youtube-dl is choosing wrong video format

[Garfield222]

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Make sure you are using the latest version: run youtube-dl --version and ensure your version is 2017.05.07. If it's not read this FAQ entry and update. Issues with outdated version will be rejected.

• I've verified and I assure that I'm running youtube-dl 2017.05.07

Before submitting an issue make sure you have:

• At least skimmed through README and most notably FAQ and BUGS sections
• Searched the bugtracker for similar issues including closed ones

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

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The following sections concretize particular purposed issues, you can erase any section (the contents between triple ---) not applicable to your issue

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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 -v -F "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C-rcYyGJbA"
[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: []
[debug] Custom config: []
[debug] Command-line args: [u'-v', u'-F', u'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C-rcYyGJbA']
[debug] Encodings: locale UTF-8, fs UTF-8, out UTF-8, pref UTF-8
[debug] youtube-dl version 2017.05.07
[debug] Python version 2.7.13 - CYGWIN_NT-6.1-WOW-2.8.0-0.309-5-3-i686-32bit
[debug] exe versions: ffmpeg N-72346-ga838b22, ffprobe N-72346-ga838b22
[debug] Proxy map: {}
[youtube] 2C-rcYyGJbA: Downloading webpage
[youtube] 2C-rcYyGJbA: Downloading video info webpage
[youtube] 2C-rcYyGJbA: Extracting video information
[youtube] 2C-rcYyGJbA: Downloading MPD manifest
[info] Available formats for 2C-rcYyGJbA:
format code  extension  resolution note
249          webm       audio only DASH audio   50k , opus @ 50k, 2.25MiB
250          webm       audio only DASH audio   61k , opus @ 70k, 2.50MiB
171          webm       audio only DASH audio   84k , vorbis@128k, 3.59MiB
251          webm       audio only DASH audio  124k , opus @160k, 5.24MiB
140          m4a        audio only DASH audio  127k , m4a_dash container, mp4a.40.2@128k (44100Hz), 5.98MiB
278          webm       256x144    144p   26k , webm container, vp9, 10fps, video only, 715.63KiB
242          webm       426x240    240p   29k , vp9, 10fps, video only, 801.52KiB
243          webm       640x360    360p   56k , vp9, 10fps, video only, 1.49MiB
134          mp4        640x360    DASH video   85k , avc1.4d4016, 10fps, video only, 1.96MiB
244          webm       854x480    480p   90k , vp9, 10fps, video only, 2.37MiB
160          mp4        256x144    DASH video  109k , avc1.42c00c, 10fps, video only, 1.92MiB
135          mp4        854x480    DASH video  165k , avc1.4d4016, 10fps, video only, 3.53MiB
247          webm       1280x720   720p  185k , vp9, 10fps, video only, 4.34MiB
133          mp4        426x240    DASH video  203k , avc1.4d4015, 10fps, video only, 3.73MiB
136          mp4        1280x720   DASH video  317k , avc1.4d401f, 10fps, video only, 6.04MiB
17           3gp        176x144    small , mp4v.20.3, mp4a.40.2@ 24k
36           3gp        320x180    small , mp4v.20.3, mp4a.40.2
43           webm       640x360    medium , vp8.0, vorbis@128k
18           mp4        640x360    medium , avc1.42001E, mp4a.40.2@ 96k
22           mp4        1280x720   hd720 , avc1.64001F, mp4a.40.2@192k (best)

youtube-dl --verbose -ciw -f "bestvideo[height<=480]+bestaudio[abr<=130]/best[height<=480,abr<=130]"  --audio-quality 128K --all-subs --playlist-start 1  --no-mtime  "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C-rcYyGJbA"
[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: []
[debug] Custom config: []
[debug] Command-line args: [u'--verbose', u'-ciw', u'-f', u'bestvideo[height<=480]+bestaudio[abr<=130]/best[height<=480,abr<=130]', u'--audio-quality', u'128K', u'--all-subs', u'--playlist-start', u'1', u'--no-mtime', u'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C-rcYyGJbA']
[debug] Encodings: locale UTF-8, fs UTF-8, out UTF-8, pref UTF-8
[debug] youtube-dl version 2017.05.07
[debug] Python version 2.7.13 - CYGWIN_NT-6.1-WOW-2.8.0-0.309-5-3-i686-32bit
[debug] exe versions: ffmpeg N-72346-ga838b22, ffprobe N-72346-ga838b22
[debug] Proxy map: {}
[youtube] 2C-rcYyGJbA: Downloading webpage
[youtube] 2C-rcYyGJbA: Downloading video info webpage
[youtube] 2C-rcYyGJbA: Extracting video information
WARNING: unable to extract uploader nickname
WARNING: video doesn't have subtitles
[youtube] 2C-rcYyGJbA: Downloading MPD manifest
[debug] Invoking downloader on u'https://r2---sn-i5h7ln7k.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id=d82fab718c8625b0&itag=133&source=youtube&requiressl=yes&initcwndbps=2017500&mm=31&mn=sn-i5h7ln7k&pl=19&mv=m&ei=5-YOWb24J87HW5GNtJgL&ms=au&ratebypass=yes&mime=video/mp4&gir=yes&clen=3907768&lmt=1444817905147115&dur=394.400&key=dg_yt0&signature=085DFE3E6DEE4DE47F0B67B63E32FE923C560DE2.20355C95153BB831613FF61E43C523B229FCB203&upn=t26i7EfN4rI&mt=1494148760&ip=131.234.52.30&ipbits=0&expire=1494170439&sparams=ip,ipbits,expire,id,itag,source,requiressl,initcwndbps,mm,mn,pl,mv,ei,ms,ratebypass,mime,gir,clen,lmt,dur'
[download] Destination: External Debugging _ Remote Debugging-2C-rcYyGJbA.f133.mp4
[download] 100% of 3.73MiB in 00:00
[debug] Invoking downloader on u'https://r2---sn-i5h7ln7k.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id=d82fab718c8625b0&itag=140&source=youtube&requiressl=yes&initcwndbps=2017500&mm=31&mn=sn-i5h7ln7k&pl=19&mv=m&ei=5-YOWb24J87HW5GNtJgL&ms=au&ratebypass=yes&mime=audio/mp4&gir=yes&clen=6265509&lmt=1444817868172617&dur=394.460&key=dg_yt0&signature=1E1EA636BABD9FDD483885D7D69E4E11311866D2.1EAB05422D16BFB34DB0B0E49EDD296852EBA721&upn=t26i7EfN4rI&mt=1494148760&ip=131.234.52.30&ipbits=0&expire=1494170439&sparams=ip,ipbits,expire,id,itag,source,requiressl,initcwndbps,mm,mn,pl,mv,ei,ms,ratebypass,mime,gir,clen,lmt,dur'
[download] Destination: External Debugging _ Remote Debugging-2C-rcYyGJbA.f140.m4a
[download] 100% of 5.98MiB in 00:01
[ffmpeg] Merging formats into "External Debugging _ Remote Debugging-2C-rcYyGJbA.mp4"
[debug] ffmpeg command line: ffmpeg -y -i 'file:External Debugging _ Remote Debugging-2C-rcYyGJbA.f133.mp4' -i 'file:External Debugging _ Remote Debugging-2C-rcYyGJbA.f140.m4a' -c copy -map 0:v:0 -map 1:a:0 'file:External Debugging _ Remote Debugging-2C-rcYyGJbA.temp.mp4'
Deleting original file External Debugging _ Remote Debugging-2C-rcYyGJbA.f133.mp4 (pass -k to keep)
Deleting original file External Debugging _ Remote Debugging-2C-rcYyGJbA.f140.m4a (pass -k to keep)
<end of log>

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If the purpose of this issue is a site support request please provide all kinds of example URLs support for which should be included (replace following example URLs by yours):

• Single video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C-rcYyGJbA
• Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/user/FreeSAPABAP/videos

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Description of your issue, suggested solution and other information

My intention is to download video with height of 480 pixel (it might be a bit smaller, but not bigger) and approximately 130k (or lower) audio quality. The command, that I use, is working well for almost all video files from playlist link. It downloads video files with height of 480 or 478 pixels.

Problem is with the single link I have provided. youtube-dl is choosing video format 133 (mp4 426x240) instead of 135 (mp4 854x480).

If it’s not an issue, could you please tell me what would be the right command line options.

[dstftw]

Your format selection is invalid. bestvideo[height<=480] means choose best video format with height under or equal to 480 that is the video 133 cause it has higher bitrate than 135.