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heavily corrupted AVI files - any solutions?

Discussion in 'MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 encoding (AVI to DVD)' started by dan0el, Feb 7, 2008.

  1. dan0el

    dan0el Member

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    Hi all, my first post on this forum. I've found excellent advise and no need to post so far.

    I have several heavily corrupted AVI files that won't open.
    I have tried the various repair tools (some suggested on this forum, some elsewhere):
    avifixed, AVI-Mux, DivXRepair, Zealot_All_Media_Fixer, OnBelayV2

    The file will not play with SUPER or any other player (like GOM).
    I've tried to import it in Vegas but it crashed.

    So I've run out of options unless there is some powerful piece of software that can pick up the decent fragments of the AVI file (!). The size of the file looks good.

    This is what it shows in GSpot

    [​IMG]

    I have a feeling that there is not much I can do with this or other similar files. Any solutions?
    Let me know - I have quite a few of these interesting files....
     
  2. attar

    attar Senior member

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  3. dan0el

    dan0el Member

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    Thanks for the quick reply.
    I tried to import the file with Virtual Dub 1.7.5 and get the error: "cannot detect file type of [file name]"

    I guess my file is seriously buggered up.
     
  4. onya

    onya Guest

    Even you think so...

    Re-source the file from another "place" and see how you go. Surely there is more than one spot to get it.
     
  5. attar

    attar Senior member

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    BTW, what did 'GSpot' say?
    The original post doesn't.
     
  6. dan0el

    dan0el Member

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    hey, thanks for the suggestions and answers.

    1)onya: I can't reload the file - because it stems from a corrupted HD, I will try to use more advanced software to recover the files, and let you know how I progressed.

    What I am really looking for is some form of software, process that can try to read/view etc. the file. I find it hard to believe that if the file's size is almost 1 GB, that there is "nothing" to see...

    Maybe there is some commercial software that can "debug" this type of files...

    2) attar: Image is back (sorry!).
     
  7. varnull

    varnull Guest

    Just a quick FYI about filesizes..

    The size information is contained in the OS file table.. if it has an entry for a 1 gig or 1kb file that is what size it will report, regardless of there being any data in the area or not ;)
     
  8. attar

    attar Senior member

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  9. dan0el

    dan0el Member

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    You guys are something else - very fast feed-back!

    My answers:
    varnull (about file size) - yes, I understand that. But since the file was recovered and the size of the recovered file is at times different than the original, I assumed that the recovery software reconstructed the file and allocated it a size (or recalculated the file siez).... at any rate, whatever happened, I was of the impression that the size had more "meaning" than a simple table entry in this case... I could be wrong...

    attar (try with VLC) - thanks for the suggestion - I tried with vlc-0.8.6d-win32.exe

    and get this error:

    ffmpeg error: av_find_stream_info failed
    ps error: cannot peek
    main error: no suitable demux module for `/://D:\Salmo24.avi'

    ffmpeg error: av_find_stream_info failed
    ps error: cannot peek
    vobsub debug: could not read vobsub IDX file
    main warning: no demux2 module matching "avi" could be loaded
    main error: no suitable demux module for `/://D:\Salmo24.avi'


    Any more ideas? I tried some other AVI files and they are played fine by VLC ... let me know - much appreciated.
     
  10. rdmercer1

    rdmercer1 Active member

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    is this file from a hand held camcorder?
     
  11. attar

    attar Senior member

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  12. dan0el

    dan0el Member

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    Thanks Attar, your help is much appreciated.
    Unfortunately it did not work.
    I run VirtualDubMod_1_5_10_2_All_inclusive.zip with pdvcodec.zip
    but the error I get is the same as with VirtualDub, i.e.:

    "Cannot detect filetype of: [path & file name]"

    I guess at this stage my only chance is to try to recover the files to a better state and see if I can play it.
     
  13. Placio74

    Placio74 Member

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    I'm look at first post and GSpot screenshot and...

    This file have .avi extension, but it's not AVI (container)!
    It's just Raw DV - correct extension is .dv.

    Many tools (VirtualDub, Avidemux, ...) can open (edit and re-encode) DV-AVI, but not Raw DV.

    ------

    MPEG Streamclip.
    Can open, edit and re-encode Raw DV.
    But this tool (based on QuickTime) can't use VfW codecs (exclude 3ivX) and when save as AVI (to DV-AVI) without re-encode unfortunately not copy audio from DV (but when re-encode - yes).

    ------

    Other...
    Latest VirtualDub with QuickTime input plugin.

    Not have .dv extension on supported list when open, but...
    If You not change extension - select this file, change file type to Quicktime Video files and open.
    Or if file have .dv extension - change file type to All types, select this file, change file type to Quicktime Video files and open.

    Then can edit and re-encode this Raw DV.

    Required QuickTime or QuickTime Alternative or ffdshow VfW with active support DV.

    ---

    Other...
    You can use FFmpeg or MEncoder from command line (maybe some GUI's too - MediaCoder?) and change container to DV-AVI or re-encode.
    Example syntax (change container):
    Code:
    ffmpeg -i name_file.dv -vcodec copy -acodec copy name_file.avi
    ---

    Other...
    Can use Avisynth script (with QTSource plugin) and VirtualDub.
    Install Avisynth, put QTSource plugin to plugins folder, make script like as below (text file with .avs extension), open .avs file example in VirtualDub.
    Example script:
    Code:
    LoadPlugin("c:\Program Files\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\QTSource.dll")
    QTInput("f:\name_file.dv",audio=true)
    ---

    Can use DV Converter and maybe other specific tools.
     
  14. davexnet

    davexnet Active member

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    In virtualdub 1.77, use tools/Hex editor and open the file.
    Take a screen print of the first page and post it here.
    It's likely the header info at the beginning is completely corrupt.
     
  15. dan0el

    dan0el Member

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    ... message see below...
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2008
  16. dan0el

    dan0el Member

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    rdmercer1 - Hi, sorry, just missed your question - my answer:: "no this file is not from a hand held camcorder, it is from a profesional videocamera"

    Placio74 - thanks for your suggestions - I haven't yet tried them, I am out of time, but I should try them this next week if all things go well.

    davexnet - dave here are the hex dumps, I went "extra generous" and published the first two images, I hope that is enough information... :) (I used virtualdub 1.7.8)

    first screenshot
    [​IMG]

    second screenshot
    [​IMG]
     
  17. davexnet

    davexnet Active member

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    Unfortunantely, the avi header information is not present.
    Open up a known good avi file in the Hex editor and compare the first
    half a page or so.

    I don't think you'll have much luck with a file in this state.
    How did it get like that?
     
  18. dan0el

    dan0el Member

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    Hi dave - hard disk crash... so this is a file recovered, but I guess I will need to look into better recovery software and see what happens
     
  19. rdmercer1

    rdmercer1 Active member

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    is there a orignal raw video file that theese files came from? once files have been corrupted it is real hard to fix them, i would try to get them from the person who you got them the first place, good luck!
     
  20. dan0el

    dan0el Member

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    rdmercer1 - thank you for the comment.
    Yes - this is the route I will be going through. The raw files were in another hard disk and were deleted. But we will see if we can recover them one way or the other.
    I still thought I post my problem and see what solutions I get... that's why I posted it here...
     

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