Video Format Conversion Support

Description

Users can now download videos in MP4 and MP3 formats. In addition, users can exchange matched videos for more accurate matches, if the match failed the first time.

Details

Output Formats and Downloading

• An 'Output Format' setting has been added, where users can choose between Auto, MP4, and MP3 downloads.
  • Auto: Download videos with the default container as available on YouTube.
  • MP4: Download the best-quality mp4 video, or if no such media is available, download the best quality video and convert it to mp4.
  • MP3: Download the best-quality mp3 audio, or if no such media is available, download the best quality audio and convert it to mp3.
• Completed processes will now be displayed until cleared (as opposed to being cleared after 3 seconds).
• Download processes have been sorted in three categories: 'Downloads', 'Conversions', and 'Completed'.

Queries and Video Exchange

• Videos have a percent (%) match value, allowing the user to see to what extent the video title matches their initial query. In batch query scenarios, this can be useful in determining which videos should be exchanged for other matches.
• Videos now have an 'Exchange' option on their context menus. A dialog will pop-up and provide a range of videos matched by the original query. The user can choose one of the videos as the better match, or perform a different query.
• Videos can now be opened in YouTube, for convenience.

Retracted Features

Pausing downloads is no longer an option. We concluded that such a feature is not necessary; users can download videos and kill them if necessary.

Backwards Compatibility

For users which used previous versions, YouTube Downloader is likely to crash on the first launch. Simpy restart the downloader and everything will be fine.

Furthermore, feel free to delete your %AppData% YouTube Downloader folder, as some of the files there may be deprecated.

Hot Fixes

• A patch was uploaded fixing a bug where the video downloads folder may not exist, and YouTube Downloader would still try and find it.
• [28.03.2019] Patched broken version (due to deprecated API key).

Download Control Adjustments

Description

Minor adjustments to download control - pausing and killing downloads.

Details

Killing Downloads

Killing downloads will now be available with any selection of download, provided that at least one download in the selection can be killed. Only the downloads which can be killed, will actually be killed. This feature has been introduced to allow users to kill a range of downloads, even if some downloads in the selection have already completed, or have completed while the user was making the selection. Frustration in killing downloads should be reduced with this new introduction.

Pausing Downloads

Paused downloads will no longer occupy concurrent download quota. If a set of downloads are paused, they will stay paused, however another set of downloads will be started to fill the download quota. In other words, pausing 3 downloads will no longer stall the entire download process.

Furthermore, upon download resumption, paused downloads will be re-queued into the download queue, instead of being immediately restarted.

This should be an optimal operation procedure, as otherwise a user could pause a large quantity of downloads, then resume them, which would cause all of the downloads to download simultaneously.

Finally, paused downloads will now appear below currently downloading ones, however above queued ones, to preserve the user's field of view of operation, and ease of use.

Potential Problems

Inconsistent bugs have been detected, where downloads duplicate thumbnails or details. Further testing will be performed to find and eliminate these bugs, if possible.

Download Control and Consistency

Description

Version 1.1.1.0 brings superior download control and consistency, with new download actions, session restoration, and robust progress monitoring.

Features

• Current downloads can now be selected, and an action can be taken depending on the selection - either pause or resume downloads, and also kill them.
• Some UI adjustments have been applied, such as removing the ugly border around video lists.
• The main program menu has been fleshed out with fancy icons, alt key selection hotkeys, and shortcut texts.
• Upon program launch, the previous user session will be restored - the last query typed into the query box, the last set of videos loaded, and the downloads that were taking place when the program was shut down.
• YouTube Downloader has been made a single-instance application - only one instance can be launched at a time.

Bug Fixes

• A bug was present in the previous version, where all data sizes were controlled in MiBs. YTD's new system will now recognise all data sizes, and perform conversions of its own to display on the UI. In other words, long or short downloads, or downloads running on slow internet systems will no longer hang on progress updating.
• Downloads will no longer continue after the program has been shut down.
• Video IDs beginning with a dash ('-') will now be downloadable (they were being skipped before).

Optimisations

• YouTube Downloader will now use much less RAM when a large quantity of videos are queried or being downloaded.

Various Improvements

Description

A general update where a bunch of features have been improved and refined. Some additional convenience features have been added, such as direct YouTube queries, and multiple queries at once.

Features

Functionality

• Perform several queries at once (which will each execute independently at the same time)
• Perform a variety of queries (not just playlists anymore; e.g. search by video name or URL)

UI

• Detail view on matched videos
• Expand query box
• Video descriptions removed
• Video details greyed out
• Videos from playlists will now show publisher channel instead of playlist owner channel
• 'Waiting' status changed to 'Queued'

Nice to Haves

• Download status (with progress bar and download speed)
• Downloaded videos will stay on for 3 seconds
• File menu (with 'Exit' item)
• Video views are loaded immediately, without a a slight delay period

Issues

There are some rare issues with progress updating on videos, which could potentially crash the program (not observed yet). These will be fixed in the near future.

Other

YouTube Downloader has switched to *.zip release files for update support in the near future.

Settings: Download Path + Download Type

Description

Added a settings window, where you can configure the path where files download, and whether you want audio/video downloads, or audio-only ones.

New Features

• Settings page
• Download path configuration
• Download type configuration

Fixes

• String formatting for playlists and selections exceeding 999 videos
• Playlists released circa 2010 can now be searched

Retracted Features

The ability to paste direct video URLs was retracted, as playlists released circa 2010 do not match the same ID schemes, which indicates that there is no simple, consistent pattern in playlist IDs to check for. Other checks are being considered.

Known Issues

Settings take effect in the current session even if they're not applied, however reset on the next launch. Solutions are being considered.

First Release

Description

First YouTube Downloader release. Includes main features, such as direct video download from playlist.

Features

• Enter playlist or playlist-attached video
• Load all videos in selected playlist
• Download selected videos to 'Downloads' directory
• 3 simultaneous downloads

Preview