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For years (up until seemingly the last 12 months) you could download from ESPN and ESPN+ using yt-dl, the m3u8 URL, and the auth key. That is now giving me corrupted video, and trying with yt-dlp (instead of youtube-dl) gives a DRM error. I followed a guide specifically for ESPN to the letter using N_m3u8DL-RE, which partially works other than for the fact the video output is the same visually corrupted result (audio works though, file size and video length are correct). In a YouTube guide, a commenter within the last week said to set every .exe to run as admin to solve this specific problem, but that did not work for me.
What could be wrong/can anyone else download from ESPN, and how are you doing it?
Thanks.
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To elaborate I've spent a few more hours on this and have N_m3u8DL-RE set up and am following the steps to the letter, and the YouTube video that covers this. No matter how many times I try or what I try to do differently, I keep getting a garbled (not decrypted?) video with working audio. I followed each step exactly as in that video and have tried other things people have posted in related threads. For some reason this just won't work for me. It seems like the issue is it is not decrypting.
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I fresh installed Windows in a virtual machine, set up N_m3u8DL-RE clean from the beginning, and got the same exact problem. Downloads have corrupted video with working audio.
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I found the issue, but not the solution. In the logs there is this (emphasis added):
Looks like this confirms the issue is it's not decrypting. Any ideas why?Code:22:05:01.172 WARN : Writing meta json 22:05:01.173 INFO : Save Name: ctr-all-22884de6-ae93-49cb-bc6f-94f4a99f1b26-f110b1ba-d4b9-4abd-a93a-61dc93adb9e8_2026-04-19_22-04-58 22:05:01.174 WARN : MuxAfterDone is detected, binary merging is automatically enabled 22:05:01.175 INFO : Start downloading...Vid 1280x720 | 4122 Kbps | 29.97 | avc1.64001f 22:05:01.254 WARN : Type: cenc 22:05:01.255 WARN : KID: 2d9720a9f1d1452c883475deae6a9d73 22:05:01.256 WARN : Reading media info... 22:05:01.281 INFO : [0x1]: Video, h264 (avc1), 1280x720 22:05:14.816 INFO : Binary merging... 22:05:22.047 WARN : Type: cenc 22:05:22.048 WARN : KID: 2d9720a9f1d1452c883475deae6a9d73 22:05:22.148 INFO : Decrypting using SHAKA_PACKAGER... 22:05:22.180 ERROR: Decryption failed 22:05:22.312 INFO : Start downloading...Aud aac-128k | English | en | 2CH 22:05:22.344 WARN : Reading media info... 22:05:22.368 INFO : [0x1]: Audio, aac (mp4a), 128 kb/s 22:05:24.993 INFO : Binary merging... 22:05:25.628 INFO : Start downloading...Sub sub-main | da | Dansk 22:05:25.670 WARN : Reading media info... 22:05:25.695 INFO : NaN: Subtitle, webvtt 22:05:25.791 WARN : Extracting VTT(raw) subtitle... 22:05:25.799 INFO : Binary merging... 22:05:25.802 WARN : ctr-all-22884de6-ae93-49cb-bc6f-94f4a99f1b26-f110b1ba-d4b9-4abd-a93a-61dc93adb9e8_2026-04-19_22-04-58.mp4 22:05:25.802 WARN : ctr-all-22884de6-ae93-49cb-bc6f-94f4a99f1b26-f110b1ba-d4b9-4abd-a93a-61dc93adb9e8_2026-04-19_22-04-58.en.m4a
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Sadly I do not have a subscription anymore, but what usually worked for me was WidevineProxy2Originally Posted by Boxcart
Else I am currently able to get the correct .m3u8 via network, BUT thats for free videos
Sadly VT-PR got taken down from GitHub, but somewhere is a leak. They supported Disney/ESPN if i remember correctly
Else what I have seen on this forum was streamlink, but it requires some technical knowledge -
Thanks I actually just found the solution, though I was having this problem for ANY ESPN video, whether it was ESPN+ or a public one.Originally Posted by RCGn
Sadly I do not have a subscription anymore, but what usually worked for me was WidevineProxy2Originally Posted by Boxcart
Else I am currently able to get the correct .m3u8 via network, BUT thats for free videos
Sadly VT-PR got taken down from GitHub, but somewhere is a leak. They supported Disney/ESPN if i remember correctly
Else what I have seen on this forum was streamlink, but it requires some technical knowledge
The solution for others who encounter the same problem was to use the "packager-win-x64.exe" binary of shaka-packager, not the "mpd_generator-win-x64.exe" one. The YouTube guide I followed said to use the latter. -
ohhh so the (next) issue was actually the renaming into shaka-packagerOriginally Posted by Boxcart
Thanks I actually just found the solution, though I was having this problem for ANY ESPN video, whether it was ESPN+ or a public one.Originally Posted by RCGn
Sadly I do not have a subscription anymore, but what usually worked for me was WidevineProxy2Originally Posted by Boxcart
Else I am currently able to get the correct .m3u8 via network, BUT thats for free videos
Sadly VT-PR got taken down from GitHub, but somewhere is a leak. They supported Disney/ESPN if i remember correctly
Else what I have seen on this forum was streamlink, but it requires some technical knowledge
The solution for others who encounter the same problem was to use the "packager-win-x64.exe" binary of shaka-packager, not the "mpd_generator-win-x64.exe" one. The YouTube guide I followed said to use the latter.
it should have said it in the command lines
But glad it worked out for you!
What was the exact solution to your initial problem? I've tried out WideVineProxy2 now and it seems to be buggy with ESPN
As I said, the only "solution" I got was:
[Attachment 92049 - Click to enlarge]
Then merge the video with the audio and done -
No I had renamed it, but apparently was using the wrong binary from Github. Using the one I mentioned made it work. I haven't had any bugs other than I don't know how to name a file in the code without just changing the file name after it downloads. What bug are you getting?Originally Posted by RCGn
ohhh so the (next) issue was actually the renaming into shaka-packagerOriginally Posted by Boxcart
Thanks I actually just found the solution, though I was having this problem for ANY ESPN video, whether it was ESPN+ or a public one.Originally Posted by RCGn
Sadly I do not have a subscription anymore, but what usually worked for me was WidevineProxy2Originally Posted by Boxcart
Else I am currently able to get the correct .m3u8 via network, BUT thats for free videos
Sadly VT-PR got taken down from GitHub, but somewhere is a leak. They supported Disney/ESPN if i remember correctly
Else what I have seen on this forum was streamlink, but it requires some technical knowledge
The solution for others who encounter the same problem was to use the "packager-win-x64.exe" binary of shaka-packager, not the "mpd_generator-win-x64.exe" one. The YouTube guide I followed said to use the latter. it should have said it in the command lines
But glad it worked out for you!
What was the exact solution to your initial problem? I've tried out WideVineProxy2 now and it seems to be buggy with ESPN
As I said, the only "solution" I got was:
[Attachment 92049 - Click to enlarge]
Then merge the video with the audio and done -
maybe try at the end --save-name xxxxOriginally Posted by Boxcart
No I had renamed it, but apparently was using the wrong binary from Github. Using the one I mentioned made it work. I haven't had any bugs other than I don't know how to name a file in the code without just changing the file name after it downloads. What bug are you getting?Originally Posted by RCGn
ohhh so the (next) issue was actually the renaming into shaka-packagerOriginally Posted by Boxcart
Thanks I actually just found the solution, though I was having this problem for ANY ESPN video, whether it was ESPN+ or a public one.Originally Posted by RCGn
Sadly I do not have a subscription anymore, but what usually worked for me was WidevineProxy2Originally Posted by Boxcart
Else I am currently able to get the correct .m3u8 via network, BUT thats for free videos
Sadly VT-PR got taken down from GitHub, but somewhere is a leak. They supported Disney/ESPN if i remember correctly
Else what I have seen on this forum was streamlink, but it requires some technical knowledge
The solution for others who encounter the same problem was to use the "packager-win-x64.exe" binary of shaka-packager, not the "mpd_generator-win-x64.exe" one. The YouTube guide I followed said to use the latter. it should have said it in the command lines
But glad it worked out for you!
What was the exact solution to your initial problem? I've tried out WideVineProxy2 now and it seems to be buggy with ESPN
As I said, the only "solution" I got was:
[Attachment 92049 - Click to enlarge]
Then merge the video with the audio and done
Thats usually the command on n_m3u8DL
My issue is, I have to get the .m3u8 and the command manually and no longer automatically via the extension (sometimes I am lazy).
But I don't have the KID and PSSH Key, in case of I have + again
If I play a free video, I am getting the correct audio and video. As you can see on the network tab
[Attachment 92050 - Click to enlarge]
[Attachment 92051 - Click to enlarge] -
I tried that but it just causes the command to quit without running so I just name manually. Not the biggest deal unless you want to download a lot at once and let the commands run without having to figure out what is what later on.Originally Posted by RCGn
maybe try at the end --save-name xxxxOriginally Posted by Boxcart
No I had renamed it, but apparently was using the wrong binary from Github. Using the one I mentioned made it work. I haven't had any bugs other than I don't know how to name a file in the code without just changing the file name after it downloads. What bug are you getting?Originally Posted by RCGn
ohhh so the (next) issue was actually the renaming into shaka-packagerOriginally Posted by Boxcart
Thanks I actually just found the solution, though I was having this problem for ANY ESPN video, whether it was ESPN+ or a public one.Originally Posted by RCGn
Sadly I do not have a subscription anymore, but what usually worked for me was WidevineProxy2Originally Posted by Boxcart
Else I am currently able to get the correct .m3u8 via network, BUT thats for free videos
Sadly VT-PR got taken down from GitHub, but somewhere is a leak. They supported Disney/ESPN if i remember correctly
Else what I have seen on this forum was streamlink, but it requires some technical knowledge
The solution for others who encounter the same problem was to use the "packager-win-x64.exe" binary of shaka-packager, not the "mpd_generator-win-x64.exe" one. The YouTube guide I followed said to use the latter. it should have said it in the command lines
But glad it worked out for you!
What was the exact solution to your initial problem? I've tried out WideVineProxy2 now and it seems to be buggy with ESPN
As I said, the only "solution" I got was:
[Attachment 92049 - Click to enlarge]
Then merge the video with the audio and done
Thats usually the command on n_m3u8DL
My issue is, I have to get the .m3u8 and the command manually and no longer automatically via the extension (sometimes I am lazy).
But I don't have the KID and PSSH Key, in case of I have + again
If I play a free video, I am getting the correct audio and video. As you can see on the network tab
[Attachment 92050 - Click to enlarge]
[Attachment 92051 - Click to enlarge]
Have you tried clearing everything out and reinstalling the set up clean? I haven't run into that but I imagine this process is infinitely easier with the plug in than doing it manually.
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