Drone splits recorded video into 5 minute clips but there is always 1 second missing

taylorallbut · Sep 2, 2017

Drone splits recorded video into 5 minute clips but there is always 1 second missing when I download the video.

So I press record, take off, record say a 15 min 4K video, download the clip into my iPhone, but it’s saved on the micro SD in 5:30 min clips. When I arrange them in order on iMovie, the clips have almost a seconds worth of footage missing when they are put together.

Is this normal? Can I stop it?

LarBear360 · Sep 2, 2017

This may or may not be related but I own a Canon DSLR camera that also records video. There is a limit on the file size of each video clip. It's the file system, not the camera. I have to remind myself this is a camera that shoots video. It's not a video camera that shoots stills. Maybe it's the same with these drones?

tevek · Sep 2, 2017

taylorallbut said:
Drone splits recorded video into 5 minute clips but there is always 1 second missing when I download the video.

So I press record, take off, record say a 15 min 4K video, download the clip into my iPhone, but it’s saved on the micro SD in 5:30 min clips. When I arrange them in order on iMovie, the clips have almost a seconds worth of footage missing when they are put together.

Is this normal? Can I stop it?

@Larbear 360 has explained why it does it, try lowering your resolution to 2.7k.

Suhail78 · Sep 2, 2017

tevek said:
@Larbear 360 has explained why it does it, try lowering your resolution to 2.7k.

Can u post a link to it?

smiller · Sep 2, 2017

I had a similar problem (consistent one second missing at the beginning of each 4K clip.) Sometimes it was accompanied by some image breakup and other times it was clean. I finally noticed that it didn't happen with the DJI-supplied SD card, only my larger additional card (even though it was a name-brand fast U3 card.) I originally never suspected the card since it seemed to work fine otherwise, but I had it replaced under warranty and since then I can edit two 4K clips together and not drop a frame.

sar104 · Sep 2, 2017

taylorallbut said:
Drone splits recorded video into 5 minute clips but there is always 1 second missing when I download the video.

So I press record, take off, record say a 15 min 4K video, download the clip into my iPhone, but it’s saved on the micro SD in 5:30 min clips. When I arrange them in order on iMovie, the clips have almost a seconds worth of footage missing when they are put together.

Is this normal? Can I stop it?

The clip limit is 4 GB, and the missing frames issue is a problem that has been discussed at length but never fixed, as far as I'm aware.

smiller · Sep 3, 2017

As above, mine doesn't do it (anymore at least.) I can edit together two 4K clips (created by the 4 GB file limit) and cannot detect any frame loss.

LarBear360 · Sep 3, 2017

I don't know what that one second contains that it can't be missed. I can't think of any video application or average viewer that would withstand a 5 and a half minute shot without an edit. When was the last time you watched television or a film and saw zero edits for 5 and half minutes?

I used to make a living editing video & film. Since retired. If I knew what you were shooting and how it's being applied, I could probably offer some suggestions as to how to edit around your 24-30 missing frames,

sar104 · Sep 3, 2017

LarBear360 said:
I don't know what that one second contains that it can't be missed. I can't think of any video application or average viewer that would withstand a 5 and a half minute shot without an edit. When was the last time you watched television or a film and saw zero edits for 5 and half minutes?

I used to make a living editing video & film. Since retired. If I knew what you were shooting and how it's being applied, I could probably offer some suggestions as to how to edit around your 24-30 missing frames,

There was a big debate about this 18 months ago. It turned out that for some cinematographic uses this can be a real nuisance, not because continuous clips that long are used, but because the discontinuity can occur at awkward points in the sequence.

tevek · Sep 3, 2017

Suhail78 said:
Can u post a link to it?

One post of many and answered by msinger
P3P 4k files truncated?

LarBear360 · Sep 3, 2017

sar104 said:
There was a big debate about this 18 months ago. It turned out that for some cinematographic uses this can be a real nuisance, not because continuous clips that long are used, but because the discontinuity can occur at awkward points in the sequence.

Makes sense. I often had to cover up mistakes made by camera operators during live shoots. Frustrating at times. I can see a one second drop out at the most inopportune time would be a nuisance to fix or cover up.

shockwave199 · Sep 3, 2017

Never a dropped frame here and it matters so I'd be pissed if there were.

n00bonthe^ · Sep 3, 2017

that's standard procedure, I haven't lost any frames...

taylorallbut · Sep 3, 2017

@smiller ill have to give it a go with the DJI supplied SD card and see what happens!

Thanks for the help everyone else! much appreciated!!

Roamer105 · Sep 3, 2017

taylorallbut said:
Drone splits recorded video into 5 minute clips but there is always 1 second missing when I download the video.

So I press record, take off, record say a 15 min 4K video, download the clip into my iPhone, but it’s saved on the micro SD in 5:30 min clips. When I arrange them in order on iMovie, the clips have almost a seconds worth of footage missing when they are put together.

Is this normal? Can I stop it?

It is a file system limitation for FAT file systems. Maximum file size is 4GB. Apparently DJI retains that limitation even though the SD cards are formatted to exFAT (which has a 16GB files size limitation).

smiller · Sep 3, 2017

Just to be clear there are two separate issues being discussed here. One is that there is a maximum 4 GB file size so clips over 5-6 minutes get separated into multiple files, and that is normal behavior. The other issue is that sometimes at the file break point the new (automatically started) recording is missing approximately 30 frames, causing a glitch when the files are edited together. This is not normal, there should be no information lost between the two clips. And although it is frequently claimed to be an endemic 'they all do that' problem, that assessment is not correct as evidenced by the many people in this thread and others who do not experience the problem.

In my case the problem was definitely isolated to the SD card but I can't speak for anyone else. It is worth noting that until I discovered the cause I would have sworn that the SD card was OK since it seemed to be working perfectly in all other respects.

cthetoy · Sep 5, 2017

Roamer105 said:
It is a file system limitation for FAT file systems. Maximum file size is 4GB. Apparently DJI retains that limitation even though the SD cards are formatted to exFAT (which has a 16GB files size limitation).

exFAT fize size limit is 16 EB (Exabyte) so theoretically the P4 should be able to record entirely in one file.

smiller · Sep 5, 2017

cthetoy said:
exFAT fize size limit is 16 EB (Exabyte) so theoretically the P4 should be able to record entirely in one file.

It is not a file system limitation, it is a DJI limitation.

LarBear360 · Sep 5, 2017

My DSLR stops and restarts recording but it's not seamless. My video camera eventually maxes out but is seamless. Maybe these guys ARE missing a second but just don't notice?

smiller · Sep 5, 2017

LarBear360 said:
Maybe these guys ARE missing a second but just don't notice?

You couldn't 'not notice' a full second being gone from an in-motion clip. There is no data missing on mine. I can test by recording a timer counting in hundredths of a second over a file gap, no frames are lost.

Full Screen Timer - Perfect for large audiences.