Corrupted Card or GoPro Failure

[masterdrago]

I had my GoPro 7 Black record about 3 hours of video while at Hubbard Glacier in Alaska on May 25th. I did this by mounting the GP to the rail, connecting a 72Wh Lithium battery and powering it up and pressing the shutter button. I verified that the GP was indeed recording at Linear 1920x1080/60fps MPEG-4. After returning and removing the 64Gig memory card, I inserted into a WD portable HDD to back up the files. It appeared that 12 files were created of close to 4G each (except for one being 1.3G) that were about 17 minutes long.


After getting home, I was only able to play the first file that completed recording ~2:38pm. All of the remaining files play only the audio track with a still image showing on the screen during playback. When I have CyberLink PowerDirector 17 produce and combine the 12 files, I get a 3 hr video that freezes on that same still at about 35 minutes.


As an experiment, I took the files directly from the memory card. The freeze up happens at the mid point of the 2nd file. So did the camera just decide half way through writing the 2nd file to simply record the same video frame on every following frame for the continuation of the filming? If it did, then there is a flaw in the camera. All of the other single videos on the same card are fine. I put the ending file at Dropbox if anyone wants to look at it. It is somehow corrupted. The one thing odd about it is the time stamp. It shows 4:41pm but is the last file in the 3 hr video which did not end until 5:41 and is numbered correctly by the GP. Link to the damaged ending file is at https://www.dropbox.com/s/ca4eqexrq5...23634.MP4?dl=0 It shows the same issues when opened by multiple people, different computer, and a host of different player/editors. So I'm guessing that the camera ruined my filming of our Hubbard Glacier pass. Thank goodness I was up on deck using a Nikon D7500.


As another test, I put the card back into the GP. When pulling up the contents, it only shows the first file which it plays okay. I've also posted to CyberLink, Adobe, GoPro and to Sandisk customer support. I also ran a test today shooting 2 hrs of video at the same settings on a different card. Original does not have enough space left and I want it to be left as is in case Sandisk wants to look at it. It's just really a bad thing to loose video shot at Hubbard Glacier on a pristine day.

Edited June 25, 2019 by masterdrago

[zqvol]

I will be curious to see what you discover. IMO it is probably a memory issue on the GoPro.

[masterdrago]

Just to bring this up to top, I've run Sandisk recovery software on the card. It's called RescuePro Deluxe from the packaging that came with the memory card. I end up with 11 files that I have no idea what to do with. I'll be contacting the makers later. I'm in agreement with zqvol, in that it was some GoPro camera issue. I've yet to get to the problem sent to them. Still might be a defective card.

Edited July 11, 2019 by masterdrago

[Sean_B]

You've got a lot of information in your post, but there are two critical pieces of information that are missing:

 

1. Is your GoPro running the latest firmware (1.70)?

2. Which brand and model of memory card are you using?

 

What you've described is a classic symptom is using a memory card that doesn't appear on the list of recommended cards from GoPro. I see you've mentioned a Sandisk card; is it the Sandisk Ultra? That card is is the absolute worst card you can put into a GoPro camera. I'd like to see a picture of the card you're using.

 

I'm one of the senior members of r/GoPro on Reddit and the issue you experienced is quite common, but as I said, your memory card brand and model are critically important here. 

Edited July 13, 2019 by Sean_B

[masterdrago]

Sorry, I guess that tidbit of info slipped my mind. Firmware was 1.67 I think. Now 1.7. Card is Extreme Pro pictured. It's listed as an approved card on the gopro web pages. All 10 cards purchased from Amazon and came in the normal packaging (the kind that's hard to open) including the adapter card and serialized. Each came with the Rescue Pro Deluxe 2 year subscription download with key. I did use that to run on the card but all it did was make 11 .anm files that I have no idea what to do with. They no where near match in size the original files (either much smaller or 8x larger.

Edited July 18, 2019 by masterdrago

[Sean_B]

On 7/17/2019 at 6:06 PM, masterdrago said:

Sorry, I guess that tidbit of info slipped my mind. Firmware was 1.67 I think. Now 1.7. Card is Extreme Pro pictured. It's listed as an approved card on the gopro web pages. All 10 cards purchased from Amazon and came in the normal packaging (the kind that's hard to open) including the adapter card and serialized. Each came with the Rescue Pro Deluxe 2 year subscription download with key. I did use that to run on the card but all it did was make 11 .anm files that I have no idea what to do with. They no where near match in size the original files (either much smaller or 8x larger.

Your issue could certainly be related to the 1.67 FW, in which case your footage is probably lost.

[masterdrago]

Thanks for the info. I received my 7 Black on Oct. 2 last year but did not actually get to begin using it until late December. I do recall updating the FW but it was a new release camera (ordered in Sept.). I was not able to find many others accounts with the same issue and I did poke around on the r/gopro reddit pages. It came with the SanDisk Extreme 32Gig microSDHC card. I'm thinking that others would have seen the same issue even though the camera is not really designed for taking 3 hour videos. I shot another 3hr vid on a different card and all went well with the new FW (1.7). I will format the card that has the failed footage and use it for a 3 hr vid to check it.
It sure would have been nice to know that the 7 Black would fail to take a full 3 hr vid. Guess I need to stick with a real video camera for stuff like that and not one that is primarily made for short clips.