Frequently asked questions

It’s the file a Sony camera writes while it records. When you stop recording, the camera adds the index players need and renames it to .MP4. If the recording is cut short, the .RSV stays as it is.

The recording was interrupted before the camera could close the file: the battery ran out, the card filled up or was removed, the camera overheated and switched off, or it froze.

Usually not. The video and audio up to the moment of the interruption are inside the .RSV. Only the index is missing.

No. The name changes but the index is still missing, so players and editors can’t read it.

Some Sony cameras offer to recover the file when you put the card back in. If that didn’t happen, or the .RSV was already copied to a computer, it has to be rebuilt.

Only the .RSV file. In rare cases with unusual settings, your repair page asks for a short working clip from the same camera.

A few minutes for most files once the upload finishes. Very large recordings take longer.

No. The MP4 contains exactly the video and audio your camera recorded, at the original quality.

Any: Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, VLC, QuickTime and the rest.

Everything the camera managed to write before the interruption. The last fraction of a second is sometimes incomplete.

Before the upload, the price is reserved on your card. It’s only charged when you download the full video after watching the free preview.

If the recording can’t be rebuilt, the reservation is released and you pay nothing.

A one-off price based on the size of the .RSV, from €35. See the pricing page.

If the full video doesn’t match the preview or doesn’t play, write to us within 14 days and we’ll refund you.

They’re transferred encrypted, only used to repair your recording and never watched by anyone.

Uploaded and repaired files are deleted automatically 7 days after the upload.

Online repairs have a size limit that the upload box shows. For larger files, see custom repair.