FixMyVideos vs FFmpeg & Shutter Encoder

Let's be upfront: FFmpeg and Shutter Encoder are free, and you should try them first. FFmpeg is the most powerful video tool in existence (open source, LGPL/GPL), and Shutter Encoder is a free, open-source graphical front-end for it. For a large share of "won't play" files, a free remux is all you need. This page explains exactly when that works — and when it doesn't.

When FFmpeg / Shutter Encoder will fix it (for free)

If your file's frames are fine and only the container metadata is off, a re-encapsulation (remux) copies the streams into a fresh, valid container:

ffmpeg -i broken.mp4 -c copy fixed.mp4

Shutter Encoder does the same thing with a button instead of a command line. You can also force playback past damaged regions:

ffmpeg -err_detect ignore_err -i broken.mp4 -c copy out.mp4

This handles a lot of everyday breakage: wrong or corrupt headers, an index that points slightly wrong, a file VLC can already half-play. If this works, you're done — keep your money.

When they can't fix it

The free tools have a hard limit, and it's the exact situation people land here for. From FFmpeg and Shutter Encoder you get re-encapsulation and error-skipping — but no automated diagnosis or repair logic. Specifically:

• A missing or empty MOOV atom. -c copy needs a readable index to copy. If the recording was cut off before the MOOV was written (camera crash, battery, card pulled), there's nothing for ffmpeg to remux — it just errors out.
• A truncated file. If the recording stops mid-write, the streams have no valid index and ffmpeg can't reconstruct one.
• -err_detect only hides errors. It lets a partly-damaged file play past bad regions, leaving visible artifacts — it does not repair the underlying data.
• It's command-line shaped. Shutter Encoder softens this, but you still hit FFmpeg's terminology and trial-and-error when the simple remux fails.

In short: free tools move streams around; they don't rebuild a missing container from the frame data.

What FixMyVideos does differently

FixMyVideos is built for the case where the remux fails. We scan the file for the actual frame boundaries and rebuild a valid MOOV index from scratch — codec parameters come from the first valid frame, not from a missing header — including 64-bit chunk offsets for files over 4 GB so large recordings don't truncate. You don't need to know any commands, and you see a free 5-second preview of the recovered video before paying anything.

It's not free (€5–€29 by file size), and that's the honest trade: FFmpeg costs €0 and your time + expertise; FixMyVideos costs money and ~a minute, and only if it actually works.

Honest recommendation

1. Try VLC — it'll often play a file your editor won't, which tells you the frames are intact.
2. Try a remux in Shutter Encoder or ffmpeg -i broken.mp4 -c copy fixed.mp4. Free; fixes many files.
3. If you have a healthy reference clip from the same camera/settings, untrunc (also free) is built for truncated MP4/MOV.
4. If those fail — missing MOOV, truncated recording, no reference clip, or you just don't want to fight the command line — that's our case. Upload it and the free preview tells you in about a minute whether it's recoverable.

What you do

1. Upload your corrupted file. In the browser, up to 50 GB.
2. About a minute later you get a free 5-second preview of the recovered video.
3. If it looks right, pay and download. If not, adjust settings or escalate to manual review. No charge until you have a working preview.

FAQ

Can FFmpeg repair any corrupted video? No. FFmpeg can remux (re-wrap) a file and skip errors during playback, which fixes container/metadata problems. It cannot rebuild a missing MOOV index or reconstruct damaged raw frame data — there's no automated repair logic. Those cases need a tool that rebuilds the container.

Is Shutter Encoder a repair tool? Shutter Encoder is a free graphical front-end for FFmpeg. It can re-encapsulate and convert files, so it fixes the same class of problems FFmpeg does — and shares the same limits.

Why does ffmpeg -c copy fail on my file? -c copy copies streams using the existing index. If the index (MOOV atom) is missing or the file is truncated, there's nothing valid to copy and the command errors out. That's exactly the situation a structural rebuild is for.

If FFmpeg is free, why pay for FixMyVideos? If a free remux fixes your file, you shouldn't pay — try that first. You pay us only when the free route can't rebuild the container and a real preview shows we can. You see that preview before any charge.

Is my footage safe if I upload it? Files go to an EU server, are auto-deleted within 48 hours, and are never shared or used to train any model. Privacy policy.

Related

• FixMyVideos vs Wondershare Repairit
• FixMyVideos vs Stellar Repair for Video
• How our recovery engine works

Upload your file for a free preview →