Kernel Video Repair vs Restore.Media

Kernel Video Repair repairs corrupt, damaged, inaccessible or unplayable video files on Windows and macOS. It supports more than 25 formats, including MP4, MOV, MKV, ProRes, MPEG, MTS and MXF, and can repair multiple files in one operation. For severely corrupted footage, a healthy reference video can supply a metadata template, including format, encoding and bitrate. The software supports high-resolution repair, including 4K, 8K, VR and 360° video; the vendor says there is no file-size limitation. Repaired files can be saved to a chosen location on the user’s system. The demo repairs videos and allows a free preview of the first 30 seconds of each output. SD card videos must first be transferred to a Windows computer. A Home license for two computers is listed at $29, paid once, while the pricing note says from $49/yr. The vendor offers Home and Corporate licenses, with Corporate covering unlimited computers, and advertises lifetime free support.

Restore.Media repairs damaged or unplayable video and audio files through a browser. It scans media tracks and recreates missing or damaged headers, metadata and indexes. Listed formats include MP4, MOV, M4A, M4V, MXF, 3GP, INSV, RSV and MP3. The service says its processing is adapted to particular cameras and supports hundreds of camera models, encoders and recording applications. Files up to 128GB can be uploaded, and users can view a full-length low-resolution preview before paying for an original-quality download. Automatic recovery costs $4.99, paid once per file; the price varies with file size, and there is no subscription. Manual recovery by engineers is also available, with a negotiable quote based on order volume and complexity. The service says uploads are processed automatically and are not viewed unless manual recovery is requested. Users can delete tasks and files; inactive tasks and files are automatically deleted after 7 days. Restore.Media does not repair distortions, freezes or artifacts in video that otherwise plays, and recovery may fail if source video data is corrupted.