Niconico download does not work anymore

[romanrm]

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Make sure you are using the latest version: run youtube-dl --version and ensure your version is 2016.11.08.1. If it's not read this FAQ entry and update. Issues with outdated version will be rejected.

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If the purpose of this issue is a bug report, site support request or you are not completely sure provide the full verbose output as follows:

Add -v flag to your command line you run youtube-dl with, copy the whole output and insert it here. It should look similar to one below (replace it with your log inserted between triple ```):

# youtube-dl http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm30023059 --verbose
[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: []
[debug] Command-line args: [u'http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm30023059', u'--verbose']
[debug] Encodings: locale UTF-8, fs UTF-8, out UTF-8, pref UTF-8
[debug] youtube-dl version 2016.11.08.1
[debug] Python version 2.7.9 - Linux-4.4.30-rm2+-x86_64-with-debian-8.6
[debug] exe versions: none
[debug] Proxy map: {}
[niconico] sm30023059: Downloading webpage
[niconico] sm30023059: Downloading video info page
[niconico] sm30023059: Downloading webpage
ERROR: Unable to extract thumbPlayKey; please report this issue on https://yt-dl.org/bug . Make sure you are using the latest version; type  youtube-dl -U  to update. Be sure to call youtube-dl with the --verbose flag and include its complete output.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/bin/youtube-dl/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py", line 694, in extract_info
    ie_result = ie.extract(url)
  File "/usr/local/bin/youtube-dl/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py", line 357, in extract
    return self._real_extract(url)
  File "/usr/local/bin/youtube-dl/youtube_dl/extractor/niconico.py", line 141, in _real_extract
    r'\'thumbPlayKey\'\s*:\s*\'(.*?)\'', ext_player_info, 'thumbPlayKey')
  File "/usr/local/bin/youtube-dl/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py", line 660, in _search_regex
    raise RegexNotFoundError('Unable to extract %s' % _name)
RegexNotFoundError: Unable to extract thumbPlayKey; please report this issue on https://yt-dl.org/bug . Make sure you are using the latest version; type  youtube-dl -U  to update. Be sure to call youtube-dl with the --verbose flag and include its complete output.

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Description of your issue, suggested solution and other information

Used to work until very recently, but now it doesn't. I have looked through the source of the Niconico page and indeed it doesn't contain a string like "thumbPlayKey".

[zayuim]

I can also confirm, I was just about to open a ticket myself. Although it seems to work with a few videos. E.g I was able to download this .swf
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/nm3601701

But couldn't download other videos:
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm8628149

[gspace3d]

Many nicovideos seem to have began requiring login account to download.
I succeeded to download most of nicovideos by adding following options to youtube-dl.
--username {username} --password {password}
Of course, {username},{password} must be registered on nicovideo site.

[romanrm]

Niconico requires login for viewing many (most?) videos since a long time. However:

• They do work without login when viewed via an embed player on other sites
• This never prevented youtube-dl from working without login on all of them.

[ghost]

Same here. Stopped working for me.

[yan12125]

I have an imcomplete fix. Those who are interested can check https://github.com/yan12125/youtube-dl/tree/wip-niconico

[romanrm]

I can confirm that if you provide your niconico password and username with -u and -p options, then the download works fine. Still would be nice to fix downloading without that, as not everyone wants to sign up on every site.

[yan12125]

They do work without login when viewed via an embed player on other sites

@romanrm When I was implementing the incomplete fix 2 months ago, there are indeed some videos available via embedded players. Unfortunately, apparently all such ways are blocked now. So I just remove the old codes and add a clearer error message.

If anyone knows how to play Niconico videos without an account, feel free to open a new issue.

[yash1610]

Can't download NicoNico videos even when credentials are provided

[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: ['-o', '/home/yash/Youtube/%(title)s.%(ext)s']
[debug] Custom config: []
[debug] Command-line args: ['http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm27643036', '--username', 'PRIVATE', '--password', 'PRIVATE', '--verbose']
[debug] Encodings: locale UTF-8, fs utf-8, out UTF-8, pref UTF-8
[debug] youtube-dl version 2017.02.22
[debug] Python version 3.6.0 - Linux-4.9.11-1-ARCH-x86_64-with-arch
[debug] exe versions: ffmpeg 3.2.4, ffprobe 3.2.4, rtmpdump 2.4
[debug] Proxy map: {}
[niconico] Logging in
[niconico] sm27643036: Downloading webpage
[niconico] sm27643036: Downloading video info page
[niconico] sm27643036: Downloading flv info
ERROR: Niconico videos now require logging in
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py", line 704, in extract_info
ie_result = ie.extract(url)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py", line 427, in extract
ie_result = self._real_extract(url)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/extractor/niconico.py", line 142, in _real_extract
expected=True)
youtube_dl.utils.ExtractorError: Niconico videos now require logging in

[yan12125]

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm27643036 works fine here:

$ youtube-dl -v http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm27643036 --netrc
[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: []
[debug] Custom config: []
[debug] Command-line args: ['-v', 'http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm27643036', '--netrc']
[debug] Encodings: locale UTF-8, fs utf-8, out UTF-8, pref UTF-8
[debug] youtube-dl version 2017.02.24.1
[debug] Git HEAD: 204efc850
[debug] Python version 3.6.0 - Linux-4.9.11-1-ARCH-x86_64-with-arch
[debug] exe versions: ffmpeg 3.2.4, ffprobe 3.2.4
[debug] Proxy map: {}
[niconico] Logging in
[niconico] sm27643036: Downloading webpage
[niconico] sm27643036: Downloading video info page
[niconico] sm27643036: Downloading flv info
[debug] Invoking downloader on 'http://smile-fnl50.nicovideo.jp/smile?m=27643036.95200low'
[download] Destination: 〔れをる〕 脳内革命ガール 〔ill.bell〕-sm27643036.mp4
[download] 100% of 10.86MiB in 01:43

Are you using Twitter/Facebook/Nintendo accounts? Currently only NicoNico accounts are supported.

[yash1610]

Nope this is a totally new account directly registered on niconico.

Also putting my credentials in ~/.netrc works and I can download from niconico(I just checked after seeing the netrc argument in your command), but if I pass the username and password then youtube-dl gives the error

Sorry for the weird censoring, I am just hiding my password. As you can see in the screenshot the login credentials from the ~/.netrc file work properly but give out an error when passed as arguments.

[yan12125]

--username and --password works for me, too

[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: []
[debug] Custom config: []
[debug] Command-line args: ['-v', 'http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm27643036', '--username', 'PRIVATE', '--password', 'PRIVATE']
[debug] Encodings: locale UTF-8, fs utf-8, out UTF-8, pref UTF-8
[debug] youtube-dl version 2017.02.24.1
[debug] Git HEAD: db182c63f
[debug] Python version 3.6.0 - Linux-4.9.11-1-ARCH-x86_64-with-arch
[debug] exe versions: ffmpeg 3.2.4, ffprobe 3.2.4
[debug] Proxy map: {}
[niconico] Logging in
[niconico] sm27643036: Downloading webpage
[niconico] sm27643036: Downloading video info page
[niconico] sm27643036: Downloading flv info
[debug] Invoking downloader on 'http://smile-fnl50.nicovideo.jp/smile?m=27643036.95200low'
[download] Destination: 〔れをる〕 脳内革命ガール 〔ill.bell〕-sm27643036.mp4
[download]   9.2% of 10.86MiB at  2.53MiB/s ETA 00:03^CException ignored in: <_io.FileIO name='〔れをる〕 脳内革命ガール 〔ill.bell〕-sm27643036.mp4.part' mode='wb' closefd=True>
ResourceWarning: unclosed file <_io.BufferedWriter name='〔れをる〕 脳内革命ガール 〔ill.bell〕-sm27643036.mp4.part'>

ERROR: Interrupted by user

I guess there are some special characters in your password and your shell does not pass it correctly?

[yash1610]

nope my password is a mix of small/capital numbers/alphabets no symbols at all.

Edit: Your 2017.02.24.1 version seems to be newer than mine 2017.02.22

Edit 2: checked the diff between both our versions and I can't see anything that might cause the issue I am having and you are not

[yan12125]

That's strange. --netrc works for you but --username and --password not?

Try to change the line 901 of /usr/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/options.py, replace _hide_login_info(conf) with simply conf and see whether the passwords are identical or not for --netrc and --username/--password.

[yash1610]

yep the password being passed through the argument is correct (same as the one in netrc).

[yan12125]

Can't imagine why... Fortunately .netrc works.

[yash1610]

yep fortunately it works, bugs they sure are weird.

P.S upgraded to the youtube-dl-git version from AUR and the issue is still there.

[ghost]

Windows user; unable to use ".netrc workaround." Have tested with currently available version (just upgraded to be sure); have niconico account; -u / -p command line options don't work.

[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: []
[debug] Custom config: []
[debug] Command-line args: ['--ignore-errors', '-v']
[debug] Encodings: locale cp1252, fs mbcs, out cp437, pref cp1252
[debug] youtube-dl version 2017.05.23
[debug] Python version 3.4.4 - Windows-Vista-6.0.6002-SP2
[debug] exe versions: avconv v13_dev0-753-gba6a49e, avprobe v13_dev0-753-gba6a49e, ffmpeg
1.2
[debug] Proxy map: {}
Usage: YouTube-dl.exe [OPTIONS] URL [URL...]

youtube-dl.exe -u <user> -p <pass> http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/nm3362855
[niconico] Logging in
[niconico] nm3362855: Downloading webpage
[niconico] nm3362855: Downloading video info page
[niconico] nm3362855: Downloading flv info
ERROR: Niconico videos now require logging in

[acruis]

FWIW I used the e-mail address for the username field and it works.