request option '--playlist-elapsed-max'

[glenn-slayden]

Checklist

• I'm reporting a feature request
• I've verified that I'm running youtube-dl version 2020.05.29
• I've searched the bugtracker for similar feature requests including closed ones

Description

Requesting a new command line switch which specifies the maximum elapsed time allowed for downloading, per channel or playlist. Any item that starts downloading before the time expires is allowed to complete, even if doing so exceeds the allocated time. This entails that a minimum of 1 video per channel/playlist will always be downloaded.

Details

The proposed option sets a limit on the maximum elapsed time allowed, per channel or playlist, for downloading.

• A new timer starts for each playlist (or channel) when its first item begins downloading.

• Any video that starts downloading is allowed to complete.

• Before downloading each/any additional item(s) in the playlist, the timer is checked. If the allocated time has been exceeded, then download of this playlist is discontinued, and possibly continues by proceeding to the next playlist (if any).

• A suggested name and usage for the command line option could specify the desired time in seconds, such as, i.e., to allow a total of 3 minutes of downloading per channel or playlist:

  --playlist-elapsed-max 180