Mavic 2 Pro video file size

[AmirChar]

Fellow flyers,
I was at the beach and recording video, and when I got home to download the footage to my laptop, I noticed that all my footage was split into several 3.67GB MP4 files. I checked my SD card and it is a Sandisk Extreme Plus 128GB V30 U3 micro SD formatted in exFAT format which should not have a 4GB file size limitation.

I just don't remember ever seeing this happen before, but maybe this limitation has always been there and I just didn't notice (I have only had the mavic 2 for a few months).

Either way, it's kind of an annoyance... does anyone know why this is, and if there is a way to change this?

Thoughts, suggestions?

Amir

 

[BD0G]

Unfortunately.
Its normal and no way to alter the file size to make it larger.

 

[AmirChar]

Unfortunately.
Its normal and no way to alter the file size to make it larger.

Thank you... I guess I will deal with it

 

[terradriller]

Did you format the sd card in the aircraft?? It just doesnt sound right that you are limited to 4 GB on file size. That would mean you could only shoot 4 to 5 min video clips in 4K.
I checked my largest file was 3.8 GB it was a 12 min 1080 p file. I'll try a longer shoot and see what I get.

 

[kilomikebravo]

It's been mentioned before but I'll save someone else the trouble...

OP and TerraD: The 4gb file size is a limit for the FAT32 file system which is what the SD cards use. The answer is to just stop recording every couple of minutes and start a new file. As it stands, if you don't do this, while the drone will start a new file for you when it reaches the limit, you will have a break in the footage.

 

[Kilrah]

Completely wrong, firstly it does this even when not formatted in FAT32 (everything >32GB uses ExFAT which doesn't have this limitation), AND there is no break in the footage, files join seamlessly which makes it a total non-issue.

 

[kilomikebravo]

My apologies for the advice, Kilrah, but what I said is not completely wrong as that is the FAT32 file size limit. It's an unusual coincidence that the file limit on the M2's is 4gb and the limit on FAT32 is 4gb. As for the break in footage, I merely meant that the clip will have to be edited in order to get a continuous video stream.

 

[terradriller]

So I just recorded a 18 minute video in 4K 24ft/sec. I ended up with 4 files, 3 files 5 min 1 sec and 1 file that is just over 3 min long. When I reviewed them coming straight from the aircraft they all stopped and the end on the 5 minutes. I then had to click on the next file to make the next one play.
Anyway around this...?

 

[terradriller]

Here is a pic of my SD card

 

[ff22]

So I just recorded a 18 minute video in 4K 24ft/sec. I ended up with 4 files, 3 files 5 min 1 sec and 1 file that is just over 3 min long. When I reviewed them coming straight from the aircraft they all stopped and the end on the 5 minutes. I then had to click on the next file to make the next one play.
Anyway around this...?

It sounds as if you need to edit the videos and piece them together manually. Unless there's an app that can play them consecutively without any gaps.

 

[Kilrah]

You join them together with appropriate software.

 

[terradriller]

I usually put several video clips together to make a video so this isn’t a problem for me. I just never realized that 4GB is all you can get at a time.

 

[AmirChar]

Thanks everyone.. to be clear, certain formats have a size limitation. For example Fat32 will start a new file once you exceed 4GB. However, my card is formatted as ExFat which does not have a size limitation. The issue seems to be on the DJI side in that it starts a new file (automatically) if your recording exceeds the 4GB size. It is not a huge deal, especially as someone mentioned that you are usually piecing together pieces from multiple files to make a video anyway. The only time you would need to stitch files together is if you were just making one long video that you weren't planning on "editing", like a race, or wedding... or some event where you are capturing the full event.

 

[tekken]

You join them together with appropriate software.

I just want to give an example of free appropriate software, allowing you to stitch clips together without having to encode the whole thing (for Win/Mac):
MP4Tools - Home
Been using that a lot for that purpose, especially on my GoPro

 

[Kilrah]

Nice, that looks simple. I use Avidemux but I don't usually mention it since it's a more powerful and complex tool that the kind of people who need help with that would likely be lost with.

 

[ff22]

I finally ran into the "split videos" the other day. I had three instances where I had a 5 minute video followed by a slightly shorter one. In those three cases they were couplets that the drone divided at the 4gig point.

Of course the drone (or DJI) did not make this easy since they were all filmed on March 20 but all showed dates of March 8!!! (which was the last time I had flown and photoed/filmed something.

 

[Pigeon Camera]

I have the same issue with a Sandisk card that's also 128gb. I guess I'm not the only one
Just got my M2P the other day and noticed all my videos were 5.01 seconds long and had to stitch them all together. Oddly, I use a sandisk 64gb on my mini in 2.7k and haven't noticed the issue. I'm assuming the file size doesn't get reached given the 2.7k vs the 4k 10bit.

 

[ff22]

I have the same issue with a Sandisk card that's also 128gb. I guess I'm not the only one
Just got my M2P the other day and noticed all my videos were 5.01 seconds long and had to stitch them all together. Oddly, I use a sandisk 64gb on my mini in 2.7k and haven't noticed the issue. I'm assuming the file size doesn't get reached given the 2.7k vs the 4k 10bit.

The card size does not matter. It is a limitation (not sure if limited to Wins or Apple, too) is file size so that shooting at a different resolution might allow a longer (time) video to fit within the 4g limit.

There's lots of similar discussion in the DJI Osmo Action forums. There people do tend to film for a longer time resulting in 4 or 5 or more files for the one session - all about 4g and about 5 minutes or so.