GH5 GH5s not always saving files correctly - what can I do?

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Devilwidget

New member
Hi

I have a GH5S, and when I take it out filming, some of the files, seemingly at random, are corrupted. If I film, say, 15 separate shots, maybe 4 of them will be corrupted - visible colour glitches on the image and not able to be played back on my computer. All the others will be fine, and all will be using the same camera settings. I have tried 3 different high-spec SD cards, and the issue persists.
The weird thing is, I can view the files on the camera without glitching, and if I open them with Handbrake and resave them, they are fine. I have tried them on two different computers (both macbooks) and the files can't be read properly by either UNTIL I convert them in handbrake. All the other files shot at the same time are completely fine.

My warranty ran out a week ago, so really don't want to have to send it in for repair if there is another way to solve the issue. Has anyone experienced anything similar, and is there anything I can do?
 
When you say all the same settings do you actually mean exactly the same settings for frame rate etc. Next are you playing them on the computer from the cards or after transfer to the computer. To me if they play in the camera and Handbreak can convert them there is nothing wrong with the file. I would look to the computer hard drive or the NLE that is trying to play them. Could you tell us the frame rate , codec etc for the clips you shot that do not play.

Transfer to the computer hard drive and then try and play with several different players.
 
I had similar issues a couple of times - about a year ago - which seemed to be related to the V60 cards I was using. I was recording in 150 mbps 4k/30 Long-Gop at the time.

I took those cards out of the rotation, switched over to all V90 cards and haven't had any issues since then.

Not a scientific solution - but it worked.
 
I have used Lexar 1000X 128GB V60 cards since I got the GH5 when it first came out. So a few years ago now. I shoot all the time UHD 150Mbps 60P and have never had any problems. Always transfer files to PC hard drive for backup then use for edit. Have you checked the problem file with Mediainfo ?

When you say you tried in two computers did you use the same card reader? That may be the problem if you are playing from the card reader.
 
Thanks for all the replies.
I have used V30 and V90 cards, from two different manufacturers (kingston canvas react and prograde). I have shot on multiple different settings / codecs to see if that is the problem. I have checked the files on multiple computers, using two different card readers. I have dragged them from the card to the computer. They only play in Handbrake or other repair software, not in finder or Davinci. Its only about 2/10 files, despite all being shot at the same time and at the same settings.

I have attached a Mediainfo screenshot of an affected file. I am completely baffled at this point as there is absolutely no consistency in the error.

Any help would be wonderful!

Screenshot 2021-06-09 at 17.36.11.jpg
 
Yeah, this is a major writing issue and it's with a simple 1080p 8-bit 25p 4:2:0 file.

I wanted to see how heavy the corruption is because sometimes there are only little glimpses of glitches, but the consistency of the corruption and how in the world the camera is not instructed to terminate recording is a major problem as you can never trust this for other people's work.

Although the writing issue could be from cards, it could also of course be the hardware. If you don't want to send it in, what can you do...maybe test a few of the best cards available?
 
File plays fine on my system using EDIUS X, EDIUS 9, Vegas 17 and Vegas 18 as well as Resolve Studio 17.2 If you change the view of the Mediainfo to "text" you will see that there is a set of metadata that I do not have on my GH5 files. In this view you also get the max data rate as well as average. That file has max of 106mbps. Check the other files to see if they all say the same.

My system is Threadripper 12 core original so old now, 1080Ti GPU, 32G RAM, WIN 10 Pro. File played from a Seagate hard drive so not that fast.
 
Ron Evans said:
File plays fine on my system using EDIUS X, EDIUS 9, Vegas 17 and Vegas 18 as well as Resolve Studio 17.2 If you change the view of the Mediainfo to "text" you will see that there is a set of metadata that I do not have on my GH5 files. In this view you also get the max data rate as well as average. That file has max of 106mbps. Check the other files to see if they all say the same.

My system is Threadripper 12 core original so old now, 1080Ti GPU, 32G RAM, WIN 10 Pro. File played from a Seagate hard drive so not that fast.
Click to expand...

What do you mean it plays fine? You don't see any corruption at all? The skipping, the blocks, the chroma artifacts? (I'm wondering because that would be really interesting.)
 
No corruption with any of the NLE's they all play the file with sound and look the same to me. Perfectly acceptable. Are all you guys on Mac's? The only thing I saw different to my GH5 files was the extra metadata but then I do not know what picture profile was being used etc.
 
Wow, that's something! I am and it looks like the OP is too from the Media Info screenshot.

If it turns out that the entire file really is perfect on your Windows computer then this is a learning moment to store in the brain for future troubleshooting of media corruption questions.

(Parts of the file play fine, but some are clearly corrupted for me.)
 
Well, my amazement didn't last long.

I tried it on a M1 and it's perfect.

Mind is boggled.

Was unusable on an Intel Mac.

___

There are two GH5 question threads at the same time that could kind of cross into each other with this Intel/M1 transition happening.
 
I am on an intel macbook. Weird - a corruption issue limited only to intel hardware?
What would you lot do in my situation? Send the camera in for repair, or keep cycling through brands of SD cards to see if that is the issue? I had the camera for 1 year and 1 week without it happening, and now it happens everytime, which makes me think it is not the cards (as it happens on both old and new cards of different brands).
 
It's not the cards...and some might say it is Apple slowly breaking Intel computers, but I have no knowledge and no comment about that.
 
I think we have proven it is not the camera or cards its the computer. I expect this issue is the GPU being used to decode. The M1 has a different GPU to the Intel and my Threadripper does not have integrated GPU so only has the NVIDIA 1080Ti. However EDIUS does not use the GPU and only for somethings does VEGAS. I wonder if you could put a GPU into the Mac it would play fine too with Resolve. Maybe its the driver for the Intel iGPU that is the source of the problem.
 
Just to check I have run the file on my second PC. An Intel 4790K using just the integrated GPU, no separate GPU in this PC. Win10 Home, 32G RAM. Played as expected in Resolve Studio 17, EDIUS 9 , EDIUS X and Vegas 16 on this PC. The issue is definitely an Intel Mac based.
 
Another data point, if it’s useful:

The file glitches badly in QuickTime Player and Resolve Studio 17.2 on my 2019 iMac with 6-core 3 GHz Intel Core i5, 64 GB RAM, Radeon Pro 560X graphics, macOS Catalina. However, VLC plays it without the glitches.

Funny business.
 
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