Corrupted Video Repair and Recovery
An unplayable video isn’t necessarily lost.
For more than 20 years, Chronodisk has helped individuals and businesses repair corrupted videos from smartphones, drones, professional cameras, cameras and other digital media.
Thanks to our data recovery expertise, we analyse the file structure to restore footage whenever it is still present.
Proven expertise
We have solid experience and ongoing R&D
No hidden costs
You only pay for the data recovered, with no extra fees for parts, etc.
Free
Free assessment of recoverable data, free collection of your media
Fast and affordable
We offer efficient, affordable recovery solutions
We repair the main digital video formats
Chronodisk works with most video formats used by individuals and businesses. Our teams handle video from smartphones, drones, professional cameras, hybrid cameras, video surveillance systems and media that has already been through data recovery.
Video formats
- MP4
- MOV
- AVI
- MXF
- MTS
- M2TS
- 3GP
- MKV
Codecs
- H.264 / AVC
- H.265 / HEVC
- Apple ProRes
- DNxHD
- MPEG-2
- MPEG-4
- MJPEG
Our pricing
Video corruption cases we’ve already handled
A video can become unplayable following an incident during recording, a hardware fault or storage media corruption. Our teams regularly handle the following situations:
Our engineers handle situations such as:
- Battery died during recording.
- Camera switched off abruptly.
- SD card removed before writing finished.
- Drone crash. Power cut during capture.
- Video recovered after deletion but left unplayable.
- Corrupted memory card.
- Faulty SSD or hard drive.
- Damaged MP4 or MOV container.
- Lost metadata. Corrupted video index.
- Incomplete file after an interrupted copy.
- Storage errors on professional cameras.
- Video damaged after a data recovery.
Our pricing depends on:
- the video format;
- the file size;
- the level of corruption;
- the original storage media;
- the complexity of the repair;
- how quickly you need it done.
The principle stays the same: every file undergoes a technical analysis to determine what can be repaired before we start any work.
Why trust Chronodisk with your video repair?
Repairing a corrupted video requires specific expertise. When off-the-shelf software reaches its limits, our engineers have the tools and methods to analyse the file structure and restore whatever footage can still be salvaged. Our goal is to recover as many frames as possible while preserving the integrity of the original data.
A technical analysis before any repair
Before any repair, our specialists carry out a full analysis of your file to pinpoint the cause of the corruption and the chances of recovery.
This analysis checks:
- the integrity of the file structure;
- the state of the metadata and indexes;
- whether the audio and video streams are present;
- any damaged areas;
- whether a repair is feasible.
At the end of this step, we give you a diagnosis and the possible solutions.
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The stages of your video repair
01 Get in touch
You tell us how the corruption happened: an interrupted recording, a faulty SD card, a prior data recovery, a hardware fault or any other incident.
02 Technical analysis
Our engineers analyse the file to identify:
- the format;
- the codec;
- the metadata;
- the audio and video streams;
- any corrupted areas.
03 Repair
Based on the analysis, we rebuild the video file using our specialised tools and, when needed, manual work carried out by our engineers.
04 Delivery
Once the repair is complete, we hand over your restored video after checking the result.
Frequently asked questions
Corrupted video repair and recovery
Video files play an essential role today, both personally and professionally. They can hold unique memories, audiovisual productions, drone footage, surveillance recordings or evidence.
When a video becomes unplayable, that doesn’t necessarily mean its content is lost. In many cases the video data is still there, but the file structure no longer allows it to be read.
Thanks to its data recovery expertise, Chronodisk works with the main video formats to restore footage whenever it can still be salvaged.
We handle in particular:
Video formats
- MP4
- MOV
- AVI
- MXF
- MKV
- MTS
- M2TS
- 3GP
Codecs
- H.264 / AVC
- H.265 / HEVC
- Apple ProRes
- DNxHD
- MPEG-2
- MPEG-4
- MJPEG
Media affected
- SD cards;
- microSD cards;
- SSDs;
- hard drives;
- NAS units;
- servers;
- USB drives;
- media already recovered from a fault or deletion.
Our repair method
Every video has its own structure, codec and metadata. When a recording is interrupted or media is damaged, several factors can prevent the file from being played.
Our specialists carry out an in-depth analysis to identify:
- the format;
- the codec;
- the container structure;
- the metadata;
- the indexes;
- the audio and video streams.
Whenever possible, we rebuild the damaged elements to restore the video.
In the most complex cases, our teams use advanced techniques to rebuild the container, recreate the indexes and extract whatever frames can still be salvaged.
Why does a video become unplayable?
A video can become unplayable for several reasons. In most cases, the footage itself hasn’t been deleted — it’s the file structure that’s been damaged.
The main causes Chronodisk encounters are:
- an interruption during recording;
- a battery dying before the file was finalised;
- a camera being switched off abruptly;
- a memory card removed while writing;
- a drone crash;
- a power cut;
- a faulty SD card or storage media;
- a data recovery that produced an incomplete file;
- corruption of the video container or metadata.
Equipment handled by Chronodisk
Chronodisk works with video from a wide range of digital equipment, both consumer and professional.
Professional cameras
Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Blackmagic Design, RED, ARRI and other capture systems
Drones
DJI, Autel Robotics, Parrot and other aerial imaging platforms.
Smartphones
iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, Xiaomi, Oppo, Huawei and other Android devices.
Action and sports cameras
GoPro, DJI Osmo Action, Insta360 and other equipment.
Video surveillance
CCTV, NVR, DVR systems and IP cameras.
For individuals
Some videos hold unique memories that can never be recreated. Chronodisk regularly restores:
- wedding videos;
- birth videos;
- holiday memories;
- family videos;
- drone footage;
- sports videos;
- event videos.
Every job is carried out with the utmost care to preserve as much of the original content as possible.
For businesses
Chronodisk also supports businesses that need to recover important or sensitive video footage:
- audiovisual production companies;
- communications agencies;
- journalists;
- forensic experts;
- law enforcement;
- insurers;
- engineering firms;
- industrial companies;
- local authorities
Chronodisk’s advice
When a video becomes unplayable, whatever you do first can have a major impact on the chances of recovery.
We recommend that you:
- do not record new data onto the media in question;
- do not reformat the memory card or storage media;
- do not modify the original file;
- keep a copy of the corrupted file;
- avoid trying to repair it repeatedly with different software;
- keep any related files if a data recovery has already been carried out.
Keeping the file and the media in their original state gives you the best chance of a successful repair.
Why use a specialist lab?
Repairing a corrupted video calls for in-depth technical analysis. Modern video files rely on complex structures combining container, codec, metadata and indexes.
When these elements are damaged, automated solutions quickly reach their limits.
Thanks to its data recovery expertise, Chronodisk can analyse files, identify what can still be salvaged and apply the right methods for each situation.