Joining MP4 files - good idea or bad?

[DB Moto]

Good morning from New Zealand, everyone! I hope you're having a great day no matter where you are in the world

As I'm editing more videos over time, I'm now starting to show some interest in combining .mp4 files from my GoPro Hero 4 Silver and GoPro Hero 8 Black into one for each. Currently, they split every 4 GB (as I'm sure a lot of you know).

I thought this would be a good idea from the perspective of reducing editing fiddling and troubles, so long as the videos are simply "joined" and not re-encoded in any way.

Does anyone here have experience doing this, or have a suggestion for or against? I'd love to know your thoughts.

 

[HippoDrone]

I tend to align the first video from each camera (I have used up to 5 cameras at one point), then just drop the second video from each camera onto the timeline when the first reaches the end. If I was out for a 4 hour ride, I'd need to render each cameras footage to do it your suggested way which if using multiple cameras would take forever.

 

[DB Moto]

Up to five cameras?! What a legend you are - I can't imagine how much of an investment that must be.

I'd need to render each cameras footage

Just so I understand, when you say "render", are you referring to the joining of clips for each camera that must be done once before importing into FCPX, etc?

 

[HippoDrone]

To join them all you would need to put them into your editor and create a new video, you can't join them in the cameras!

 

[CDA441]

I use Premiere Pro to join up the clips. Sometimes it makes a "click" in the audio, but that's removable with the "constant power" effect on 00:00:00:02.

I use 2 camera's, my AS300V and the Hero 7 Black, just sync the audio, and put the rest of the clips behind eachother.
I don't think there's an easier way to join the clips automatically.
The Sony does it in 1 go, sometimes making clips from 7-8GB.

No rendering needed in Premiere Pro, it just inserts the clips and you're good to go

 

[DB Moto]

To join them all you would need to put them into your editor and create a new video, you can't join them in the cameras!

True, you can't join them in-camera. My thinking was to use something like MP4 Joiner, which is pictured below, and which can stitch MP4 files together without re-encoding. Then, I would drop the combined file into FCPX. At this rate, me typing this out is making me wonder why I'm even considering this since there's really very little gain, but I can see myself making silly mistakes when working with 10 files instead of one

I use Premiere Pro to join up the clips. Sometimes it makes a "click" in the audio, but that's removable with the "constant power" effect on 00:00:00:02.

I use 2 camera's, my AS300V and the Hero 7 Black, just sync the audio, and put the rest of the clips behind eachother.
I don't think there's an easier way to join the clips automatically.
The Sony does it in 1 go, sometimes making clips from 7-8GB.

No rendering needed in Premiere Pro, it just inserts the clips and you're good to go

Thanks for insight into your editing process! I've done something similar historically, without any clicks happening on my side. As in my quote reply above, the question itself is demonstrative of just how nitpicky and curious I am - the process you use should work just fine for me

 

[Ride_NZ]

True, you can't join them in-camera. My thinking was to use something like MP4 Joiner, which is pictured below, and which can stitch MP4 files together without re-encoding. Then, I would drop the combined file into FCPX. At this rate, me typing this out is making me wonder why I'm even considering this since there's really very little gain, but I can see myself making silly mistakes when working with 10 files instead of one

Thanks for insight into your editing process! I've done something similar historically, without any clicks happening on my side. As in my quote reply above, the question itself is demonstrative of just how nitpicky and curious I am - the process you use should work just fine for me
View attachment 4586

mate if you want some guidance on editing I’m happy to come over with my laptop and show you some stuff... I’m only down the road in the Tron

 

[DB Moto]

mate if you want some guidance on editing I’m happy to come over with my laptop and show you some stuff... I’m only down the road in the Tron

That's embarrassing for me. I've lived here for most of my life and still had to Google "The Tron" Well you're mighty kind to make that offer! I'd be keen to have an editing session with you at some stage. Are you enjoying your Labour Day off?

 

[Ride_NZ]

That's embarrassing for me. I've lived here for most of my life and still had to Google "The Tron" Well you're mighty kind to make that offer! I'd be keen to have an editing session with you at some stage. Are you enjoying your Labour Day off?

Yep. Walking dog then I test out my new Osmo Action helmet cam ona vlog

 

[Ride_NZ]

That's embarrassing for me. I've lived here for most of my life and still had to Google "The Tron" Well you're mighty kind to make that offer! I'd be keen to have an editing session with you at some stage. Are you enjoying your Labour Day off?

I’ll show you Resolve and FCPX - anything else should be fairly similar. Won’t be next weekend as I’m marshalling a cycle race round the Coromandel but soon mate

 

[RideOnTwo]

Your editing software will join them for you and they are seamless when played back. If you are looking to be able to find them easier later, I have folders set up with all the files from each ride and or video idea in their own folder that I name to remind me of what it is.

 

[DB Moto]

Thanks for all of your replies, everyone. I feel that there has been a slight misunderstanding in the premise of my question. I've been using Premiere Pro since the CS5 days, and so I've got a long-standing history with NLEs and technical software in general

Hence, it was less of a matter of "how do I?" and more so whether anyone had prior experience with pre-joining MP4 files before they go into an NLE.

Nonetheless, it's great to be in a community where people reply so quickly and with so much passion. Thank you! At the end of the day, it has led me to realise it's not worth pre-joining the MP4 files, and presents no benefit to me with my current setup.

 

[WheelyPerd]

I found MP4Joiner which will merge mp4 video files without re-encoding them.
But then I see you have a screenshot of MP4Joiner......which I'd say is the best to merge multiple videos together like you want. If you're a real neckbeard, then I'd say use FFMPEG.

 

[HRMV]

I must admit dude it was way above my grade of knowledge hence I didnt comment. Hope you get the result you want and the offer of editing help is a success.

 

[DB Moto]

I must admit dude it was way above my grade of knowledge hence I didnt comment. Hope you get the result you want and the offer of editing help is a success.

Thanks! We're all learning here at the end of the day. I've eventually determined that simply importing the split files into an NLE of choice (Premiere Pro for me) is the better and simpler way to go - less room for error.

 

[HRMV]

Good stuff mate