Stream to vlc

[johackim]

Streaming video to vlc.

[phihag]

Sorry, I don't understand. Could you elaborate and provide some context? You can run vlc just fine on the downloaded files, or output the video to stdout with -o -.

[ingwinlu]

if you want to stream youtube directly to vlc, without a temporary file, just use the built in support for it in vlc:
"vlc youtubelink"

for example:
vlc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0DPdy98e4c

[nodiscc]

If you are running a GNU/Linux system, you can stream videos directly to your favorite media player by using youtube-dl -o - "http://your.media/url" | mplayer -

You can also set up a function in your ~/.bash_aliases file like

function streamer() {
youtube-dl -o - "$1" | mplayer - 
}

and run it like streamer http://your.media/url. You can of course replace mplayer with another player command, like vlc.

Side note to the devs: maybe this should be made a command line switch? Like youtube-dl --stream? Let the user set a favorite player in the confg file, or try a list of known players?

If you're not interested maybe this ticket can be closed.

[joeschmoe40]

[quote]
if you want to stream youtube directly to vlc, without a temporary file, just use the built in support for it in vlc:
"vlc youtubelink"

for example:
vlc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0DPdy98e4c
[/quote]

I believe that you have to use the "real" URL with VLC, not the "Web URL".
So, you have to run youtube-dl with the "-j" option, to translate the web url to the "real" URL, then pass that URL to VLC.

[pvdl]

The "point" is to use youtube-dl as a wrapper for streams which uses a token.
@nodiscc made a really a nice solution to manage that!

[Avbrella]

I second @nodiscc regarding the --stream option, and had a particular use-case in mind.

[walidsa3d]

A --stream option would be great

[Vrihub]

I'm trying the "-o -" solution, but with some websites (e.g. periscope) it doesn't work: I get the stream saved to a file named "-". Is this expected behaviour (due to limitations of some website or video format), or is it a bug in that particular extractor?

[moorchegue]

+1 to the last question

[yan12125]

This feature indeed needs some extra codes for live streams. (m3u8 from periscope, etc.)

[remitamine]

this patch will make them work as well:

diff --git a/youtube_dl/downloader/external.py b/youtube_dl/downloader/external.py
index 30277dc..cda39fe 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/downloader/external.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/downloader/external.py
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ class FFmpegFD(ExternalFD):

         args += ['-i', url, '-c', 'copy']
         if protocol == 'm3u8':
-            if self.params.get('hls_use_mpegts', False):
+            if self.params.get('hls_use_mpegts', False) or tmpfilename == '-':
                 args += ['-f', 'mpegts']
             else:
                 args += ['-f', 'mp4', '-bsf:a', 'aac_adtstoasc']
@@ -235,7 +235,10 @@ class FFmpegFD(ExternalFD):
             args += ['-f', EXT_TO_OUT_FORMATS.get(info_dict['ext'], info_dict['ext'])]

         args = [encodeArgument(opt) for opt in args]
-        args.append(encodeFilename(ffpp._ffmpeg_filename_argument(tmpfilename), True))
+        if tmpfilename == '-':
+            args.append('pipe:1')
+        else:
+            args.append(encodeFilename(ffpp._ffmpeg_filename_argument(tmpfilename), True))

         self._debug_cmd(args)

tested with mplayer, mpv in urls that return encrypted or live m3u8 manifests (should work with others):

python __main__.py -q -o - video_url | mplayer -

[besweeet]

Any updates about this? Would love to get 60FPS livestreams pumped directly into VLC, as livestreamer doesn't support DASH.

[yan12125]

DASH should be supported. Any problems/errors?

[besweeet]

For livestreamer? I'm just not sure of any way to select qualities other than the usual "audio_webm, audio_mp4, 144p (worst), 240p, 360p, 720p (best)" options. These are all the general <30FPS choices.

[yan12125]

Which video are you trying? Please give a concrete URL.

[besweeet]

Here's one 720p60 example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brDB5lk3G3A
And a 1080p60 example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXQ2ZZcTMpc

[yan12125]

I was wrong - such DASH support is not implemented yet. Please follow #5563 instead for that.

[baptx]

Is there no option to stream and save the video at the same time?
The output .mp4.part files can't be played while there are downloaded so I have to use a hack like this:
youtube-dl "https://www.youtube.com/c/FRANCE24English/live" -o - | cat - > replay.mp4

[yan12125]

The output .mp4.part files can't be played

Could you try: --hls-use-mpegts

[baptx]

@yan12125 thanks, it works but I would like the output file named "replay.mp4" instead of "replay.mp4.part" while I stream. Is there a way to do this?
Edit: resolved, I just found we can use --part option so it becomes youtube-dl "https://www.youtube.com/c/FRANCE24English/live" --hls-use-mpegts --no-part -o replay.mp4 :)

[tuxayo]

@baptx Thanks, that what I needed, it seems that your solution is the only one that:

• downloads the audio and video at the same time which makes it usable before it finishes downloading (--hls-use-mpegts --no-part doesn't)
• creates a file so one can move forward and backward in the video (youtube-dl URL_HERE -o - | vlc - doesn't )

It can be shortened to:
youtube-dl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0 -o - > replay.mp4

Does anyone know how to not have to start VLC separately while keeping the two beforementioned properties?

[yan12125]

Try this: youtube-dl URL_HERE -o - | tee replay.mp4 | vlc -

[tuxayo]

@yan12125 VLC is still reading only from stdin and therefore can't move forward and backward in the video.

[yan12125]

@tuxayo I see your problem. Such a need is complicated and I guess a script is inevitable:

import subprocess
import youtube_dl


player_run = False
p = None


def hook(status):
    global player_run, p

    if not player_run:
        player_run = True
        p = subprocess.Popen(['vlc', status['filename']])


opts = {
    'format': 'best',
    'nopart': True,
    'progress_hooks': [hook],
    'verbose': True,
}

with youtube_dl.YoutubeDL(opts) as ydl:
    ydl.download(['https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0'])

p.wait()

[tuxayo]

@yan12125 Awesome thanks! Great to see that youtube_dl is so flexible.

[siutin]

Hi everyone, I wondering if it is possible to stream a playlist to vlc?

[andriyor]

zsh

function ytvlc() {
    URLS=(${(ps:\n:)"$(youtube-dl "$1" --get-url)"})
    vlc "${URLS[1]}" --input-slave "${URLS[2]}"
}

bash

DL_OUTPUT=$(youtube-dl "$1" --get-url);
URLS=($(echo "$DL_OUTPUT" | tr ',' '\n'))
vlc "${URLS[0]}" --input-slave "${URLS[1]}"