV, WEBM, and more. Allow us to demonstrate the ease of use this tool offers:

1. First, download and install the tool on your system. Do it from the website of the tool.
2. Run the tool on your system, and look for the Add (+)icon present on the home screen of the tool. Add the corrupt video file(s) you want to repair.

Note: You can either add a single or multiple corrupt files to repair with this tool.

3. After adding the file(s), ensure to review them. Adjust the video files according to your needs by utilizing the add (+) or remove (-) icons located in the top right corner of the tool. When content with the selection, proceed by clicking on the “Repair Files” option.
4. Provide a destination to save the newly recovered video files. Once done, click on the OK button.
5. Upon furnishing the location, the repair procedure initiates. The tool displays real-time progress of the repair. At any point, you have the option to halt the repair by clicking the Stop button if the selections you’ve made aren’t to your satisfaction.
6. After completing the repair process, simply click the “Close” button to conclude the operation. Additionally, obtain a CSV report of the procedure by selecting the “Save report to CSV” option.

Upon successful completion of the aforementioned steps using the tool, the video files will be generated and stored in your system at the designated location.

To ascertain the value and appropriate pricing of a software product, the most effective method is to utilize the product directly. The tool offers a trial download, allowing you to assess its satisfaction level before making a purchase decision.

Conclusion

The utilization of FFmpeg necessitates technical expertise and familiarity, particularly with command-line usage as it lacks a graphical user interface (GUI). On the other hand, the Kernel Video Repair tool is user-friendly, featuring an intuitive UI with a minimalist design and straightforward options.