Can't DL Youtube Vids Using VideoDownloadHelper (Unsolved)

[skeezix]

Can no longer download any video by using VideoDownloadHelper. Using FF 57.0.4 and VDL 7.1.1. The VDL website says that version 7.1.1 fully supports Firefox Quantum.

What is a good alternative to VDL until this situation is resolved?

[Billy Bunter]

Hi there

I don't use an extension as such, but ClipGrab is an excellent free piece of software to do just what you want.
You can even just download the audio of any music video as an mp3 should you so desire.

Billy Bunter

[Gingerbread Man]

youtube-dl is what I consider the best option, because there doesn't seem to be any 1080p+ video that it can't mux. It also works on many other sites. It's probably a bit complicated to set up for most though. userChrome.js toolbar button to launch it, if anyone's interested.

YouTube Video and Audio Downloader is easier to use, and it can mux most but not all 1080p+ streams via ffmpeg.

[skeezix]

Thank you Billy Bunter and Gingerbread Man. I'll give those a shot. (I don't use Chrome, just Firefox.)

[therube]

Can no longer download any video by using VideoDownloadHelper

Any?
Any, from where?
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB_4Q4_ ... edllyE8NVO, works.

[LIMPET235]

Thank you Billy Bunter and Gingerbread Man. I'll give those a shot. (I don't use Chrome, just Firefox.)

Hi skeezix,
JIC you did not know...
Here's the low-down on the GbMan's above ^ reference to "userChrome.js toolbar button."
> http://kb.mozillazine.org/UserChrome.css

It does not refer to Google's "Chrome" browser.
A common error.
No probs.

[skeezix]

@therube
I went to the Youtube link that you provided and clicked on several of the video links. Each video plays, but unfortunately, the VDL balloon icon remains grayed out for all videos. Do you have any more ideas? My system BTW is the standard Windows 10 Home edition.

[skeezix]

[quote="LIMPET235"

Hi skeezix,
JIC you did not know...
Here's the low-down on the GbMan's above ^ reference to "userChrome.js toolbar button."
> http://kb.mozillazine.org/UserChrome.css.[/quote]

Thanks for the link. Actually though, I'm pretty happy with Firefox the way it is, and I don't wish to change how it operates. As I get older, it gets more and more difficult to keep track of things like what the article describes, so I tend to make as few changes as I can.

[skeezix]

youtube-dl is what I consider the best option, because there doesn't seem to be any 1080p+ video that it can't mux.

YouTube Video and Audio Downloader is easier to use, and it can mux most but not all 1080p+ streams via ffmpeg.

I took a look at Youtube-dl. I gave up working with command-line programs about 20 years ago. Spoiled by today's computer applications

And after reading some of the reviews for YouTube Video and Audio Downloader I decided not to download and then possibly fight with it.

But thanks for those links - I appreciate your help!

[therube]

Disable all other extensions except for VDH & see if that changes anything?

If not, as a test, create a new, clean Profile, install VDH, visit Youtube (or elsewhere) & test.

[skeezix]

Okay, I disabled all other extensions except for VDH, and the VDH icon still remains grey when I go to Youtube.

Finally, I created a new profile (named VDH Test), quit FF, restarted FF and loaded VDH. Then I went to Youtube and selected a video. The VDH icon was now in color, and I was able to download it. Not sure where to go from here. My bookmark list was completely blank.

Next, I copied everything in my Default profile over to the two VDH Test profiles, and one by one, enabled my extensions. Everything worked, and I had my bookmarks list back. So far, so good.

Then I noticed that a "companion" file should be loaded (named "VDHCoAppSetup-1.1.2.exe). I also had downloaded versions 1.1.1 and 1.1.11 but never installed them, so I quit Firefox and double-clicked VDHCoAppSetup-1.1.2.exe. The system went busy and that was it. I went to the Task Manager and ended the Windows Explorer task. The screen turned a solid blue, and returned to a solid blue when I attempted to restart.

Finally, I noticed a Power icon in the lower right corner of the Task Manager screen and used that to power the system completely off.

When I restarted using that method, the system came back up.

Now I'm afraid to install VDHCoAppSetup, and I don't know what to do. Can you still help me?

[therube]

(I've never installed nor used the "companion" file, only the FF extension itself.)

[LIMPET235]

Hi skeezix,
The program you are asking about is the "Companion Application."
For reference > https://www.downloadhelper.net/install-coapp

What does this companion application does ?

It provides a way to write files to the disk. The only ways to write a file from a browser add-on is to use the downloads API which basically takes an URL and transfers the data verbatim to the downloads directory. Even if the downloaded data can be generated internally by the add-on, it is not suitable to writing big files like videos. The ability to write files from an add-on was present in Firefox but does not exists in Chrome nor Firefox (>= 57). Writing files from the add-on is necessary when downloading streams using protocols HLS and DASH.
It contains a build of the very popular ffmpeg video converter application. This is required by the add-on to create audio+video files when audio and video data are streamed separately. This is also necessary if you want to perform any conversion operation on the downloaded media. Previously, you also had to download a converter for those operations on Firefox (and conversion/aggregation was not supported on other browsers).

&, I think that you have to buy the thing, otherwise you end up with a water mark on all your frames..
Yep.
Sure do.

Conversion licensing and watermark

Except on Linux, when you make use of the converter (whether this is an explicit conversion or an aggregation), the generated video file will contain a watermark (representing a QR code) at the top left of every frame.

A license is also required to convert to audio-only formats.

We are sorry for that, but this is the way we fund Video DownloadHelper: selling conversion licenses.

To purchase a conversion license (which is granted for life), follow this link.

Link > https://www.downloadhelper.net/convert.php

[skeezix]

I think I'll pass on it for now. Thanks for your help!

[LIMPET235]

You're welcome...



Just a tad of FWIW for you...
If you want a free video converter, then take a look at these 2.
Did I say free? YEP.
Any Video Converter > http://www.any-video-converter.com/prod ... ideo_free/
&, SUPER © > http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html

Do not use any kind of D/L manager/accelerator with SUPER ©
& only get it from this site, but watch those installation screens for those "SPECIAL OFFERS.".