Can't download from PBS site ....

[xtal_01]

Hello,

I have searched dozens of posting and an now more confused than ever ... maybe someone can set me straight!

I wanted to download from a PBS site ( trying to download " American Experience - Henry Ford" ). Here is one site but it is available at others http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/henryford/player/

They are using JW player.

I am using Firefox ( but I have EI and Chrome if I need to use them ).

I first tried several "add-on" video downloaders. These all seem to work on sites like Youtube but not here. When I "hit the download button" ( no matter which downloader I seem to choose), I get a short .swf file ... which turns out to be the 75 second commercial at the beginning of the video.

Never does the actual video come up.

I thought I was being smart after reading all the posts and shut off my flash. I then saved the page and extracted the mp4 video from it ... problem ... it is not HD ... they only allow you to watch the video in HD if you stream it, otherwise you get the low quality one downloaded.

So I am stumped!

I am guessing ( and I really don't know enough about this subject ) that pbs has somehow hides the video stream so that the "normal" downloaders can't see it.

Is there any way of downloading this video in HD as it is streaming?

Thanks ..... Mike

[blimey]

See next message...

[aazerty]

Hi ,

@blimey : thanks .

@xtal_01 :

=== below the batch file ( to be staying in the livestreamer's directory ) .

@echo on
livestreamer -o hd-mezzanine.flv "hls://ga.video.cdn.pbs.org/videos/american-experience/72771964-c7fb-43ea-9759-ada4e209ca54/14850/hd-mezzanine-16x9/HEFO0000_mezz16x9-16x9-hls-2500k.m3u8" best
pause
:fin

=== below , while the running process , not ended !!!

[cli][info] Found matching plugin stream for URL hls://ga.video.cdn.pbs.org/videos/american-experience/72771964-c7fb-43ea-9759-ada4e209ca54/14850/hd-mezzanine-16x9/HEFO0000_mezz16x9-16x9-hls-2500k.m3u8
[cli][info] Available streams: live (worst, best)
[cli][info] Opening stream: live (hls)
[download][hd-mezzanine.flv] Written 27.7 MB (2m17s @ 224.1 KB/s)

Cheers .

[xtal_01]

You guys are awesome!

I will download ffmpeg and give it a try.

Program even has a Linux version .... great since I just set my machine up as dual boot .... wanted to give Linux a try since Windows 7 is my last piece of "purchased" software ... everything else I use is open source.

If I have any questions, I will post again.

Thanks so much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike

[xtal_01]

Blimey, I see you edited your post before I had a chance to download the information. I can't get a PM to you but could you please send me one with the information that you originally had up on the posting.

I also wanted to know how you knew the audio was better on the 360p than on the 720p? I would have just expected the better quality audio to be with the HD file.

Thanks so very much .... Mike

[xtal_01]

OK, so I am a bit confused ... nothing new ... blame it on being a mechanical engineer rather than a computer guy.

I looked at the code and then read the files that come with ffmpeg.

1) it seems to use FFmpeg, you had to know the name of the file to put after the input (-i) .... how did you find this? Did you use ffmpeg or did you use a different program?

2) on the output (-c copy), the syntax looks like it is (stream specifier) ... I don't see where you told it what codec to use or maybe you don't have to. The original file you show has a .m3u8 extension. Is this an actual file or just a pointer to the streaming file? After the -c would you not have to put a file name and then .mp4?

3) looking at the diagrams in the notes and thinking about your post, can you "mux" the hd video and better quality audio right here in ffmpeg as it is downloading?

Sorry for so many questions. I want to learn to do thing so I don't have to beg for help each time.

Is there any spot on the web that walks you through a good example of what I am trying to do?

Thanks so much again ..... Mike