A real challenge capturing C-SPAN....

[yoshi_114]

Hi guys, I introduced myself last time as workting for a non-profit educational org (www.theicc.net / www.worde.org ) and some of you were kind enough to help me grab a file (you used rtm dump? something like that, i remember the name was awful !) - I could not find a version of the program that ran with my computer.

In the meantime:

C-Span sent my organization a copy of this presentation on DVD (my boss is the lady on the far right and colleages are in the middle!!!)- I have this DVD right here on my desk, alas, my 2009 iMac no longer accepts DVD's (it has been shaky ever since I got it and got progressively worse as the years went on) --- In short, I really need to find a way to grab this presentation:

http://www.c-span.org/video/?317875-1/civil-society-afghanistan

Can anyone help me or tell me a good way to grab it? I've tried MPEG Streamclip to no avail... Your help or advice would be most appreciated...

Thanks a trillion dollars,
Yoshi

[ponens]

youtube-dl is an easy way to download c-span videos.

Just type:

youtube-dl "url to video"

on the command line.

[yoshi_114]

Thanks ponens, this seems like a revolutionary thing... I'm on the download page, what kind people.

How do I download it for Mac osx? I note from their website that osx is supported, but on the download page ( http://rg3.github.io/youtube-dl/download.html ) I don't see which option i need? Do I get the windows version???

Thanks so much, hope this works

[yoshi_114]

And I have no idea what python interpreter is!?? The python page is a little scary to be honest... I mean as someone who's not very code proficient in any language aside from v basic html,, and has no idea what this all means

[ponens]

The windows version is just a single small standalone executable. You needn't concern yourself with anything about python, unless you are naturally curious.

They list discreet instructions for OS X using sudo curl or sudo wget. If this is not something you feel you can do on OS X, just forget about youtube-dl.

[yoshi_114]

thanks again ponens ... I believe I've encountered "sudo" before- this means that this youtube-dl thing is something that i use the mac terminal for, correct?

And finally, just to be clear (sorry!) - I'm still confused about the download page, it has a download link for .exe (windows) and full source (is that the one i need?)

[yoshi_114]

I mean it says, To install it right away for all UNIX users (Linux, OS X, etc.), type:
sudo curl https://yt-dl.org/downloads/2014.06.02/youtube-dl -o /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl

sudo chmod a+x /usr/local/bin/youtube-dl


So i just type that into my Mac Terminal and it'll install, correct???

[ponens]

Ok, just forget about youtube-dl. Instead, find the very long, one-time-use url. It will look like this (note that the following one will have expired):

http://d19cp144waw2mw.cloudfront.net/trimmed/full/317/317875-1/317875-1-MP4-STD_01.mp4?Policy=eyJTdGF0ZW1lbnQiOlt7IlJlc291cmNlIjoiaHR0cDovL2QxOWNwMTQ0d2F3Mm13LmNsb3VkZnJvbnQubmV0L3RyaW1tZWQvZnVsbC8zMTcvMzE3ODc1LTEvMzE3ODc1LTEtTVA0LVNURF8wMS5tcDQiLCJDb25kaXRpb24iOnsiRGF0ZUxlc3NUaGFuIjp7IkFXUzpFcG9jaFRpbWUiOjE0MDE3NDc1NDR9LCJJcEFkZHJlc3MiOnsiQVdTOlNvdXJjZUlwIjoiOTcuMTE3LjE5My4xOSJ9fX1dfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIHKVWBEAXX562G7Q&Signature=YPXtBPvsG4OWybByHxlUExctPIjsE4GC0H5XSlmD6kjaEkniLEmkzuAMf~GTUrA7QT5MCJtVeaAx6wcKAKALlFcM8TIf6jfUR6eJcgt6YcazFSsm0Cl7SKvsaJ6qlMVdV7ygQ3Yjy5rg1gA-XWJxNDh96~JbLGqRZjT1W824Alw_

[yoshi_114]

thanks so much ponens, you are a lifesaver... !
it worked, 20% done grabbing
Y.

PS- Can I ask how you managed to get the first link??? This would help me so much going forward.... You could email the method if its easier (I'm at yoshi_114 [at] [hotmail.com]

[lordsmurf]

- delete -

[SamPower]

I'm having the same trouble.

Ponens, how do you find the one time use url?

I'm trying to grab http://www.c-span.org/video/?325202-2/discussion-confederate-views-civil-war

[ponens]

I'm having the same trouble.

Ponens, how do you find the one time use url?

I'm trying to grab http://www.c-span.org/video/?325202-2/discussion-confederate-views-civil-war

Load this page

http://www.c-span.org/assets/player/ajax-player.php?os=ios&html5=program&id=395935

The highest quality is the MP4-M20 link.

[sysanin]

...

[3dc7a38f]

I'm having the same trouble.

Ponens, how do you find the one time use url?

I'm trying to grab http://www.c-span.org/video/?325202-2/discussion-confederate-views-civil-war

Load this page

http://www.c-span.org/assets/player/ajax-player.php?os=ios&html5=program&id=395935

The highest quality is the MP4-M20 link.

Hello I just registered this account ask you this, is MP4-M20 highest quality video one can download from c-span or is it video related only?

I'm trying to download this video: www.c-span.org/video/?325461-1
Is mp4-m20 highest quality by using this link? http://www.c-span.org/assets/player/ajax-player.php?os=ios&html5=program&id=397348

It's strange video screencap is 1920*1080 pixels. http://images.c-spanvideo.org/Files/7d9/20150417130843012_hd.jpg

Help pls. Sorry for my English btw.

[biezom]

I'm having the same trouble.

Ponens, how do you find the one time use url?

I'm trying to grab http://www.c-span.org/video/?325202-2/discussion-confederate-views-civil-war

Load this page

http://www.c-span.org/assets/player/ajax-player.php?os=ios&html5=program&id=395935

The highest quality is the MP4-M20 link.

Hello I just registered this account ask you this, is MP4-M20 highest quality video one can download from c-span or is it video related only?

I'm trying to download this video: www.c-span.org/video/?325461-1
Is mp4-m20 highest quality by using this link? http://www.c-span.org/assets/player/ajax-player.php?os=ios&html5=program&id=397348

It's strange video screencap is 1920*1080 pixels. http://images.c-spanvideo.org/Files/7d9/20150417130843012_hd.jpg

Help pls. Sorry for my English btw.

screencap >>> maybe resolution of your screen's computer ????

[ponens]

Hello I just registered this account ask you this, is MP4-M20 highest quality video one can download from c-span or is it video related only?

I'm trying to download this video: www.c-span.org/video/?325461-1
Is mp4-m20 highest quality by using this link? http://www.c-span.org/assets/player/ajax-player.php?os=ios&html5=program&id=397348

It's strange video screencap is 1920*1080 pixels. http://images.c-spanvideo.org/Files/7d9/20150417130843012_hd.jpg

Help pls. Sorry for my English btw.

When c-span first re-designed their website about 10 months ago, they provided MP4-X20 (1920x1080) and MP4-X10 (1280x720) for all new videos. This lasted for only about a month - and ever since then, MP4-M20 is the highest quality. The X10/X20 files were really big, so that is probably why they stopped. Apparently they still generate still images in the higher resolutions, just not video - as far as I can tell.

[3dc7a38f]

When c-span first re-designed their website about 10 months ago, they provided MP4-X20 (1920x1080) and MP4-X10 (1280x720) for all new videos. This lasted for only about a month - and ever since then, MP4-M20 is the highest quality. The X10/X20 files were really big, so that is probably why they stopped. Apparently they still generate still images in the higher resolutions, just not video - as far as I can tell.

Now I see, thanks a lot.

[rkdtoo]

Can someone point me in the right direction on how to grab the Subtitles (CC), in addition to the video.

Many Thanks!

[GVP1]

Ok, just forget about youtube-dl. Instead, find the very long, one-time-use url. It will look like this (note that the following one will have expired):

http://d19cp144waw2mw.cloudfront.net/trimmed/full/317/317875-1/317875-1-MP4-STD_01.mp4?Policy=eyJTdGF0ZW1lbnQiOlt7IlJlc291cmNlIjoiaHR0cDovL2QxOWNwMTQ0d2F3Mm13LmNsb3VkZnJvbnQubmV0L3RyaW1tZWQvZnVsbC8zMTcvMzE3ODc1LTEvMzE3ODc1LTEtTVA0LVNURF8wMS5tcDQiLCJDb25kaXRpb24iOnsiRGF0ZUxlc3NUaGFuIjp7IkFXUzpFcG9jaFRpbWUiOjE0MDE3NDc1NDR9LCJJcEFkZHJlc3MiOnsiQVdTOlNvdXJjZUlwIjoiOTcuMTE3LjE5My4xOSJ9fX1dfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIHKVWBEAXX562G7Q&Signature=YPXtBPvsG4OWybByHxlUExctPIjsE4GC0H5XSlmD6kjaEkniLEmkzuAMf~GTUrA7QT5MCJtVeaAx6wcKAKALlFcM8TIf6jfUR6eJcgt6YcazFSsm0Cl7SKvsaJ6qlMVdV7ygQ3Yjy5rg1gA-XWJxNDh96~JbLGqRZjT1W824Alw_

I am running into the same problem with C-SPAN videos. I realize this thread is over two years old, but I am hoping that someone will see this and help me. How do you obtain this one-time long URL?

[jimdagys]

You should give an example url of the video you are trying to download.
I don't know of a very simple way to get the long url because it was not explained clearly, however the following method should work.
Here is an example cspan video I chose:
http://www.c-span.org/video/?325202-2/discussion-confederate-views-civil-war
Use youtube-dl to get the long url.
Use this template:
youtube-dl -g url of cspan video
so you have this to paste into the command line:

youtube-dl -g http://www.c-span.org/video/?325202-2/discussion-confederate-views-civil-war

Two long urls are given.
Putting those urls into Firefox I am downloading 2 files, 325mb and 288mb.
The urls are only valid for a while. You can download the software I used (youtube-dl) here:
http://files.videohelp.com/u/61125/youtube-dl.zip

https://media.c-spanvideo.org/dynamic/2015/04/18/20150418095928003_hd/2015041809
5928003_hd.MP4-M20.mp4?Policy=eyJTdGF0ZW1lbnQiOlt7IlJlc291cmNlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tZW
RpYS5jLXNwYW52aWRlby5vcmcvZHluYW1pYy8yMDE1LzA0LzE4LzIwMTUwNDE4MDk1OTI4MDAzX2hkLz
IwMTUwNDE4MDk1OTI4MDAzX2hkLk1QNC1NMjAubXA0IiwiQ29uZGl0aW9uIjp7IkRhdGVMZXNzVGhhbi
I6eyJBV1M6RXBvY2hUaW1lIjoxNDgzNjQwNTU5fSwiSXBBZGRyZXNzIjp7IkFXUzpTb3VyY2VJcCI6Ij
E3My4xMTMuMjIwLjQ2In19fV19&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIHKVWBEAXX562G7Q&Signature=Pglx2l6jtN
o~IrV74p~lZWASROJJEGcZ2T5u~2klWhMcEtqsIA4nWOslNy4elDENj1-62WzwWqnYOMdRVs8fc~9B11
vMKzhvitJNL1ENhzcTro3IWaMtcB-NYfKd7rmObcf5~vYY9NbaztsQ7rzAP4m1qrQ-oINgegcTJjyfxu
I_

https://media.c-spanvideo.org/dynamic/2015/04/18/20150418105928003_hd/2015041810
5928003_hd.MP4-M20.mp4?Policy=eyJTdGF0ZW1lbnQiOlt7IlJlc291cmNlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9tZW
RpYS5jLXNwYW52aWRlby5vcmcvZHluYW1pYy8yMDE1LzA0LzE4LzIwMTUwNDE4MTA1OTI4MDAzX2hkLz
IwMTUwNDE4MTA1OTI4MDAzX2hkLk1QNC1NMjAubXA0IiwiQ29uZGl0aW9uIjp7IkRhdGVMZXNzVGhhbi
I6eyJBV1M6RXBvY2hUaW1lIjoxNDgzNjQwNTU5fSwiSXBBZGRyZXNzIjp7IkFXUzpTb3VyY2VJcCI6Ij
E3My4xMTMuMjIwLjQ2In19fV19&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIHKVWBEAXX562G7Q&Signature=QILiLj6~SW
j~Pp4j63rSTECju-vpHyWyJ1S9GkrGCPpzffqpVSfV5aShIMz6NmkstgX95WiHUmXhNtUocKaUvwYNf8
6m469e9pcMapBTPVOWzfZWNUS~vUS~F5fWkQWv0et~fsxpcUpWpqIaanxd7v898B5DcDkjWtSGqsYIqw
w_

[ponens]

A simple way (besides youtube-dl) to get the long url has been previously explained clearly, right here, but you have to be willing to search the forum.

[jimdagys]

OK, another way to get the long url (for downloading the video) was discussed here (this was over a year ago and I can't remember that I even made a comment in that thread):
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/365195-Another-C-Span-ripping-request?p=2327952&vie...=1#post2327952
The method outlined there seems pretty easy to follow and no command line or additional software is needed. The method has an advantage (over the youtube-dl method) for people on public computers that can't get to the command line.