Broken Xtube Support - Failed to parse JSON

[nolimit777]

Checklist

• [ x] I'm reporting a broken site support
• [ x] I've verified that I'm running youtube-dl version 2020.01.24
• [ x] I've checked that all provided URLs are alive and playable in a browser
• [ x] I've checked that all URLs and arguments with special characters are properly quoted or escaped
• [ x] I've searched the bugtracker for similar issues including closed ones

Verbose log

C:\youtube-dl>youtube-dl -v http://www.xtube.com/profile/greenshowers-4056496
[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: []
[debug] Custom config: []
[debug] Command-line args: ['-v', 'http://www.xtube.com/profile/greenshowers-4056496']
[debug] Encodings: locale cp1252, fs mbcs, out cp850, pref cp1252
[debug] youtube-dl version 2020.01.24
[debug] Python version 3.4.4 (CPython) - Windows-10-10.0.17763
[debug] exe versions: ffmpeg N-93554-gce92ee4b4f, ffprobe N-93554-gce92ee4b4f
[debug] Proxy map: {}
[XTubeUser] greenshowers-4056496: Downloading videos JSON page 1
ERROR: greenshowers-4056496: Failed to parse JSON  (caused by ValueError('Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)',)); 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 "C:\Users\dst\AppData\Roaming\Build archive\youtube-dl\ytdl-org\tmpw0w300z1\build\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 899, in _parse_json
  File "C:\Python\Python34\lib\json\__init__.py", line 318, in loads
  File "C:\Python\Python34\lib\json\decoder.py", line 343, in decode
  File "C:\Python\Python34\lib\json\decoder.py", line 361, in raw_decode
ValueError: Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\dst\AppData\Roaming\Build archive\youtube-dl\ytdl-org\tmpw0w300z1\build\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 899, in _parse_json
  File "C:\Python\Python34\lib\json\__init__.py", line 318, in loads
  File "C:\Python\Python34\lib\json\decoder.py", line 343, in decode
  File "C:\Python\Python34\lib\json\decoder.py", line 361, in raw_decode
ValueError: Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\dst\AppData\Roaming\Build archive\youtube-dl\ytdl-org\tmpw0w300z1\build\youtube_dl\YoutubeDL.py", line 796, in extract_info
  File "C:\Users\dst\AppData\Roaming\Build archive\youtube-dl\ytdl-org\tmpw0w300z1\build\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 530, in extract
  File "C:\Users\dst\AppData\Roaming\Build archive\youtube-dl\ytdl-org\tmpw0w300z1\build\youtube_dl\extractor\xtube.py", line 164, in _real_extract
  File "C:\Users\dst\AppData\Roaming\Build archive\youtube-dl\ytdl-org\tmpw0w300z1\build\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 892, in _download_json
  File "C:\Users\dst\AppData\Roaming\Build archive\youtube-dl\ytdl-org\tmpw0w300z1\build\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 876, in _download_json_handle
  File "C:\Users\dst\AppData\Roaming\Build archive\youtube-dl\ytdl-org\tmpw0w300z1\build\youtube_dl\extractor\common.py", line 903, in _parse_json
youtube_dl.utils.ExtractorError: greenshowers-4056496: Failed to parse JSON  (caused by ValueError('Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)',)); 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.

Description

Xtube support is broken since several months (at least since early December), videos can't be downloaded at all (using profile URL like https://www.xtube.com/profile/greenshowers-4056496 or direct video URL like https://www.xtube.com/video-watch/renaissance-man-18992622).
Tried from different IP.
Xtube probably updated the site.
Would be nice if you could update youtube-dl parser for Xtube as well to download videos from a profile URL as before, youtube-dl is literally a wonderful time saver to grab them.
Thanks.

[affinityv]

Both of those links worked for me, but I am going through a proxy (socks5 Tor). Perhaps there is some other blocking going on with your connection.

[nolimit777]

Thanks for your comment.
This is really strange, I'm confused by your answer.
I tested through 3 computers located in 3 different places with different IP/configuration (so 3 totally different connection).

You don't get a parse error and youtube-dl is parsing correctly all the pages and able to grab all the videos ?

[nolimit777]

@dstftw
Can you give some details please ?
You don't get a parse error and you are able to download videos ?
It would have been nice to give some details before closing (connection, region, etc...), thanks ^^

[nolimit777]

@affinityv
I did like you and tried through a similar proxy (SOCKS5 TOR) and... IT WORKS !
Can't believe that Xtube is someways blocking IP range of 3 majors ISP from France, that's simply crazy.
Many thanks for your hint, it have been months without success !

[affinityv]

@nolimit777 It might be the Internet police ;-)

It's a good change that Tor works and non-Tor is blocked! Or at least, one method works.... none should be blocked.

[nolimit777]

@affinityv It's true, I'm totally guilty to use too much youtube-dl with Xtube ;-D

I wish nothing was blocked too, but at least, like you said, something is working ! ^^
Thanks again for testing and the hint.

Did you also tried with a direct connection, does it work ?

[affinityv]

@nolimit777 Direct downloads worked too (including your two URLs), except for premium content, which, I expect, needs a login anyway regardless of network path used.