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.

[Tim · Accepted solution]

Hello jla930, 

The camera has the ability to capture files that are 4GB in size or 29m 59s in length, whichever comes first.  It does not record clips continuously like a tape would, it breaks them up into 4GB clips.  These are able to be merged seamlessly during the post-production process.  

[IamintheUK]

ExFAT does not support files larger than 4Gb. For longer the file system would need to be HTFS. There is no setting on the camera to specify the file size, which is also governed by the Bitrate and Framerate that you are shooting at.. If you use Canons' own transfer utility to transfer the files from the camcorder to your computer, the separate files will automatically be combined into one.

[jla930]

Thank you, Tim. Good explanation.

[jla930]

lamintheUK,

Plese check your facts.

1). Exfat does support files larger than 4 GB.  You’re thinking of FAT32 which does not.

2). You said “HTFS”.  Do you mean “NTFS”?  A file system does not have to be NTFS for files larger than 4 GB. Exfat will do.

By the way, what is the name of Canon’s transfer utility?  Can it be downloaded?

[IamintheUK]

Yes, I meant NTFS. You will find that Canon use FAT32 on their SD cards hence the 4gb max. I misread you post which said ExFAT. You can find the Transfer Utility LE download on the Pixela website.http://www.pixela.co.jp

[Bansaw]

Is it really "seemless"  ? 

When I zoom in I can se that the audio drops out for a frame or so.  

I am not sure of the video drops out for a frame either?

If either of these scenarios are true, then there will be a one-frame glitch.

[sstehle]

"These are able to be merged seamlessly during the post-production process."

How?  I'm not a professional videographer.  Is there Canon software to download?  

We use this camcorder at work to record some of our meetings and responsibility for doing so has changed hands a few times.  I do not even know where the original user manual is.  We're lucky if we can get the files onto a computer.

This answer is a bit like a recipe for beef wellington that only says "the ingredients are able to be merged seamlessly prior to baking."

[Bansaw]

The Canon camcorder can be plugged into a computer via any USB cable.

Then it will show up on your computer as an external drive.

Then you can browse this external drive for the MP4 files it created.

Copy these MP4s to your computer and then import them into any video editing software such as Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere etc. 

And then append the files one after the other.

[eugenepsantos]

Hi Tim,

what software will I use to merged the splitted files from my R500?  Would have this software?