How Find PBS MP4s?

[KermitJ]

As a beginner have learned a lot from this forums posts.

Have not found an app that will download all PBS videos that I can watch. Normally I use 4K video downloader for YouTube but does not work with PBS.

The best results I have found is when someone in the forum posts the PBS video url that ends in MP4.

Did a forum search using keywords How Find PBS MP4s but got nothing telling me how to do this.

Am interested in all tips but should add am also non tech and do not have adm rights on the dl PC use.

Hope someone has found an easy to get the PBS urls ending with MP4?

Also have been looking for either written or video tutorials explaining this but have not found any yet. Hope there are some.

[LZAA]

Url?

[Sviests]

Youtube-dl

F.e. this programme:
https://www.pbs.org/video/modern-back-to-the-future-brookline-mid-century-modern-7uh3qz/

youtube-dl "https://www.pbs.org/video/modern-back-to-the-future-brookline-mid-century-modern-7uh3qz/"

This will download best quality. To see what they have available:

C:\youtube-dl>youtube-dl -F "https://www.pbs.org/video/modern-back-to-the-future-brookline-mid-century-modern-7uh3qz/"
[pbs] Downloading JSON metadata
[pbs] modern-back-to-the-future-brookline-mid-century-modern-7uh3qz: Downloading webpage
[pbs] modern-back-to-the-future-brookline-mid-century-modern-7uh3qz: Downloading widget/partnerplayer page
[pbs] modern-back-to-the-future-brookline-mid-century-modern-7uh3qz: Downloading portalplayer page
[pbs] modern-back-to-the-future-brookline-mid-century-modern-7uh3qz: Downloading 0 video url info
[pbs] modern-back-to-the-future-brookline-mid-century-modern-7uh3qz: Downloading m3u8 information
[pbs] modern-back-to-the-future-brookline-mid-century-modern-7uh3qz: Downloading 1 video url info
[info] Available formats for 3030499567:
format code extension resolution note
0 mp4 unknown
hls-233 mp4 416x234 233k , avc1.64000c, mp4a.40.2
hls-461 mp4 480x270 461k , avc1.640015, mp4a.40.2
hls-848 mp4 640x360 848k , avc1.64001e, mp4a.40.2
hls-1261 mp4 768x432 1261k , avc1.64001e, mp4a.40.2
hls-2180 mp4 960x540 2180k , avc1.64001f, mp4a.40.2
hls-3202 mp4 1280x720 3202k , avc1.64001f, mp4a.40.2
http-3202 mp4 1280x720 3202k , avc1.64001f, mp4a.40.2 (best)

[jagabo]

Here's a trick you can use with some pbs videos: https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/353025-PBS-Download#post2292129

[ponens]

Hope someone has found an easy to get the PBS urls ending with MP4?

Also have been looking for either written or video tutorials explaining this but have not found any yet. Hope there are some.

F.e. this programme:
https://www.pbs.org/video/modern-back-to-the-future-brookline-mid-century-modern-7uh3qz/

Mp4 format on PBS is usually limited to 720p quality for public videos. If you want 1080p quality, you'll have to use hls.

If 720p quality is acceptable, view the source of the video page. For example, the video url quoted above.

In the page source view, you'll find data similar to this;

window.PBS.playerConfig = {
  // as of 2017-10-27, player.pbs.org/portalplayer/ requires tp_media_id,
  // not cid
  id: '3030499567',
  slug: 'modern\u002Dback\u002Dto\u002Dthe\u002Dfuture\u002Dbrookline\u002Dmid\u002Dcentury\u002Dmodern\u002D7uh3qz',

  embedURL: 'https://player.pbs.org/',
  embedType: 'portalplayer/'

Use the above data to construct a player url. For the above data, it looks like this;

https://player.pbs.org/portalplayer/3030499567/

Load the player url in browser and view the source of the player page. In the page source view, usually there will be at least two "redirect" urls that begin with;

h..ps://urs.pbs.org/redirect

One of the redirect urls (usually the second one) will redirect to the 720p mp4 progressive url for the video.

This applies to most pbs videos. Some videos, and passport videos, are slightly different.

[KermitJ]

Everyone,

Sorry for my late responses. Have been off line on Holiday.

LZAA Url? Maybe my English is not so good. Will try again. Am asking how to find the PBS MP4 urls. Would appreciate any tutorials or guides.

Sviests I am hopeless with command-line programs. Is there a portable GUI for it because do not have adm rts on dl PC. Do like that it shows all avail MP4s. Is there a guide how you got print out listed? Am guessing something triggered "[pbs] Downloading JSON metadata"... but could be wrong. Would like to use this app. Checked doc and found https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl/blob/master/README.md#faq "You can also use a file extension (currently 3gp, aac, flv, m4a, mp3, mp4, ogg, wav, webm are supported) to download the best quality format of a particular file extension served as a single file, e.g. -f webm will download the best quality format with the webm extension served as a single file.

You can also use special names to select particular edge case formats:

best: Select the best quality format represented by a single file with video and audio.
worst: Select the worst quality format represented by a single file with video and audio.
bestvideo: Select the best quality video-only format (e.g. DASH video). May not be available.
worstvideo: Select the worst quality video-only format. May not be available.
bestaudio: Select the best quality audio only-format. May not be available.
worstaudio: Select the worst quality audio only-format. May not be available.
For example, to download the worst quality video-only format you can use -f worstvideo."

As a beginner am overwhelmed but seems Youtube-dl app can do every thing I want as shown by your MP4 examples. but did not find urls for MP4s?

[KermitJ]

jagabo Thanks for the tip link to CristianoA post (did not go that far back)

Just tried "you can download it directly from site just change hls-800k.m3u8 to mp4-800k.mp4" and used code url
http://ga.video.cdn.pbs.org/cove2.0/woodwrights-shop/e7b30a81-e9b6-4679-b829-13ca12424...9-mp4-800k.mp4

used FireFox, Chrome, and Opera, all gave same error message for url "This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it. The document tree is shown below.
<Error><Code>AccessDenied</Code><Message>Access Denied</Message><RequestId>8AA226126FC37D5D</RequestId><HostId>94Bbmd8qCmkDEZ6WfwmJMTguqVFQpOGS UYKmzAgM/VvF15mDYsglgAvxcgjmJDytvc8yGXLf+xU=</HostId></Error>

Did PBS change something so it does not work now or is it me?

[KermitJ]

ponens "If 720p quality is acceptable" yes Tried to follow your directions view the source of the video page. For example, the video url quoted above.

In the page source view, you'll find data similar to this;

Code:
window.PBS.playerConfig = {
// as of 2017-10-27, player.pbs.org/portalplayer/ requires tp_media_id,
// not cid
id: '3030499567',
slug: 'modern\u002Dback\u002Dto\u002Dthe\u002Dfuture\u00 2Dbrookline\u002Dmid\u002Dcentury\u002Dmodern\u002 D7uh3qz',

embedURL: 'https://player.pbs.org/',
embedType: 'portalplayer/'
Use the above data to construct a player url. For the above data, it looks like this;

Code:
https://player.pbs.org/portalplayer/3030499567/
Load the player url in browser and view the source of the player page. In the page source view, usually there will be at least two "redirect" urls that begin with;
Code:
h..ps://urs.pbs.org/redirect
One of the redirect urls (usually the second one) will redirect to the 720p mp4 progressive url for the video.

This applies to most pbs videos. Some videos, and passport videos, are slightly different.

Thanks Is there a video tutorial that takes a beginner thru each step?

[KermitJ]

Everyone

Thanks for all your comments. Realized how non tech I am which is why really like https://www.4kdownload.com/download all I have to do is select the resolution when input url

That is the type of app would like to start with for PBS. Is there one?

[ponens]

Is there a video tutorial that takes a beginner thru each step?

Those are the step-by-step instructions.

1. Load the player url in browser (for example, https://player.pbs.org/portalplayer/3030499567/)

2. Ctrl-U to view source.

3. Ctrl-F, then type "encodings" in find box.

4. Second "urs" url is the link to 720p video.

Which step is giving you trouble?

[KermitJ]

ponens Thanks for your patience. Guess the problem is this is all new. Was looking for something that was automatic like 4K...