Chaptered video files
Also known as: GoPro file splitting, video chapters
Long action-camera recordings split into a series of ~4 GB files called chapters. Each one picks up exactly where the last ended, with no lost frames.
Updated
What it means
When you record a long take on a GoPro, the camera does not write one giant file. It closes the file at roughly 4 GB and immediately opens the next one, so a single press of the record button on a long POV run can produce a whole series of files. Each of these pieces is a chapter, and together they make up one continuous recording.
Chaptering exists for two reasons. Older memory cards formatted as FAT32 cannot hold a file larger than 4 GB, and a series of smaller files is safer: if the battery dies mid-take, you lose only the chapter being written, not the whole session. Many DJI Osmo and Sony action cameras split long recordings the same way.
How it works in practice
GoPro encodes the chapter number into the file name. In GH010123.MP4 and GH020123.MP4, the 01 and 02 are the chapter numbers and 0123 is the shared clip number, so all chapters of one take end in the same four digits. Clips recorded in HEVC start with GX instead of GH.
How often a new chapter starts depends on the Bitrate. At 100 Mbps a 4 GB chapter holds a little over five minutes, so an hour-long ride becomes around twelve files. Lower resolutions and frame rates stretch each chapter further. Next to the video files you will also find the LRV and THM companions for every chapter.
What to watch out for
The most common mistake is copying or uploading only the first chapter of a long take. The file plays fine and looks complete, but the second half of the run is simply missing. Always grab every file that shares the same clip number.
The second trap is ordering. Sorting by name in some file browsers puts GH010124 next to GH010123 and pushes GH020123 further down the list, which mixes different takes together. If you join chapters by hand, sort by clip number first and chapter number second, and never delete files from the card until the full sequence is safely backed up as raw footage.
How RawClip handles it
With RawClip you do not need to join chapters yourself. Upload every chapter of the session in one order, together with clips from other cameras if you have them, and the AI treats the whole set as one shoot when it picks the moments for your highlight.