Can't download video which can watch directly in browser. #84

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opened 2026-02-20 22:25:02 -05:00 by deekerman · 4 comments
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Originally created by @googollee on GitHub (Jun 27, 2011).

I watch the Google I/O video and want to download "Writing Web Apps in Go" . But youtube-dl doesn't work:

$ youtube-dl --all-formats  "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i0hat7pdpk" 
[youtube] Setting language
[youtube] -i0hat7pdpk: Downloading video webpage
[youtube] -i0hat7pdpk: Downloading video info webpage
[youtube] -i0hat7pdpk: Extracting video information
ERROR: unable to download video (format may not be available)

I sure the url can access from the browser and play the video. But seems something wrong when youtube-dl handles it.

Is there any way to fix it and download?

Thanks.

Originally created by @googollee on GitHub (Jun 27, 2011). I watch the Google I/O video and want to download ["Writing Web Apps in Go"](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i0hat7pdpk) . But youtube-dl doesn't work: ``` bash $ youtube-dl --all-formats "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i0hat7pdpk" [youtube] Setting language [youtube] -i0hat7pdpk: Downloading video webpage [youtube] -i0hat7pdpk: Downloading video info webpage [youtube] -i0hat7pdpk: Extracting video information ERROR: unable to download video (format may not be available) ``` I sure the url can access from the browser and play the video. But seems something wrong when youtube-dl handles it. Is there any way to fix it and download? Thanks.
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@phihag commented on GitHub (Jun 28, 2011):

Cannot reproduce this, neither from Germany nor USA. By the way, there's no need to set --all-formats, youtube-dl picks the best format automatically.

It might have been a temporary fluke of youtube. Can you reproduce it now? From which country/AS?

@phihag commented on GitHub (Jun 28, 2011): Cannot reproduce this, neither from Germany nor USA. By the way, there's no need to set --all-formats, youtube-dl picks the best format automatically. It might have been a temporary fluke of youtube. Can you reproduce it now? From which country/AS?
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@googollee commented on GitHub (Jun 29, 2011):

It still can't work. I run it from linode VPS in Dallas, TX, USA.

@googollee commented on GitHub (Jun 29, 2011): It still can't work. I run it from linode VPS in Dallas, TX, USA.
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@phihag commented on GitHub (Jun 29, 2011):

Sorry, should've seen that earlier: You're running an old version of youtube-dl (the message format may not be available does not exist anymore). Since youtube often changes the way downloads work, you'll need the newest version. You can check with youtube-dl -v. It worked for me with 2011.02.25b (package in Debian unstable) and 2011.03.29 (current trunk).

If updating doesn't solve the problem, a pcap dump or the output of strace -s 2000 youtube-dl "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i0hat7pdpk" (warning: long) would be extremely helpful.
Also, feel free to contact me in private via email, jabber (phihag@phihag.de), github or twitter (@phihag); and I can give you a private URL for that specific video.

@phihag commented on GitHub (Jun 29, 2011): Sorry, should've seen that earlier: You're running an old version of youtube-dl (the message `format may not be available` does not exist anymore). Since youtube often changes the way downloads work, you'll need the newest version. You can check with `youtube-dl -v`. It worked for me with `2011.02.25b` (package in Debian unstable) and `2011.03.29` (current trunk). If updating doesn't solve the problem, a pcap dump or the output of `strace -s 2000 youtube-dl "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i0hat7pdpk"` (warning: long) would be extremely helpful. Also, feel free to contact me in private via email, jabber (phihag@phihag.de), github or twitter (@phihag); and I can give you a private URL for that specific video.
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@googollee commented on GitHub (Jun 29, 2011):

Thanks for your help. I download the latest version in github and it's OK now. ;)

BTW, I followed you in twitter.

@googollee commented on GitHub (Jun 29, 2011): Thanks for your help. I download the latest version in github and it's OK now. ;) BTW, I followed you in twitter.
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starred/youtube-dl-ytdl-org#84
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