[nationalgeographic] Not extracting best quality

[StevenDTX]

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E:\>youtube-dl.exe --restrict-filenames --continue --no-check-certificate --ap-mso DTV --ap-username PRIVATE --ap-password PRIVATE -o Killing.Reagan.mp4 "http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/killing-reagan/videos/killing-reagan1/" -F --verbose
[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: []
[debug] Command-line args: ['--restrict-filenames', '--continue', '--no-check-certificate', '--ap-mso', 'DTV', '--ap-username', 'PRIVATE', '--ap-password', 'PRIVATE', '-o', 'Killing.Reagan.mp4', 'http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/killing-reagan/videos/killing-reagan1/', '-F', '--verbose']
[debug] Encodings: locale cp1252, fs mbcs, out cp437, pref cp1252
[debug] youtube-dl version 2016.10.16
[debug] Python version 3.4.4 - Windows-10-10.0.10586
[debug] exe versions: ffmpeg N-72383-g7206b94, ffprobe N-72383-g7206b94, rtmpdump 2.4
[debug] Proxy map: {}
[natgeo] killing-reagan1: Downloading webpage
[natgeo] killing-reagan1: Retrieving Media Token
[ThePlatform] BJMxANNpIEPH: Downloading SMIL data
[ThePlatform] BJMxANNpIEPH: Checking video URL
[ThePlatform] BJMxANNpIEPH: video URL is invalid, skipping
[ThePlatform] BJMxANNpIEPH: Checking video URL
[ThePlatform] BJMxANNpIEPH: video URL is invalid, skipping
[ThePlatform] BJMxANNpIEPH: Checking video URL
[ThePlatform] BJMxANNpIEPH: video URL is invalid, skipping
[ThePlatform] BJMxANNpIEPH: Checking video URL
[ThePlatform] BJMxANNpIEPH: Checking video URL
[ThePlatform] BJMxANNpIEPH: Checking video URL
[ThePlatform] BJMxANNpIEPH: Downloading JSON metadata
[info] Available formats for BJMxANNpIEPH:
format code  extension  resolution note
http-932     mp4        640x360     932k
http-1433    mp4        1024x576   1433k
http-1933    mp4        1280x720   1933k  (best)

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Description of your issue, suggested solution and other information

Higher quality videos are available on Nat Geo that youtube-dl is not finding.

Example: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/killing-reagan/videos/killing-reagan1/

The above is what youtube-dl detects. If I play the video in my browser, and use URLsnooper, I get an M3U8 link contains a much higher quality video.

E:\>youtube-dl https://fbcstatpack-a.akamaihd.net/Nat_Geo_Channels/77/534/1476690891659/Killing_Reagan_HD_C3_AUTH_movie_ms.m3u8
[generic] Killing_Reagan_HD_C3_AUTH_movie_ms: Requesting header
[generic] Killing_Reagan_HD_C3_AUTH_movie_ms: Downloading m3u8 information
[download] Destination: Killing_Reagan_HD_C3_AUTH_movie_ms-Killing_Reagan_HD_C3_AUTH_movie_ms.mp4
ffmpeg version N-72383-g7206b94 Copyright (c) 2000-2015 the FFmpeg developers
  built with gcc 4.9.2 (GCC)
  configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --disable-w32threads --enable-avisynth --enable-bzlib --enable-fontconfig --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enable-iconv --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libdcadec --enable-libfreetype --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libilbc --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmfx --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxavs --enable-libxvid --enable-lzma --enable-decklink --enable-zlib
  libavutil      54. 26.100 / 54. 26.100
  libavcodec     56. 41.100 / 56. 41.100
  libavformat    56. 33.101 / 56. 33.101
  libavdevice    56.  4.100 / 56.  4.100
  libavfilter     5. 16.101 /  5. 16.101
  libswscale      3.  1.101 /  3.  1.101
  libswresample   1.  1.100 /  1.  1.100
  libpostproc    53.  3.100 / 53.  3.100
Input #0, hls,applehttp, from 'https://fbcstatpack-a.akamaihd.net/Nat_Geo_Channels/77/534/1476690891659/Killing_Reagan_HD_C3_AUTH_movie_787223619563_m3u8_video_1280x720_4500000_primary_audio_eng_x32b981a8712b4ae583b6a9ec3c65388d_10_ms.m3u8':
  Duration: 02:05:14.34, start: 2.000000, bitrate: 0 kb/s
  Program 0
    Metadata:
      variant_bitrate : 0
    Stream #0:0: Video: h264 (Main) ([27][0][0][0] / 0x001B), yuv420p, 1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 29.97 fps, 29.97 tbr, 90k tbn, 59.94 tbc
    Stream #0:1: Audio: aac (LC) ([15][0][0][0] / 0x000F), 44100 Hz, stereo, fltp, 128 kb/s
    Stream #0:2: Data: timed_id3 (ID3  / 0x20334449)
[mp4 @ 0000000005ed7be0] Codec for stream 0 does not use global headers but container format requires global headers
[mp4 @ 0000000005ed7be0] Codec for stream 1 does not use global headers but container format requires global headers
Output #0, mp4, to 'file:Killing_Reagan_HD_C3_AUTH_movie_ms-Killing_Reagan_HD_C3_AUTH_movie_ms.mp4.part':
  Metadata:
    encoder         : Lavf56.33.101
    Stream #0:0: Video: h264 ([33][0][0][0] / 0x0021), yuv420p, 1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], q=2-31, 29.97 fps, 29.97 tbr, 90k tbn, 90k tbc
    Stream #0:1: Audio: aac ([64][0][0][0] / 0x0040), 44100 Hz, stereo, 128 kb/s
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (copy)
  Stream #0:1 -> #0:1 (copy)
Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
frame=225205 fps=284 q=-1.0 Lsize= 4251418kB time=02:05:14.32 bitrate=4634.8kbits/s
video:4127172kB audio:115199kB subtitle:0kB other streams:0kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead: 0.213254%
[ffmpeg] Downloaded 4353451833 bytes
[download] 100% of 4.05GiB

[StevenDTX]

Thanks a lot, @remitamine

[remitamine]

i have extracted the same formats you are referring to but the urls are diffrent, can you post theplatfrom smil url(remove the auth param)?, it might be useful in the future.

[StevenDTX]

Is this what you want?

http://link.theplatform.com/s/ngc/BJMxANNpIEPH?mbr=true&manifest=m3u&format=SMIL&auto=true&formats=m3u&&auth=%3CsignatureInfo%3EJcfuB9P.........Anar3WnDpTqgiAOETwSaNvqiSF5lWid6VU9%2BA188%3D%3CsignatureInfo%3E%3CauthToken%3E%3CsessionGUID%3E462b2e845a......c03f6cbe22%3C%2FsessionGUID%3E%3CrequestorID%3Enatgeo%3C%2FrequestorID%3E%3CresourceID%3E%3C!%5BCDATA%5B%3Crss%20version%3D%222.0%22%20xmlns%3Amedia%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fmrss%2F%22%3E%3Cchannel%3E%3Ctitle%3Engc%3C%2Ftitle%3E%

[remitamine]

Is this what you want?

yes.
so it's related to formats=m3u, using this param there will be more formats extracted.
m3u8 formats without formats=m3u:

hls-125      mp4        audio only  125k , mp4a.40.2@  0k
hls-924      mp4        640x360     924k , avc1.66.30, mp4a.40.2@  0k
hls-1424     mp4        1024x576   1424k , avc1.77.30, mp4a.40.2@  0k
hls-1924     mp4        1280x720   1924k , avc1.77.30, mp4a.40.2@  0k
hls-2624     mp4        1280x720   2624k , avc1.77.30, mp4a.40.2@  0k
hls-3524     mp4        1280x720   3524k , avc1.77.30, mp4a.40.2@  0k
hls-4624     mp4        1280x720   4624k , avc1.77.30, mp4a.40.2@  0k (best)

with formats=m3u:

hls-314      mp4        400x226     314k , avc1.66.30, 29.97fps, mp4a.40.2
hls-392      mp4        400x226     392k , avc1.66.30, 29.97fps, mp4a.40.2
hls-468      mp4        480x270     468k , avc1.66.30, 29.97fps, mp4a.40.2
hls-672      mp4        480x270     672k , avc1.66.30, 29.97fps, mp4a.40.2
hls-979      mp4        640x360     979k , avc1.66.30, 29.97fps, mp4a.40.2
hls-1490     mp4        1024x576   1490k , avc1.4d401f, 29.97fps, mp4a.40.2
hls-2001     mp4        1280x720   2001k , avc1.4d401f, 29.97fps, mp4a.40.2
hls-2716     mp4        1280x720   2716k , avc1.4d401f, 29.97fps, mp4a.40.2
hls-3636     mp4        1280x720   3636k , avc1.4d401f, 29.97fps, mp4a.40.2
hls-4760     mp4        1280x720   4760k , avc1.4d401f, 29.97fps, mp4a.40.2 (best)

[StevenDTX]

Just a note...

I looks like NatGeo changed something yet again. I got a notification that a new youtube-dl was released, so I thought I would try downloading this again. The 4500k version is no longer available.

E:\>youtube-dl.exe --restrict-filenames --continue --no-check-certificate --ap-mso DTV --ap-username PRIVATE --ap-password PRIVATE -o Killing.Reagan.mp4 "http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/killing-reagan/videos/killing-reagan" -F
[natgeo] killing-reagan: Downloading webpage
[natgeo] CiO1KE4Dp15x: Retrieving Media Token
[natgeo] CiO1KE4Dp15x: Downloading http SMIL data
[natgeo] CiO1KE4Dp15x: Checking video URL
[natgeo] CiO1KE4Dp15x: video URL is invalid, skipping
[natgeo] CiO1KE4Dp15x: Checking video URL
[natgeo] CiO1KE4Dp15x: Checking video URL
[natgeo] CiO1KE4Dp15x: Checking video URL
[natgeo] CiO1KE4Dp15x: Checking video URL
[natgeo] CiO1KE4Dp15x: Checking video URL
[natgeo] CiO1KE4Dp15x: Downloading m3u SMIL data
[natgeo] CiO1KE4Dp15x: Downloading m3u8 information
[natgeo] killing-reagan: Downloading JSON metadata
[info] Available formats for CiO1KE4Dp15x:
format code  extension  resolution note
hls-meta     mp4        multiple   Quality selection URL
hls-125      mp4        audio only  125k , mp4a.40.2@  0k
hls-424      mp4        480x270     424k , avc1.66.30, mp4a.40.2@  0k
http-432     mp4        480x270     432k
hls-624      mp4        480x270     624k , avc1.66.30, mp4a.40.2@  0k
http-632     mp4        480x270     632k
hls-924      mp4        640x360     924k , avc1.66.30, mp4a.40.2@  0k
http-932     mp4        640x360     932k
hls-1424     mp4        1024x576   1424k , avc1.77.30, mp4a.40.2@  0k
http-1433    mp4        1024x576   1433k
hls-1924     mp4        1280x720   1924k , avc1.77.30, mp4a.40.2@  0k
http-1933    mp4        1280x720   1933k
hls-2624     mp4        1280x720   2624k , avc1.77.30, mp4a.40.2@  0k (best)

[remitamine]

i think we can't do anything here, it looks like this is the best quality available for this video(it's not the same version, the video url and video id are different), if you see in the browser that there is a better quality than post the theplatform smil url.