[C-SPAN] Download "User-Created Clip" #14420

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opened 2026-02-21 07:42:51 -05:00 by deekerman · 1 comment

deekerman commented

2026-02-21 07:42:51 -05:00

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Originally created by @DEVoytas on GitHub (Aug 31, 2018).

I've verified and I assure that I'm running youtube-dl 2018.08.28

$ youtube-dl --version
2018.08.28

I have:

At least skimmed through the README, most notably the FAQ and BUGS sections
Searched the bugtracker for similar issues including closed ones
Checked that provided video/audio/playlist URLs (if any) are alive and playable in a browser

What is the purpose of your issue?

Bug report (encountered problems with youtube-dl)
Site support request (request for adding support for a new site)
Feature request (request for a new functionality)
Question
Other

$ youtube-dl -F -v  https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4482230/bernanke-subprime
[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: []
[debug] Custom config: []
[debug] Command-line args: [u'-F', u'-v', u'https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4482230/bernanke-subprime']
[debug] Encodings: locale UTF-8, fs UTF-8, out UTF-8, pref UTF-8
[debug] youtube-dl version 2018.08.28
[debug] Python version 2.7.12 (CPython) - Linux-4.10.0-38-generic-x86_64-with-LinuxMint-18.3-sylvia
[debug] exe versions: avconv 3.4.4-1, avprobe 3.4.4-1, ffmpeg 3.4.4-1, ffprobe 3.4.4-1
[debug] Proxy map: {}
[CSpan] c4482230: Downloading webpage
[CSpan] 171649: Downloading JSON metadata
[CSpan] 171649: Downloading XML
[download] Downloading playlist: Economic Outlook
[CSpan] playlist Economic Outlook: Collected 2 video ids (downloading 2 of them)
[download] Downloading video 1 of 2
[info] Available formats for 171649_1:
format code  extension  resolution note
224-234p     mp4        234p        224k 
628-360p     mp4        360p        628k 
4000-576p    mp4        576p       4000k  (best)
[download] Downloading video 2 of 2
[info] Available formats for 171649_2:
format code  extension  resolution note
224-234p     mp4        234p        224k 
628-360p     mp4        360p        628k 
4000-576p    mp4        576p       4000k  (best)
[download] Finished downloading playlist: Economic Outlook

Description of your issue, suggested solution and other information

C-Span gives the user ability to create "User-Created Clips" which allows user to create shorter clips from the original content.
At the moment youtube-dl does not seem to support them, i.e. even when one tries to download user created clip by supplying its URL, original content gets downloaded instead.
For example, this URL:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4482230/bernanke-subprime
links to a a short (< 2min) clip. But when one attempts to download it, two big (> 1.5h each) videos gets downloaded (debug output above).
My question is: is it currently possible to somehow download those clips, and if it's not, would it be possible to add such feature?

PS.
I realize it may well be duplicate of #622 but it may be not (depending on how C-Span handles those clips).

Originally created by @DEVoytas on GitHub (Aug 31, 2018). - [x] I've **verified** and **I assure** that I'm running youtube-dl **2018.08.28** ``` $ youtube-dl --version 2018.08.28 ``` ### I have: - [x] At least skimmed through the [README](https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl/blob/master/README.md), **most notably** the [FAQ](https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl#faq) and [BUGS](https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl#bugs) sections - [x] [Searched](https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl/search?type=Issues) the bugtracker for similar issues including closed ones - [x] Checked that provided video/audio/playlist URLs (if any) are alive and playable in a browser ### What is the purpose of your *issue*? - [ ] Bug report (encountered problems with youtube-dl) - [ ] Site support request (request for adding support for a new site) - [x] Feature request (request for a new functionality) - [x] Question - [ ] Other --- ``` $ youtube-dl -F -v https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4482230/bernanke-subprime [debug] System config: [] [debug] User config: [] [debug] Custom config: [] [debug] Command-line args: [u'-F', u'-v', u'https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4482230/bernanke-subprime'] [debug] Encodings: locale UTF-8, fs UTF-8, out UTF-8, pref UTF-8 [debug] youtube-dl version 2018.08.28 [debug] Python version 2.7.12 (CPython) - Linux-4.10.0-38-generic-x86_64-with-LinuxMint-18.3-sylvia [debug] exe versions: avconv 3.4.4-1, avprobe 3.4.4-1, ffmpeg 3.4.4-1, ffprobe 3.4.4-1 [debug] Proxy map: {} [CSpan] c4482230: Downloading webpage [CSpan] 171649: Downloading JSON metadata [CSpan] 171649: Downloading XML [download] Downloading playlist: Economic Outlook [CSpan] playlist Economic Outlook: Collected 2 video ids (downloading 2 of them) [download] Downloading video 1 of 2 [info] Available formats for 171649_1: format code extension resolution note 224-234p mp4 234p 224k 628-360p mp4 360p 628k 4000-576p mp4 576p 4000k (best) [download] Downloading video 2 of 2 [info] Available formats for 171649_2: format code extension resolution note 224-234p mp4 234p 224k 628-360p mp4 360p 628k 4000-576p mp4 576p 4000k (best) [download] Finished downloading playlist: Economic Outlook ``` --- ### Description of your *issue*, suggested solution and other information C-Span gives the user ability to create ["User-Created Clips"](https://static.c-span.org/assets/documents/New+Video+Player+Release+-+Clipping+Guide+and+Release+Notes_v2.pdf) which allows user to create shorter clips from the original content. At the moment `youtube-dl` does not seem to support them, i.e. even when one tries to download user created clip by supplying its URL, original content gets downloaded instead. For example, this URL: https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4482230/bernanke-subprime links to a a short (< 2min) clip. But when one attempts to download it, two big (> 1.5h each) videos gets downloaded (debug output above). My question is: is it currently possible to somehow download those clips, and if it's not, would it be possible to add such feature? PS. I realize it may well be duplicate of #622 but it may be not (depending on how C-Span handles those clips).

deekerman commented

2026-02-21 07:42:53 -05:00

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@rpvcg commented on GitHub (Aug 31, 2018):

youtube-dl parses the "programid" from the source video from which the clip was created.

Within the page souce of the clip page is a hls url which contains just the clip contents. For your example it is:
https://iphone.c-spanvideo.org/m3u8/clip.4479003.m3u8

Some logic would be needed in order to add the clip hls url to the source qualities. Usually the programid sources are preferred.

@rpvcg commented on GitHub (Aug 31, 2018): youtube-dl parses the "programid" from the source video from which the clip was created. Within the page souce of the clip page is a hls url which contains just the clip contents. For your example it is: `https://iphone.c-spanvideo.org/m3u8/clip.4479003.m3u8` Some logic would be needed in order to add the clip hls url to the source qualities. Usually the programid sources are preferred.

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starred/youtube-dl-ytdl-org#14420

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