[youtube-dlp/embedding] How to download in mp4 instead of webm?

[yetanotherlogin]

Hello,

I'm trying to turn a Windows batch file using the youtube-dlp.exe binary to a Python script. They're such a pain over there in the issues section that I'd rather ask elsewhere.

Although I kept the "ext:mp4" bit, for some reason, the following script downloads the file as .webm instead of .mp4.

Any idea why?

Thank you.

import yt_dlp

yt_opts = { 'extractor-args': 'youtube:lang=fr', 'S':'width:640,ext:mp4,lang:fr-FR', 
'trim-filenames':'128',
'compat':'filename-sanitization',
'console-title':'',
'progress':'',
'progress-template':'%(progress._percent_str)s',
}

with yt_dlp.YoutubeDL(yt_opts) as ydl:
    ydl.download("https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHT2CtiEAhM")

[krykmoon]

Hello,

I'm trying to turn a Windows batch file using the youtube-dlp.exe binary to a Python script. They're such a pain over there in the issues section that I'd rather ask elsewhere.

Although I kept the "ext:mp4" bit, for some reason, the following script downloads the file as .webm instead of .mp4.

Any idea why?

Thank you.

import yt_dlp

yt_opts = { 'extractor-args': 'youtube:lang=fr', 'S':'width:640,ext:mp4,lang:fr-FR', 
'trim-filenames':'128',
'compat':'filename-sanitization',
'console-title':'',
'progress':'',
'progress-template':'%(progress._percent_str)s',
}

with yt_dlp.YoutubeDL(yt_opts) as ydl:
    ydl.download("https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHT2CtiEAhM")

Don't know about Python.. and I'm not sure if this is the YT_DLP you're talking : https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp

To download a video in a specific format using the command-line in YT-DLP you need to use the --format parameter (also -f ).. in your case YT_DLP.exe --format mp4 <url of the video>

[yetanotherlogin]

Yes, it works with the CLI, but not in Python, hence my question here.

[cholla]

I also can not help with Python.
I use command line.
Here is what I use:
I start with

yt-dlp --list-formats https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHT2CtiEAhM

I tried the largest files first but some of those were "Forbidden".
There are the largest size numbers that worked:

yt-dlp -f 140+137 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHT2CtiEAhM

This also worked but the file size was much smaller:

yt-dlp -f ba*+bv* yt-dlp1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHT2CtiEAhM

I hope there is a way you can use these with Python.

[jagabo]

Keep in mind that some codecs can't be put in MP4.

[krykmoon]

Keep in mind that some codecs can't be put in MP4.

that video the user posted has an mp4 source for video.. so I think the problem in in how he's implementing the call to the YT-DLP in python.. something wrong with how parameters/options are passed, probably.

[cholla]

Keep in mind that some codecs can't be put in MP4.

The list formats only had .mp4 & webm video.
.m4a audio & webm audio as opus.
The opus codec can not be in an .mp4
The webm opus were not the largest audio files available.
While size is not an absolute indicator of quality. It is a fairly good one.

[Brazil]

This also worked but the file size was much smaller:

yt-dlp -f ba*+bv* yt-dlp1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHT2CtiEAhM

Because you need to specify the extension. This should work:

yt-dlp -f bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxxxxxxxx

You can also force the H.264/AVC codec:

yt-dlp -f bestvideo[ext=mp4][vcodec^=avc1]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxxxxxxxx