About us

What this site does and who we help

Our mission - honest, hands-on reviews of free video repair tools

We test free video-repair tools against real-world corruption scenarios and publish clear, replicable results. Every review shows what we tried, how we configured the tool, what worked (and what didn't), and why. Our focus is practical: enable readers to recover playable video using only free software or clearly explain when a paid solution is actually necessary. We prioritize tools that process files locally (no uploads) and those that are open-source or clearly documented. Reviews include screenshots, command-line examples (FFmpeg), and short step-by-step guides so you can reproduce fixes exactly.

Who benefits - vloggers, parents, hobbyists, and pros on a budget

This site helps anyone who needs reliable, low-cost ways to repair damaged or unplayable video files:

Vloggers & content creators: Recover footage from interrupted recordings, camera crashes, or failed transfers so you don't lose published or monetized material.
Parents & casual users: Restore precious home videos affected by corruption, incomplete downloads, or accidental truncation.
Hobbyists & enthusiasts: Fix captured clips from action cams, drones, or multicamera projects without buying expensive tools.
Freelancers & small studios: Get quick, cost-free fixes for client work when budgets are tight or when a paid repair is unnecessary.

Each review highlights the typical file types and corruption scenarios the tool handles best (MP4, MOV, AVI, fragmented files, header damage, codec mismatches), plus practical cautions-when to stop experimenting to avoid further damage and when to seek professional recovery.

How we test free video repair software

Test files, corruption types, and repeatable methodology

We use a standardized test suite of source files and controlled corruption methods so results are comparable and repeatable. Test files include common formats and codecs: MP4 (H.264/AAC), MOV (QuickTime), AVI (Xvid/MP3), MKV (H.264/Opus), and camera-native files (MTS, AVCHD). Each file set contains short clips (10-60s) and longer recordings (5-30 min) with varied resolutions (720p, 1080p, 4K) and frame rates.

Corruption scenarios we simulate and include in testing:

Truncated files (incomplete transfer or interrupted recording)
Broken headers/metadata (container-level damage)
Index/table corruption (seeking failures)
Frame loss/bitstream errors (partial codec/object damage)
Audio/video desync introduced by missing frames or timestamp drift
Container/codec mismatches (incorrect file extensions or codec flags)
Corruption from interrupted remuxing or concatenation

Methodology:

Create baseline files and verify clean playback in multiple players (VLC, native players).
Apply controlled corruption scripts and document the exact changes.
Run each free tool with default settings first, then with recommended advanced options; record commands and GUI steps.
Repeat each test three times to check consistency.
Capture logs, stdout/stderr, and any generated output files; preserve original corrupted samples for reproducibility.
Note runtime, CPU/memory use, and any required external dependencies (FFmpeg, codecs).
Verify recovered files in at least two players and, when possible, inspect streams with FFprobe or MediaInfo.

All test artifacts, where licensing allows, are archived and referenced in reviews so readers can reproduce results and verify claims.

Success metrics (playback, audio-sync, frame recovery, file integrity)

We measure repair effectiveness using clear, objective metrics:

Playback success (binary + quality): Did the repaired file play from start to end without crashes? We score as Full / Partial / Failed.
Audio-video synchronization: Measured by manual inspection and timestamp analysis; graded as Synced / Minor drift (<200 ms) / Major drift (>200 ms).
Frame recovery rate: Percentage of original frames restored (where ground truth is known) and qualitative note on visible artifacts (blocking, stuttering, skips).
Seekability and indexing: Whether seeking works reliably across the timeline and whether player scrubbing jumps to correct timestamps.
Container/codec correctness: Whether the repaired file reports correct codec/container metadata (checked with MediaInfo/FFprobe) and whether re-encoding was required.
File integrity and metadata preservation: Whether original metadata (timestamps, GPS, codec settings) is preserved or lost.
Data safety: Whether the tool modifies the original file or always creates a new output (we prefer non-destructive tools).
Performance and usability: Time to repair, resource usage, clarity of UI or CLI messages, and availability of logs or error details.
Repeatability: Consistency of outcomes across repeated runs and across different OS environments (Windows, macOS, Linux) when applicable.

Each review includes a summarized scorecard with these metrics, plus short notes showing sample FFprobe outputs and screenshots of before/after playback. We also highlight failure modes and recommended next steps (e.g., remux with FFmpeg, extract audio separately, try header reconstruction) so readers can apply the same techniques to their own files.

Our editorial process & update policy

How often we retest and update recommendations

We retest tools and update reviews on a regular cadence and after major changes:

Quarterly full retest cycle for core tools and formats (every 3 months).
Immediate re-evaluation after major tool releases (new version, significant changelog) or when a critical bug/fix is reported.
Ad-hoc updates when community reports consistent failures or when new free tools gain traction.

Each review page shows a visible "Last tested" date, a short changelog of what was retested, and a versioned scorecard. We prioritize retesting for formats and corruption types with high user impact (MP4/MOV truncation, camera-native formats). Where retesting isn't practical, we add an editor's note explaining the limitation and the last-known working configuration.

Handling vendor relationships and disclosure policy

We maintain strict editorial independence and transparency:

No paid placements: Reviews are never influenced by payments from software vendors; sponsorships are clearly labeled and kept separate from editorial content.
Free samples and access: If a vendor provides software or access for testing, we disclose it on the review page and treat the tool the same as others in our methodology.
Affiliate links: We may use affiliate links for paid tools; such links are disclosed and do not affect review scores.
Conflict of interest: Contributors must declare any personal or financial ties to reviewed projects; declared conflicts are noted on the author byline.
Bug reporting & vendor contact: When we identify reproducible issues, we notify maintainers and, when appropriate, link to upstream bug reports. We update readers on vendor responses and any fixes applied.
Reader-submitted files: If users submit corrupted files for diagnosis, we require consent, avoid storing identifiable data, and publish anonymized case studies only with explicit permission.

All disclosures are collected in a visible transparency box on each review page, alongside our test logs and methodology links, so readers can verify independence and the basis for our recommendations.

Glossary: corruption types and repair terms

Truncated file: File cut off before finalization; common after interrupted transfers.
Header damage: Container metadata (file header) is corrupt, preventing player recognition.
Index/Table corruption: Seeking information within the container is broken; playback may still start.
Bitstream/frame errors: Codec-level damage causing visual artifacts or decoder failures.
Desynchronization (AV-sync): Audio and video fall out of temporal alignment.
Remux: Moving audio/video streams into a new container without re-encoding.
Re-encode: Decoding and encoding streams anew to repair codec-level issues (lossy).
Non-destructive: Tools that create new output files and leave originals untouched.
Lossless vs. lossy repair: Lossless preserves original frames; lossy may drop or alter frames during repair.
Timestamp drift: Progressive offset between audio and video timestamps, often from missing frames.
FFmpeg: A free, open-source multimedia framework commonly used for remuxing, re-encoding, and diagnostics.
VLC repair: Player-based features that attempt to fix container/index problems for immediate playback.

For each term we provide practical examples and recommended commands in our full guides so you can apply the right technique quickly.

Social proof & performance

Sample success rates and representative test results

Representative case examples (short):

Truncated MP4 (10s, H.264/AAC): FFmpeg remux (copy) recovered full playback in 9/10 runs; some GUI tools produced stuttered frames but recoverable audio.
MOV with header damage (5 min ProRes): Open-source header-rebuild tool recovered index and metadata in 7/10 runs; remuxing to MP4 succeeded in 6/10.
AVI with broken index (30s Xvid): VLC repair restored seekability and playback in 8/10; FFmpeg remux fixed 9/10.
Large camera file with timestamp drift (20 min): Manual audio shift via FFmpeg fixed AV-sync in 4/6 cases when drift was consistent; inconsistent frame loss required re-encode or partial recovery.

All results include test artifacts, commands, logs, and "last tested" dates on each review for reproducibility.

User testimonials and case studies

We publish anonymized case studies showing real-world recoveries and step-by-step fixes:

Case: Wedding footage (corrupted MTS, truncated end). Outcome: Remux + re-index via free tool recovered 98% of frames; final merge and minor color match done with free editor. User quote: "Saved our ceremony - couldn't be happier."
Case: Vlogger lost last 15 minutes of a 45-minute livestream (MP4). Outcome: FFmpeg remux + re-encode recovered entire file with minor frame drops at the very end. User quote: "Fast, clear instructions got my episode back online."
Case: Drone 4K clip with frame corruption (partial bitstream errors). Outcome: Partial frame recovery; usable main sequence extracted and re-encoded; remaining frames required professional service. User quote: "Recovered usable footage - better than I expected from free tools."
Case: Archive of family videos with mixed formats. Outcome: Batch remuxing and standardized re-encoding using scripts we provide recovered most files and normalized playback across devices. User quote: "Step-by-step guides made a daunting task manageable."

Each testimonial links to a detailed walkthrough (commands, screenshots, before/after clips when permission granted) and notes the tool versions and OS used so readers can reproduce the process.

Get in touch / contribute

Report a broken tool, submit a failed file (how we handle samples)

How to report: Use the contact form on the review page or email [email protected] with the tool name, version, OS, and a short description of the failure.
Submitting files: We accept anonymized sample files only. Before uploading, always:

Make and keep an original copy.
Remove any personal/identifying data (names, faces, GPS) or explicitly state consent if you cannot remove it.
Include a short reproduction note: exact steps that produced the corruption, camera/recorder model, file format, and timestamps of problem areas.

What we do with samples:

We confirm receipt and assign a tracking ID.
We run our diagnosis and attempt repairs using the documented methodology.
We never share identifiable data; samples are processed locally and stored only as long as needed for testing unless you give permission to archive.
We publish anonymized case notes and, if permission is given, before/after clips for illustration.

Turnaround & feedback: Typical initial triage within 7 business days; full analysis depends on queue and file complexity. We provide a summary of steps tried and recommend next actions.