How to Repair Corrupt DJI Video Files?

7 minutes read

Are you looking to repair video files shot on your DJI drone? It can be extremely frustrating when your DJI drone footage pixelates, stutters, or even refuses to open. This article will provide 4 super-effective methods that you can try out yourself. If your video file is important, I recommend you use a professional video repair tool such as Remo Video Repair. Download now and repair your DJI file today!

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Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that have become popular when it comes to media creation. With its ability to fly and record, it allows photographers and videographers alike to get stunning aerial angles with little to no effort. DJI is a brand that has excelled within the industry by creating state-of-the-art drones that perform just as well as they look.

DJI Drones are capable of recording 4k video at 60fps with vibrant colors. However, the video files are not immune to damage or corruption. If videos shot using your DJI drone appear pixelated, stutter frequently, or refuse to open, they may be corrupt or damaged.

Warning! Common Reasons for DJI Video File Corruption

  • 🥵Temperature Impact: Exposing your drone camera to extremely high or low temperatures can corrupt videos saved on its SD card.
  • 🦠Virus Attacks: An unreadable SD card on a PC or camera due to malware or virus attacks can corrupt your DJI MP4 or MOV videos.
  • 🪫Playback Disruptions: Sudden interruptions like unexpected power off, overheating, low battery, etc., while recording, transferring, or editing videos can make your adventurous DJI video files unplayable.
  • Untrustworthy Methods: Using unreliable data recovery tools to recover accidentally deleted DJI videos and photos can damage them.

How do you fix a corrupt DJI MP4 or MOV Video File?

Method 1: djifix to Repair DJI Video File

‘Djifix’ is a command-line application that repairs corrupt videos shot with DJI drones like Spark, Inspire, Mavic, and Phantom.

Though it a open-sourced. However, the program has limitations as it supports only the original file that comes from your DJI SD card and is available only on 32-bit Windows and macOS X.

  • Download djifix and launch it
  • Move the downloaded file to the Movies folder.
  • Note: rename ‘djifix.dms’ to ‘djifix(remove dms extension)
  • Move the corrupt DJI video file to the Movies folder and Run the terminal
  • Now type:
  1. cd Movies
  2. chmod +x djifix
  3. ./djifix name-of-video-file-to-repair-including-any-.MP4-or-.MOV-filename suffix

Method 2: Repair Corrupt DJI Video Files using VLC Media Player

VLC media player is a popular tool that can play various video formats and assist in repairing damaged or corrupted MP4, MOV, and AVI videos captured using Drones and cameras. It can fix simple issues like audio out-of-sync, video or VLC lagging or stuttering, audio delay errors, etc.  

Follow the below steps to repair corrupt DJI drone videos using the VLC Player:

1. Open VLC Media Player and select Tools option.

Open VLC media player

2. Choose Preferences, and in the Simple Preferences window, click Input / Codecs.

Choose Preferences

3. Besides the Damaged or incomplete AVI file option, select the Always Fix option from the dropdown.

Select Always fix to repair corrupt MP4 DJI videos

4. Finally, click Save. Now try to play your DJI video file. If the drone video is still corrupt or unplayable, then move on to the next method.

Method 3: Repair Corrupt Drone Video Files using Command Prompt

Repairing DJI video files using the command prompt in Windows requires technical expertise, as any incorrect command or premature exit can complicate the repair process.

While this method is not tailored for DJI video files, it can resolve minor video corruption issues, including DJI video playback issues, audio delay, audio out-of-sync, and more.

Precaution: Take a backup of your corrupt video files beforehand and know that this process may take a long while.

Follow the steps to repair corrupt DJI video files using the command prompt:

1. In your Windows search bar, type cmd.

2. Right-click on the Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Run command prompt as administrator to fix DJI video

3. In the Command Prompt window, type dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth and hit OK to find the corrupt video file.

type dism command to resolve issues related to system file corruption

4. Once the command locates the corrupt video, type sfc /scannow to scan and repair the corrupt video files.

After the completion of the command prompt process, you will find any of the following notifications:

  • Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations: This means that your Windows operating system couldn’t detect any corrupt file in your drive.
  • Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation: This means that you should repeat the above command prompt process with SFC but in Safe Mode.
  • Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them: This means that the Windows operating system has located and repaired your corrupt videos. Now, you can successfully play your DJI drone videos.
  • Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them: This means that the damage to the corrupt drone video file is severe, and Windows cannot fix it. In this case, it is suggested to make use of the Remo Video Repair tool, which can fix any corrupt or damaged video recorded on the drone, digital camera, camcorder, iPhone, etc. Move on to the next method to repair your severely corrupt drone videos using the Remo Video Repair software.

Method 4: Repair Corrupt DJI Videos using Remo Video Repair software

Use Remo Video Repair software to repair corrupt MP4 or MOV videos captured on DJI drones. With its advanced algorithms and extensive compatibility, it's the go-to choice for aerial photographers, adventurous travelers, and other professionals in the field.

Whether you've encountered video corruption on your DJI drone or any other device, Remo Video Repair effortlessly analyzes, repairs, and restores your damaged footage. Its user-friendly interface ensures a seamless experience, making it accessible to users of all levels.

Step 1: Download and install Remo Video Repair software.

Launch Remo DJI Video Repair software

Step 2: Remove the SD card from DJI drone on which you have saved the corrupt video files and connect it to your system.

remove SD card from DJI drone and connect it to your system

Step 3: Now, launch the tool. Click on the Select File option to choose the corrupt DJI MP4 or MOV file that needs to be restored.

select corrupt MP4 drone video

Step 4: Click on the Repair button. If the DJI video file is severely corrupted, then the tool will ask for a reference video to perform the advanced video repair process.

repairing corrupt MP4 DJI videos

Step 5: Once the repair process is completed, you can preview the repaired drone video for free. If satisfied, click on the Save button to browse any location of your choice to restore it.

save repaired DJI MP4 video

Tips to Avoid DJI or Drone Video Corruption:

  • Do not connect your drone SD card to corrupt devices.
  • Properly eject the SD card from your DJI drone camera.
  • Take a backup of your important DJI videos before editing or transferring them.
  • Make use of a quality SD card to avoid any SD card corruption.
  • Always use reliable software to either recover or repair DJI video files. 

About the Author: Molly Owen

Molly is the Lead Technical Specialist with distinguished knowledge and understanding of Mac computers and operating systems. Being a veteran photographer and video recovery specialist, Molly’s expertise in video formats and file repair has helped restore a lot of videos and cherished memories of users. As a technical specialist, she also believes in learning and…