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Any way to prevent video file split at 4gb?
16255 21 2016-1-26
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alirz1
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[size=14.6667px]As the title says. Is there a way to avoid having video file sutomatically split once it hits 4GB file size. My SD card is in exfat format but that doesnt avoid the problem. Is it simply in the drone's firmware to start a new file at 4GB.

[size=14.6667px]problem is that even if i join the split files. There is like 1 sec of video missing at the join point.

2016-1-26
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terrylewis
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Unfortunately, our video processor does split video files near the 4GB file limit of FAT32, even if using a 32GB or 64GB  SD Card formatted as exFat (FAT64).
I'm sure there is some write buffering while the new file is created but there can be a loss of frames if you're using slower write speed SD cards. As a best practice for now, we must understand this design and plan our shots accordingly. If possible, you can correct in post-processing as needed.
2016-1-26
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alirz1
Second Officer
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@terry

Are you a DJI rep? Just trying to make sure if thats the official statement or juser user experience based on card speed?
thanks
2016-1-26
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Geebax
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Australia
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alirz1 Posted at 2016-1-27 06:20
@terry

Are you a DJI rep? Just trying to make sure if thats the official statement or juser user ex ...

Terry is quite correct, you cannot avoid the file split, it is done in the aircraft. And it does not matter which format you choose for your SD card either, it still splits the file.

And yes, there is a gap between the two files, DJI has been told about this by the users, but nothing has been done,  as far as I am aware, to correct it. GoPro do the same thing of splitting files, but they at least get the gap correct.
2016-1-26
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DJI-Tim
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alirz1 Posted at 2016-1-27 03:20
@terry

Are you a DJI rep? Just trying to make sure if thats the official statement or juser user ex ...

Unfortunately no, 4 GB is a limit for every video file.
2016-1-27
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alirz1
Second Officer
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Canada
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@DJI-Tim
Why isnt DJI fixing the gap problem between the splitted files then...? I'm honestly sick of dealing with bug after bugs after restrictions.. Nothing is fixed, just more issues introduced.

does the p3 not have a buffer for video? It writes directly to the SD card?
2016-1-29
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Seppia
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Hello

We shot a TV show with Osmo, at first we discovered that the camera stops recording after 30 minutes (28 minutes and something, in 1920*1080@50P), so we had to briefly interrupt the recording of the show to relaunch the recording on the Osmo to ensure continuity. That was a first issue...

Now I'm trying to prepare the shots for the multicam edit (in Avid Media Encoder), and I discover by ingesting the cards that :
1/ not only does the camera creates 4GB clips (yet we do use good quality microSD exFAT formatted-cards), so that's about 14 minutes clips
2/ when merging the two clips, a few frames are missing in the gap, making the multicamera sync much longer and painful that it should be

So I push this feedback and feature request. Any news on either :
- fixing the "gap" of the missing frames between the two consecutive 4 GB clips
or, better :
- removing that painfully annoying FAT32-old limitation, when writing on an exFAT card ?

In the meantime, if someone has an experience of importing multiple Osmo clips in Avid Media Composer so that it is seen in Avid as one single clip, I'd be very interrested.
Right now I'm using Mpeg StreamClip to merge the clips before importing them in Media Composer. Of course, that does not solve the "missing frames" around the stitchs issue...


Any hints and help would be greatly appreciated !



EDIT : Sorry, I just saw that I posted in the Phantom forum, while my request was about the Osmo camera. Still, I seem to understand that the issues are the same on both device.
2016-9-13
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peter
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As a note, the 30 minute limit is probably not a technical one but goes back many years to world trade tax limitations. There are different tax categories for "video recorders" that can record more or less that 29:59. There's another one, that doesn't apply here, but an old style video camera that can record from a video-in port is rated differently from one that can only record from an internal camera.
2016-9-13
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Consultant
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So I bought a P3A to shoot professional video for some commercial applications.  At first I thought it was splitting at 4GB just because my SD was FAT and not exFAT.  Not the case.  It's a limitation imposed by the DJI GO App software.

So essentially I can't shoot any professional looking video beyond about 15 min in length due to the missing frames.  Acutally the limit when shooting 1080p at 60fps or 2.7k is more like 10 minutes and maybe less for 4K! I'm pretty sure DJI buffers the video, so I fail to see why they can't make sure the two files are seamless.  

This is a HUGE drawback to the rig.  I suppose there hasn't been a lot of pressure on DJI because 9 out of 10 users (or more) are probably using these things more for hobby type applications and so the gap isn't a deal breaker.  For me and others, this could be a deal breaker and this thing may be going back to the store!

I'm am just amazed considering how long DJI has been developing this stuff!

2016-9-27
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Geebax
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Consultant Posted at 2016-9-28 10:09
So I bought a P3A to shoot professional video for some commercial applications.  At first I thought  ...
' It's a limitation imposed by the DJI GO App software.'

No, it is not. The limit is imposed by the firmware in the video processing chip inside the aircraft, it has nothing to do with the Go App.

There is no buffering in the camera when shooting video, it is not possible to do so when recording a continuous stream of video. It also does not matter what format you use, the aircraft will still do it.

But anyone who is shooting professionally would not normally do 10 minute scenes, you stop and restart usually and then you will not hit the 4GB file limit.

Other camera developers like GoPro also split the file into 4GB chunks (they do on my Hero4 anyway) but at least they get the gap seamless between the files.
2016-9-27
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lvl.1

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Geebax Posted at 2016-9-28 08:52
' It's a limitation imposed by the DJI GO App software.'

No, it is not. The limit is imposed by th ...

Are there many circumstances that you would want to shoot continuous video without the files split and therefore the lost frames - heck ya - think event videos for example such as a Wedding Ceremony, or 4K shooting for a movie.

Furthermore, obviously 4K video will become more and more common as time goes on.  All the new LCD televisions these days are 4K and manufcaturers like DJI are touting their new 4K capable cameras as a competitive differentiator.  The discussions I've seen have frequently referred to 10 minutes as the split mark.   This is shooting at 1080p 60fps I believe.  If you shoot at 4K 30fps, I estimate the "skip" is going to happen at more like 5 minutes.  5 minutes IS a SERIOUS limitation.

Let's not try to make excuses just because one's personal experience has not put themselves in situations that this is a problem doesn't mean it isn't a problem.  I admit the problem is not relevant in probably the majority of shooting situations, but still a significant issue in my opinion from a professional standpoint.  Can my 6-year old digital camera film continuous in 1080p without lost frames?  YES!  This is the latest technology.  I fail to see why they can't AT LEAST add an option in the firmware to take advantage of the exFAT storage format and then add that as an option in the DJI GO app BOTH as a formatting option and as a max filesize option if the case is that the firmware can't detect the SD card format.  They are merely being lazy in my opinion designing the firmware to handle the 'lowest common denominator' that is, SD cards formatted in FAT and not improving/fixing the situation because they don't have enough users yelling at them about it.
Not sure if anyone has posted a video showing it but here's one:




2016-9-28
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Consultant
lvl.1

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This just in from DJI Support:

"I do understand that at certain point, there is a skipped frame when you are attempting record a video.

The reason for having it set on this file saving orientation is because it is for file safety and security. Instead of having your video saved in a continuous frame, it is segmented every 4GB so that in an event of power surge or power failure, you will still have a file that you can recover compared to a total loss of the whole footage.

We can forward your feedback to our Developers to further study this case and in future development it may be available in the succeeding firmware update though this is may not be the case. We are also crossing our fingers that they can accommodate most of our valued customer's feedback and suggestion."
2016-9-28
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Aardvark
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And I thought the reason was the limitation of the FAT32 format :-

2^32=4,294,967,296 the maximum memory that can be addressed using FAT 32.
2016-9-28
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Geebax
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Consultant Posted at 2016-9-29 01:37
Are there many circumstances that you would want to shoot continuous video without the files split  ...

There is one other issue, the firmware that controls the file recording is located in a single chip image processor in the aircraft. This chip is provided by another manufacturer, and I am pretty sure that so is the firmware. So DJI do not write or have any control over the firmware.

Frankly I could not care less if the file was split into 4GB chunks, as long as there were no lost frames. That's the real problem, not the split files.
2016-9-28
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Geebax
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Aardvark Posted at 2016-9-29 07:29
And I thought the reason was the limitation of the FAT32 format :-

2^32=4,294,967,296 the maximum m ...

It is, the real issue is the lost frames. I have experienced the same limitations in other cameras, but they manage to record all the frames, not lose some like in the Phantoms.
2016-9-28
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Phantomski
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how interesting!!!!
2016-9-28
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Eraser339
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Just for the record. My Phantom 2+ doesn't split videos and it is formatted at FAT32.
2018-3-2
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solentlife
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Eraser339 Posted at 2018-3-2 09:23
Just for the record. My Phantom 2+ doesn't split videos and it is formatted at FAT32.

Fat32 file size is fixed at max 4GB and maximum total capacity of 16TB ....

So I suggest your files are less than 4GB if not split.... if you are using FAT32.

exFAT has same total as FAT32 - but removes the 4GB individual file size limit.

Nigel
2018-3-2
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Eraser339
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solentlife Posted at 2018-3-2 10:55
Fat32 file size is fixed at max 4GB and maximum total capacity of 16TB ....

So I suggest your files are less than 4GB if not split.... if you are using FAT32.

Stand corrected. Thanks

https://answers.microsoft.com/en ... 1-9e36-f7a6976ac0c0
2018-3-5
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DJI_QA_sucks
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sooo horrible.  I was filming a 4k sunset timelapse tonight which resulted in two files of about 9 minutes each.  The white balance seems to have reset itself on video number 2.  I probably had it set to Auto -- but assumed my thousand dollar drone wasn't a cheap chinese piece of s hit...hire some fu cking translators too -- the app is rubbish.
2018-6-21
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Labroides
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DJI_QA_sucks Posted at 2018-6-21 21:29
sooo horrible.  I was filming a 4k sunset timelapse tonight which resulted in two files of about 9 minutes each.  The white balance seems to have reset itself on video number 2.  I probably had it set to Auto -- but assumed my thousand dollar drone wasn't a cheap chinese piece of s hit...hire some fu cking translators too -- the app is rubbish.

The problem is that DJI don't assume their users are ignorant schmucks.
2018-6-21
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KedDK
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DJI_QA_sucks Posted at 2018-6-21 21:29
sooo horrible.  I was filming a 4k sunset timelapse tonight which resulted in two files of about 9 minutes each.  The white balance seems to have reset itself on video number 2.  I probably had it set to Auto -- but assumed my thousand dollar drone wasn't a cheap chinese piece of s hit...hire some fu cking translators too -- the app is rubbish.

"assumed my thousand dollar drone wasn't a cheap chinese piece of s hit..."
You' assumed right, it isn't, i would call it rather expensive.
Posting this in the middle of 2018 would say that it is you who have gone cheap buying old models on sale or have been way slow to find out how they act in regards to your settings.
Your profile name itself show you have got it all wrong from the start, something non existing can't suck!

At least you are that lucky that you have a choice for using another app, not all customers has that freedom.
The App is free, if you don't like it find something else, make your own or dismiss your habit of bumping old threads, create a new thread in the DJI Go section with your fault findings, feature requests and translation suggestions.
2018-6-22
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