Please add Watchbox.de

[GeorgeHamp]

Make sure you are using the latest version: run youtube-dl --version and ensure your version is 2017.07.23. 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 Issues with outdated version will be rejected.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 2017.07.23

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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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 ```):

[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: []
[debug] Custom config: []
[debug] Command-line args: ['--verbose', 'https://www.watchbox.de/serien/he-man-and-the-masters-of-the-universe-12247/staffel-1/der-kosmische-komet-328614']
[debug] Encodings: locale cp1252, fs mbcs, out cp850, pref cp1252
[debug] youtube-dl version 2017.07.23
[debug] Python version 3.4.4 - Windows 10
[debug] exe versions: ffmpeg N-71883-geb9fb50, ffprobe N-71883-geb9fb50
[debug] Proxy map: {}
[generic] der-kosmische-komet-328614: Requesting header
WARNING: Falling back on generic information extractor.
[generic] der-kosmische-komet-328614: Downloading webpage
[generic] der-kosmische-komet-328614: Extracting information
[debug] Default format spec: bestvideo+bestaudio/best
[debug] Invoking downloader on 'https://www.example.com/video123.flv'
ERROR: unable to download video data: HTTP Error 404: Not Found
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\dst\AppData\Roaming\Build archive\youtube-dl\rg3\tmpu6zpd7mk\build\youtube_dl\YoutubeDL.py", line 1863, in process_info
  File "C:\Users\dst\AppData\Roaming\Build archive\youtube-dl\rg3\tmpu6zpd7mk\build\youtube_dl\YoutubeDL.py", line 1805, in dl
  File "C:\Users\dst\AppData\Roaming\Build archive\youtube-dl\rg3\tmpu6zpd7mk\build\youtube_dl\downloader\common.py", line 361, in download
  File "C:\Users\dst\AppData\Roaming\Build archive\youtube-dl\rg3\tmpu6zpd7mk\build\youtube_dl\downloader\http.py", line 61, in real_download
  File "C:\Users\dst\AppData\Roaming\Build archive\youtube-dl\rg3\tmpu6zpd7mk\build\youtube_dl\YoutubeDL.py", line 2166, in urlopen
  File "C:\Python\Python34\lib\urllib\request.py", line 470, in open
  File "C:\Python\Python34\lib\urllib\request.py", line 580, in http_response
  File "C:\Python\Python34\lib\urllib\request.py", line 508, in error
  File "C:\Python\Python34\lib\urllib\request.py", line 442, in _call_chain
  File "C:\Python\Python34\lib\urllib\request.py", line 588, in http_error_default
urllib.error.HTTPError: HTTP Error 404: Not Found
...
<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.watchbox.de/serien/he-man-and-the-masters-of-the-universe-12247/staffel-1/der-kosmische-komet-328614.html
• Single video: https://www.watchbox.de/filme/free-jimmy-12325.html
• Playlist: https://www.watchbox.de/serien/he-man-and-the-masters-of-the-universe-12247/

Note: Content seems to be region-locked to German speaking areas.
Watchbox.de replaces Clipfish.de

Site seems to use MPEG-DASH

[sleeksorrow]

The site is embedding a HLS Playlist that can be played right away with mpv or vlc.

Example:

wget -q -O - "https://www.watchbox.de/filme/donnie-darko-14491.html" |grep hls 
            hls: 'https://vodwbusohls-a.akamaihd.net/proxy/manifest-wb-clear/at-ch-de/344218-1-28733.ism/fairplay.m3u8',

Hope that helps to include it! Thank you!

[themightyglider]

As far I understand it watchbox.de is the successor of clipfish.de, which already was supported by youtube-dl. I don't know if the underlying technologie has changed, but if I remember right clipfish was based on the services of akamai as well.
I guess adding support for watchbox should be trivial because of that.
On the other hand I know that on other pages based on akamai services it is now much harder to stream videos with extermal apps. Since a few weeks akamai returns an Error 403 if you try to access the m3u8 files with vlc or mplayer.
Maybe this also could cause truble with youtube-dl.

I hope this informations are helpful.

[GeorgeHamp]

Watchbox.de ist the successor of Clipfish.de, but the specs changed:

• higher bitrates
• higher resolution
• no flash required

Clipfish used .mp4-files linked in source-code, not .m3u8

[themightyglider]

So I am sure you will have to jump over the same hurdles like on other akamai based media pages.
I will check this out later but I expect that there will be any authentication process you have to pass in order to access the m3u8-file that leads to the mp4.
I'm not sure if youtube-dl can handle this. Bit if it can, it maybe could be possible to add a generic support for media pages that use akamai as underlying service.

[risebell]

For me watchbox.de playlist downloads seem to be broken.
Example link: https://www.watchbox.de/serien/blood-c-12633/
Output:

youtube-dl -v https://www.watchbox.de/serien/blood-c-12633/ 
[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: []
[debug] Custom config: []
[debug] Command-line args: ['-v', 'https://www.watchbox.de/serien/blood-c-12633/']
[debug] Encodings: locale UTF-8, fs utf-8, out UTF-8, pref UTF-8
[debug] youtube-dl version 2017.11.26
[debug] Python version 3.6.3 - Linux-4.13.12-1-ARCH-x86_64-with-arch-Arch-Linux
[debug] exe versions: ffmpeg 3.4, ffprobe 3.4, rtmpdump 2.4
[debug] Proxy map: {}
[WatchBox] 12633: Downloading webpage
[WatchBox] 12633: Downloading JSON metadata
ERROR: An extractor error has occurred. (caused by KeyError('title',)); please report this issue on https://yt-dl.org/bug . Make sure you are using the latest version; see  https://yt-dl.org/update  on how to update. Be sure to call youtube-dl with the --verbose flag and include its complete output.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py", line 437, in extract
    ie_result = self._real_extract(url)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/extractor/watchbox.py", line 88, in _real_extract
    compat_str) or source['title']
KeyError: 'title'
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py", line 437, in extract
    ie_result = self._real_extract(url)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/extractor/watchbox.py", line 88, in _real_extract
    compat_str) or source['title']
KeyError: 'title'

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py", line 784, in extract_info
    ie_result = ie.extract(url)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.6/site-packages/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py", line 450, in extract
    raise ExtractorError('An extractor error has occurred.', cause=e)
youtube_dl.utils.ExtractorError: An extractor error has occurred. (caused by KeyError('title',)); please report this issue on https://yt-dl.org/bug . Make sure you are using the latest version; see  https://yt-dl.org/update  on how to update. Be sure to call youtube-dl with the --verbose flag and include its complete output.

Single videos, like this series first episode seem to work fine on the other hand.
As OP's first and third example URL bring up 404 error's, I guess they might have changed there website again?

[saitho]

Watchbox is now part of TVNow. See https://www.tvnow.de/specials/watchbox.