When a client says "my video is broken", it's usually one of two completely different situations: the file won't open, or it opens but the picture or sound is bad. The approach and the likely result differ, so sorting out which one it is makes the assessment accurate.
The file won't open (file recovery)
Signs: the player reports an error, the file won't open, there's sound but no picture, the recording stopped halfway, the file size looks wrong.
Causes: power loss or the card removed during recording, a damaged memory card, an interrupted transfer, a failed conversion.
What we do: analyze the file structure and try to rebuild the missing information or recover the usable parts.
Result: it may be repaired to play normally, only partly recovered, or beyond repair. We know only after assessing it. Read why a video file won't open and what to do first.
It opens, but the quality is bad (picture and sound repair)
Signs: blurry, noisy, color-shifted or stuttering picture; hum, wind, echo, clipping or unclear voices in the sound.
What we do: picture enhancement, noise reduction, color correction, frame interpolation; audio noise reduction, de-reverb, clipping repair, voice enhancement.
Result: most cases can be improved, but "improved" isn't "restored". Information that was badly lost can't be brought back. See old video restoration and common noise types and how they're repaired.
Principles that apply to both
- Stop using the original file; work only on a copy.
- Send the original through Google Drive, not a messaging app (which compresses it).
- Describe what happened: how it was recorded, when the problem appeared, what player you used.
- Assessment first, then a quote. Work starts only after you confirm.
Service details and how to send a file: video and audio repair.
Frequently asked questions
I'm not sure which situation I have.
Send us the file and a description. We'll work out which it is during the assessment and explain.
Do you need the original file?
Yes. Compressed or converted versions leave much less to work with, so please send the most original file you have.
