Split files?

[jla930]

I have a Canon Vixia HF R800.  The memory card in it is formatted as exFAT, which supports file sizes greater than 4 GB.  However, I shot a continuous video about an hour long, and the camera stored the video on the memoy card as 4 individual files, 3 of them a hair over 4 GB, and the last one a bit under 4 GB.  Why is this happening?  The memory card should support one large file.  I can't find any camera setting that specifies the maximum file size, or anything like that.

[Rawill]

My issue is not really with the video split but rather the audio. I record my music shows which last from 60 to 90 minutes. The camera separates the files into about 5 or six smaller files and when I attempt to join them together in Sony Vegas 17, there is always an audio drop in the middle of a song due to the sparation. This is very frustratining and even a video joiner program can't fix the dropped audio. My camera is a Canon Vixia HF R300.

[shaunshaun]

Try a different joiner program. I use fjoiner.exe but there are a couple of others around too.

[JAsling]

I have the opposite problem.

I just purchased an XA 40. It's set for 1920x1080, .mp4, 35mB.

The first time I used it, it split files into 4gB.

But now, I'm getting a single large .mp4 file. I ran it for 2 hours and ended up with a single 30gB file!

I can d/l it with a card reader and import it into Premiere, so they are good files.

But is this supposed to happen with an XA 40??

Or should I return it for a software repair?

JA

[Ed22]

I was under the assumption that the file size is based on the FILE SYSTEM, becuse 4GB is due to FAT

and NTFS can hold much more.  I'd try to find some tools to dump the FS heades out. FDSK GDISK

found this on the net.

Locate the disk you want to check in the Disk Management window. Right-click it and select “Properties.” Click over to the “Volumes” tab. To the right of “Partition style,” you'll see either “Master Boot Record (MBR)” or “GUID Partition Table (GPT),” depending on which the disk is using.Jul 3, 2017

Should I use MBR or GPT?

GPT is better than MBR if your hard disk is larger than 2TB.

Since you can only use 2TB of space from a 512B sector hard disk if you initialize it to MBR, you'd better format your disk to GPT if it is larger than 2TB. But if the disk is employing 4K native sector, you can use 16TB space.Sep 16, 2019

[JAsling]

It is not a computer problem, but a camcorder problem.

If I record continuously for, say, one hour, my old XA 10 splits files into 2gB segments, and my Vixia makes 4gB segments.

But my XA40 is making a single 12gB file.

I've searched the web, and no-one mentions files larger than 4gB.

If this is the way it's supposed to be, OK.

But if it's a camcorder software error, it should be fixed.

JA

[Ed22]

Yes I understand that the differences between the two camcorders. But how do you format the SD card ? 

On each camcorder? on a PC ?  Do the cameras record difference size video on the Same SD card?

or is each one have their own card?

I'm just curious if the SD cards are fomratted exactly the same way?  Can you swap SD cards from

the XA10 & XA40 and see how it works then? 

I know that if the filesystem type is FAT32 then its impossible ot have files over 4GB in size, that the limit of 

the Filesystem (FS). So since you have a 12GB file then it has to be some other than FAT FS like exFAT

I'm guessing.

My guess is the older cameras dont know how to use exFAT so to be save the split at 2 & 4 GB 

because at the time they were made that was the larges files where. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExFAT#File_and_cluster_pre-allocation

*IF* you formatted teh card under windows then 

Notes:

1. Windows 8/10 defaults to exFAT on volumes sized ≥32 GiB, and FAT32 on volumes <32 GiB.
2. Windows XP/Vista/7 defaults to 128 KiB clusters for volumes sized ≥32 GiB.

The manual on page 30 of the XA40 says the camera will format it as exFAT 

About SDXC cards: You can use SDXC cards with this camcorder but SDXC cards are initialized by

the camcorder using the exFAT file system.

- When using exFAT-formatted cards with other devices (digital recorders, card readers, etc.), make

sure that the external device is compatible with exFAT. For more information on compatibility,

contact the computer, operating system or card manufacturer.

- If you use exFAT-formatted cards with a computer OS that is not exFAT-compatible, you may be

prompted to format the card. In such case, cancel the operation to prevent data loss. 

maybe this shed *some* light on it. 

[JAsling]

My new card is a 64gB Lexar Pro 633x SDXC, 95mB/sec.

I formatted all SD cards on the camcorders using initialize, NOT on the computer.

I checked them on my Windows10 machine and they both are exFAT.

If I trade cards between the XA10 and XA40, they do not see the files, so they are camcorder specific.

When I look at the files on the camcorder with File Explorer the size is listed as 4gB.

But I can't d/l them directly from camcorder.

When I d/l them to computer using a card reader, I then see the real size.

My computer discs are formatted NTSFS.

Question is still: should XA40 split files at 4gB?

I'm thinking that this may be a new development from Canon, but documentation doesn't indicate it.

JA

[Ed22]

Hi, 

Well I think you pinpointed the differences and ruled out the FS and cards sizes. Nice specific answers, thank you. 

I see it as an advantage having one larger file vs smaller files. There always seen to be some overhead in switching files and

a few dropped frames. So I think this is better. My Opinion.  I guess a phone call to Canon will let you know what their intent was.

As a retired Software Engineer, we always did think that managers never understood the how and whys off.

So don't be surprised if you get same vague answer form Canon !

I guess you can put in a FAT32 (not exFAT) and see it it's smart enought to roll over into the next file, or will it just stop? 

I guess I wasnt much help, but you helped me understand the problem much more, thanks for that!

-Ed 

[Ed22]

Yes I understand that the differences between the two camcorders. But how do you format the SD card ? 

On each camcorder? on a PC ?  Do the cameras record difference size video on the Same SD card?

or is each one have their own card?

I'm just curious if the SD cards are fomratted exactly the same way?  Can you swap SD cards from

the XA10 & XA40 and see how it works then? 

I know that if the filesystem type is FAT32 then its impossible ot have files over 4GB in size, that the limit of 

the Filesystem (FS). So since you have a 12GB file then it has to be some other than FAT FS like exFAT

I'm guessing.

My guess is the older cameras dont know how to use exFAT so to be save the split at 2 & 4 GB 

because at the time they were made that was the larges files where. 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExFAT#File_and_cluster_pre-allocation

*IF* you formatted teh card under windows then 

Notes:

1. Windows 8/10 defaults to exFAT on volumes sized ≥32 GiB, and FAT32 on volumes <32 GiB.
2. Windows XP/Vista/7 defaults to 128 KiB clusters for volumes sized ≥32 GiB.

The manual on page 30 of the XA40 says the camera will format it as exFAT 

About SDXC cards: You can use SDXC cards with this camcorder but SDXC cards are initialized by

the camcorder using the exFAT file system.

- When using exFAT-formatted cards with other devices (digital recorders, card readers, etc.), make

sure that the external device is compatible with exFAT. For more information on compatibility,

contact the computer, operating system or card manufacturer.

- If you use exFAT-formatted cards with a computer OS that is not exFAT-compatible, you may be

prompted to format the card. In such case, cancel the operation to prevent data loss. 

maybe this sheds *some* light on it. 

[Ed22]

Yes I understand that the differences between the two camcorders. But how do you format the SD card ? 

On each camcorder? on a PC ?  Do the cameras record difference size video on the Same SD card?

or is each one have their own card?

I'm just curious if the SD cards are fomratted exactly the same way?  Can you swap SD cards from

the XA10 & XA40 and see how it works then? 

I know that if the filesystem type is FAT32 then its impossible ot have files over 4GB in size, that the limit of 

the Filesystem (FS). So since you have a 12GB file then it has to be some other than FAT FS like exFAT

I'm guessing.

My guess is the older cameras dont know how to use exFAT so to be save the split at 2 & 4 GB 

because at the time they were made that was the larges files where. 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExFAT#File_and_cluster_pre-allocation

*IF* you formatted teh card under windows then 

Notes:

1. Windows 8/10 defaults to exFAT on volumes sized ≥32 GiB, and FAT32 on volumes <32 GiB.
2. Windows XP/Vista/7 defaults to 128 KiB clusters for volumes sized ≥32 GiB.

The manual on page 30 of the XA40 says the camera will format it as exFAT 

About SDXC cards: You can use SDXC cards with this camcorder but SDXC cards are initialized by

the camcorder using the exFAT file system.

- When using exFAT-formatted cards with other devices (digital recorders, card readers, etc.), make

sure that the external device is compatible with exFAT. For more information on compatibility,

contact the computer, operating system or card manufacturer.

- If you use exFAT-formatted cards with a computer OS that is not exFAT-compatible, you may be

prompted to format the card. In such case, cancel the operation to prevent data loss. 

maybe this sheds *some* light on it. 

-Ed