Hello, New drone user here and maybe I'm missing something obvious but I just completed a flight and when I looked at the video file after it was split into 3 separate mp4 files.  The first two files were each exactly 3.76 GB and 5min 23sec long.  Does anyone have any idea why it split the recording into 3 mp4 files?  I was recording in Cine Mode with D-Cinelike, H.265, 4k 30fps and Pro mode.

The maximum file size of FAT32 is 4GB (or 3.76GB). So a file that is larger than or equal to 4GB will be automatically divided.

The Fly app is restricted to using a typical Fat32 max file size for 'reliability' thus your large video file is stored in 4gb chunks. Exfat is thought to be less reliable where fluctuations in power can occur impacting large file writes so hasn't been implemented (yet) or so is my understanding to date.

DowntownRDB Posted at 6-18 14:23
The maximum file size of FAT32 is 4GB (or 3.76GB). So a file that is larger than or equal to 4GB will be automatically divided.

Yup this

Thanks for the help!!

The reason for splitting the files into 4GB sections has nothing to do with FAT32 or ExFAT. It is to do with an archaic old dodge used by camera manufacturers to avoid paying import duty. The customs service declared that any device that could store up to 4GB ccould be imported as a "camera" at a lower duty rate, while any device that could store greater than 4GB would be classified as a "recorder" and subject to a higher duty rate. DJi went along with this and have done so ever since.

Simple program to join them back together:

http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/

IOS use

https://luma-touch.com/lumafusion-for-ios-2/

Wiz33 Posted at 6-18 20:12
Simple program to join them back together:

http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/

Thanks. I used Final Cut Pro and it joined them with no effort.

Hi there. The maximum capacity of a single file will not exceed 4GB. If exceeded, the recording will be stopped, and a new recording will be started. In addition, the maximum file size of FAT32 is 4GB. Hence, a file that is larger than or equal to 4GB will be divided, otherwise, the file may be lost or abnormal and cannot be read. Although exFAT allows a larger file size, the larger file may be damaged due to abnormal power-off and SD card removal, or even cannot be recovered. So the storage of the camera is 4GB regardless of the file systems. So it is normal the video will be split if it reaches 4GB. Thank you and have a good one!

BaynhamPhoto Posted at 6-18 14:38
Yup this

We were thinking alike on this.  

Isoprufen Posted at 6-18 14:42
Thanks for the help!!

You're very welcome.    At least there is an easy solution to join them together.  

Geebax Posted at 6-18 15:13
The reason for splitting the files into 4GB sections has nothing to do with FAT32 or ExFAT. It is to do with an archaic old dodge used by camera manufacturers to avoid paying import duty. The customs service declared that any device that could store up to 4GB ccould be imported as a "camera" at a lower duty rate, while any device that could store greater than 4GB would be classified as a "recorder" and subject to a higher duty rate. DJi went along with this and have done so ever since.

I believe you are referring to max record time not file size thats the reason most dslrs were restricted so they didn't get classed as video cameras for import duties.

Geebax Posted at 6-18 15:13
The reason for splitting the files into 4GB sections has nothing to do with FAT32 or ExFAT. It is to do with an archaic old dodge used by camera manufacturers to avoid paying import duty. The customs service declared that any device that could store up to 4GB ccould be imported as a "camera" at a lower duty rate, while any device that could store greater than 4GB would be classified as a "recorder" and subject to a higher duty rate. DJi went along with this and have done so ever since.

30minutes of recording time, not 4GB of storage.

BaynhamPhoto Posted at 6-19 06:55
I believe you are referring to max record time not file size thats the reason most dslrs were restricted so they didn't get classed as video cameras for import duties.

you beat me to it.

BaynhamPhoto Posted at 6-19 06:55
I believe you are referring to max record time not file size thats the reason most dslrs were restricted so they didn't get classed as video cameras for import duties.

Try formatting the SD card to ExFAT, and put it back in the camera, it will still only record up to 4GB then split the file. The original idea might have been to limit the recording time, but with 4K the file sizes have got bigger but the split remains at roughly the 4GB mark.

Generally speaking…..   how many minutes will it take for 4 GB to be reached.   Average….   Knowing it will be diff with different video/camera settings… just an average/ballpark time

fans19c383e1 Posted at 6-19 16:14
Generally speaking…..   how many minutes will it take for 4 GB to be reached.   Average….   Knowing it will be diff with different video/camera settings… just an average/ballpark time

The answer to your question is in my original post at the beginning of this thread.  

I was recording in Cine Mode with D-Cinelike, H.265, 4k 30fps and got 5min 23sec for each file.

Isoprufen Posted at 6-19 17:11
The answer to your question is in my original post at the beginning of this thread.  

I was recording in Cine Mode with D-Cinelike, H.265, 4k 30fps and got 5min 23sec for each file.

mini3 4K@60 splits video every 3:17 - that is so annoying to merge it after

merge also produces glitches in the joint section

this is so outdated, please make an option to turn splitting off

f l y N i n j a Posted at 10-16 00:55
mini3 4K@60 splits video every 3:17 - that is so annoying to merge it after

merge also produces glitches in the joint section

At a minimum, there should be an option in the controller to have them auto-stitched.  I can see the benefit of preventing corruption, but it should not be up to me to find a third-party app to do this.

Can you imagine if Canon or your phone camera did this?  

f l y N i n j a Posted at 10-16 00:55
mini3 4K@60 splits video every 3:17 - that is so annoying to merge it after

merge also produces glitches in the joint section

help me out here, ninja.  ive thought about it and i cannot find a super good reason why anyone would want to "merge" a bunch of large drone files together.  could you please let us know why you would want this?  i understand if you have content that you want to piece together which you can cut up and pull together but unless your final content is one huge file from start to finish....

so here's one:  you are flying for 30 minutes and then you want to upload a single 30-minute clip/file up onto yt so people can watch you....raw flying.  that might be a good idea but i doubt dji is going to switch it up just for that.  already you can join video clips in davinci resolve, it's free, it's easy and it's certainly not "glitchy."

another quick question:  if you hit the stop recording button after flying for a couple of minutes and you move to somewhere else and you start recording again, are you going to want those clips to also come out into one file on the microsd card?

if you copy the whole card content to your computer, any of today's video editing programs will automatically merge split files.
this does not work if only the video files are copied.

It shouldn't boil me over with rage the way it does, to have files split into 4GB sections because DJI was too cheap to pay an import fee. AS IF that fee wouldn't be passed on to us anyway. Thanks DJI. Appreciated.

I like to think in some timeline or alternate version of events, the "end user" aka "Consumer" isn't the butt end of every deal in any transaction that takes place.

djiuser_Ks5LZHST1kqX Posted at 10-28 15:16
It shouldn't boil me over with rage the way it does, to have files split into 4GB sections because DJI was too cheap to pay an import fee. AS IF that fee wouldn't be passed on to us anyway. Thanks DJI. Appreciated.

I like to think in some timeline or alternate version of events, the "end user" aka "Consumer" isn't the butt end of every deal in any transaction that takes place.

What are you talking about in regards to import fee?  Are you referring to the old camcorder thing and not being able to record longer than 30 mins?

Honestly, the multi part files are a non-issue if you use any decent video editing system.  And from my perspective, it’s actually a good thing in a drone.  Accidents happen and they crash and have the potential to corrupt the video.  Do you want to lose a video of a full flight or just the last couple mins of it.  

I do wish they would name the files better though so it would be easier to identify the files sets.

GoPro also does the same as do many other manufacturers.

I guess I don't have a decent video editing system, then. I have an iPad Pro and Lumafusion. I do not even own a PC at the moment. So no, I admittedly don't have a smoking hot creation station.

Part of what was frustrating was there was no documentation, that I am aware of, that advises people that the files will be split up. It was a surprise to notice it was happening. It was also frustrating the way they are named and grouped. Can we not put each video in its own folder, then? And name them something other than the extremely long timestamp that is too long to show the entire filename so we have to guess which one is which.

All I am trying to do is draw attention to areas in the experience that need refinement. Having my videos hacked up into parts "for safety" is not a good answer and I'd like us to find a better way.