GH6: .mdt files that will not open and checking repaired video

The file will not open: preserve the source and record what happened

When a conference, concert or interview take will not open, identify the file before trying tools. Record the camera and firmware, card or SSD, filename, folder, size, recording format and audio. Keep the camera or editor message and the time of the interruption; an extension alone leaves several of those details unknown.

The .mdt extension does not by itself identify the recording format or a compatible tool. Recover those details from the camera log or an intact take from the same setup; if they are missing, leave them unresolved before attempting a repair.

Set aside the original medium and work with identified copies. If the medium can be read, copy its folder structure to a new destination and verify the copy. Blackmagic describes Clone and Backup Camera Media using checksums; that check compares data but does not evaluate whether the take has sound and continuity. If reading fails, record the error before continuing with video repair attempts.

Use the interrupted-file worksheet. Separate the preserved material, the attempt performed and the file you actually reviewed. Complete the result only after making the attempt and checking its output.

Changing .mdt to .mov does not verify recovery

Renaming the file does not establish that the video has been reconstructed. Even if a player or preview shows a picture, check sound, duration and continuity before accepting a recovery.

Keep the original filename and file. If a tool documents a different input name, use a copy and record the change, then check the result. Being able to open a preview or see a progress percentage does not establish how much usable footage remains.

Before choosing a method, recover the settings from an intact take from the same setup or the camera log. If format or audio details are missing, leave them marked as unknown. Do not assume every .mdt is MOV, ProRes or LPCM because it has the same extension.

GH6 Video Repair: check format and slot before starting

The DC-GH6 firmware history adds Video Repair in firmware 2.3, dated July 11, 2023. Record the installed version before looking for the control; you do not need to update the camera to identify the file and preserve a copy.

The DVQP2441 supplement supports .mdt files from MOV or Apple ProRes recordings made with this camera; it excludes MP4. The path is Playback > editing > Video Repair, select Card Slot 1(CFexpress) or Card Slot 2(SD), identify the clip by date/number/duration, then confirm Yes. Preserve the data first.

The manufacturer requires power during repair and mentions DMW-AC10 with DMW-DCC17. Do not switch off, remove the card or perform other operations during the process. Free space is required; damaged data or short takes may prevent repair. The result is saved in the same folder.

The supplement’s selector only lists cards; it does not describe direct repair from SSD. Do not move an SSD recording to a card assuming the camera will recognize it for repair: check that path with support first. Also consult GH6 SSD recording to record the medium and how recording ended.

Before the attempt, assign who will preserve the source and who will review the output. Afterward, record the message and resulting file; if it fails, keep both so you can consult support with the settings identified.

The desktop tool has different requirements

The official LUMIX Repair Tool page lists V2_3.zip, updated June 24, 2025, and Windows 10 version 1903 or later. It documents .mdt files from MOV/MP4 with LPCM; MP4/AAC and AVCHD are excluded. It requires an intact clip approximately one second long with the same recording format, audio and quality, and free space equivalent to three times the damaged file’s size.

The output is saved beside the input file, loses EXIF information and cannot be played back in the camera. Use a separate working folder and keep the take’s details outside the file.

The page offers V2_3.zip, but the procedure names V2_2.exe. Confirm the executable version and that GH6 is among the supported models before choosing this path. The documented environment is Windows 10 version 1903 or later; do not apply those instructions as a macOS procedure.

If no matching intact take exists, record that fact: a similar sample or one from another camera leaves the reference requirement unverified.

The picture plays, but frames are missing or audio is out of sync

If repair produces a file that opens but skips or has out-of-sync audio, keep that output separately. Playability does not prove continuity or sync throughout the take.

To review an output, open a copy in the editor and go through the range needed for delivery. Watch motion, cuts and the end of the take; listen to every intended channel. Compare recognizable speech or a gesture with another capture, if available, and record exact times for skips, silence or differences.

Check sync at the start, at intermediate points and at the end. A constant offset and a difference that grows over time need different tests; record the pattern before shifting the entire track. Adjusting position cannot reconstruct missing sound.

If only a sample was reviewed, report its times. To deliver a complete take, agree on a review of that entire range. Keep the repaired file and any edited version under different names, and record what was corrected.

Record what was recovered and what is missing from the delivery

To rehearse the workflow, use practice files that are already available and a new folder. There is no need to interrupt a recording or pull a card while it is writing. Record the tool/build, inputs, output and messages; first verify the manufacturer’s scope for that model and format.

If the result opens, compare its duration with the program and any available parallel capture. If it will not open or a range is missing, record what could be preserved and the last attempt, without marking the talk or concert as recovered.

Include the worksheet in the delivery inventory. For the next capture, agree on signals and an additional copy in the session matrix. The camera and recording service can be planned around those required files, duration and unresolved dependencies.