An ADV includes a method to combine data from multiple sensors. The method compresses video data from a camera to generate compressed video data. The compressed video data are segmented. The method time synchronizes each segment of the compressed video data with data from other sensors. The method then combines each segment of the compressed video data with the corresponding time-synchronized sensor data for the other sensors. In one embodiment, each segment of the compressed video data is independently decodable. In another embodiment, each segment of the compressed video data includes a compressed video unit that is prepended with a buffered portion of the compressed video data that immediately precede the compressed video unit. The length of the compressed video unit is smaller than the length of the independently decodable segment to offer finer granularity in time synchronizing the compressed video data with the other sensor data with a tradeoff