Channel 5 download help

[ConerCartoons]

Hi, I'm trying to archive this series called "Poppy Cat" and Channel 5 is the only place to watch "Series 2" of the show. However, it expires on the 29th, so I'm worried about if this’ll be lost. How do I download from Channel 5? Tutorials and Links appreciated!
Link: https://www.channel5.com/poppy-cat

[PhilipG]

Take a look at deccavox's helpful script here: https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/408307-Help-with-getting-keys-for-Channel-5-series...Channel+script

It requires the mpd url, which you get from The Stream Detector extension after playing the video - use "Regular URL".

It also needs the licence url, which you get - in Firefox - by pressing F12, Network tab with "lic" in the filter box, then pressing play on the video. Right click on the link (it should start with cassie) and choose copy as url.

[lego]

Hello. That's easy even for me. I started looking through these pages a week ago.
So...

1. Download N_m3u8DL-RE for your windows system

https://github.com/nilaoda/N_m3u8DL-RE/releases/tag/v0.1.9-beta

for obtaining encrypted video and audio.
Put in one folder N_m3u8DL-RE.exe, mp4decrypt.exe, ffmpeg.exe (You will find the last two everywhere)
2. Install chrome extension Live cat (for obtaining address of mpd or manifest or whatever). Refresh the page of episode1. Start the video.
Take mpd address from Live cat.
3. Start N_m3u8DL-RE (In the address bar of the folder where is N_m3u8DL-RE type CMD and cmd.exe will pop-up)
Type N_m3u8DL-RE <mpd link>
Choose what video bitrate do u want (it is already selected the best one 832x468 resolution)
Click enter. N_m3u8DL-RE will download encrypted video (mp4) and audio (m4a) Lets rename poppy.mp4 and poppy.m4a
4. Find PSSH. Its in mpd

AAAAQnBzc2gAAAAA7e+LqXnWSs6jyCfc1R0h7QAAACIIARIQ+gpwNgHuRgSrWKrZRDMlAxoIY2hhbm5lbDUqAlNE

Or install chrome extension tampermonkey and install "EME Logger" script in tampermonkey. Open Developer tools with CTRL+shift+c
You will find PSSH under Console, filter "gen" from generalRequest
5. Find License. In developer tools click Network tab and filter "license" or lic. Refresh page if its not there. Must be something like

https://cassie.channel5.com/api/v2/licences/widevine/,.................

6. Find decryption keys.
Go to

https://cdrm-project.com/

and insert PSSH and license. You will find two sets of keys. I dont know why are 2 sets, I used only first one

fa0a703601ee4604ab58aad944332503:a6c3d35c78d1d861e01808afcb3f05ed

for video and audio
7. Decrypt video and audio
In folder where your tools are (the one N_m3u8DL-RE and encrypted files) type in address bar CMD again.
cmd.exe will pop-up.
Paste

mp4decrypt.exe --key fa0a703601ee4604ab58aad944332503:a6c3d35c78d1d861e01808afcb3f05ed poppy.mp4 poppy_decrypt.mp4
mp4decrypt.exe --key fa0a703601ee4604ab58aad944332503:a6c3d35c78d1d861e01808afcb3f05ed poppy.m4a poppy_decrypt.m4a

Video and audio are decrypted. Test it
8. Mux video and audio with MKV Toolnix
and that was episode 1. Repeat this for all 51 episodes

[A_n_g_e_l_a]

I have downloaded the first 12 episodes and they are zipped here https://anonfiles.com/Me15P5x6zb/poppycat_zip


[Attachment 71883 - Click to enlarge]

I used a channel 5 batch downloader but do not have permission to post as some of the code is not mine. Sorry folks. Cannot imagine downloading 51 episodes by hand!

[A_n_g_e_l_a]

Episodes 13-24 https://anonfiles.com/f07bP2x7z5/poppycat2_zip
Episodes 25-36 https://anonfiles.com/P7D0Pcx5zd/poppycat3_zip
Epidodes 37-51 https://anonfiles.com/j9J4P7xaz3/poppycat4_zip

And I'm only doing this because hopefully there is a child waiting. So the rest of you don't ask!

[lego]

Thanks A_n_g_e_l_a !

[PhilipG]

That was a really nice thing you did, may good karma find you A_n_g_e_l_a!

[[ss]vegeta]

And I'm only doing this because hopefully there is a child waiting.

Love you!

[spaceship9876]

Streamfab DRM MPD Downloader works with Channel5 too, i just tried although that costs $65.

[A_n_g_e_l_a]

Streamfab DRM MPD Downloader works with Channel5 too, i just tried although that costs $65.

There are two download scripts in this forum that currently work on channel 5 - no need to pay for what is publicly available!

[DanskerDave]

Hi there,

using the above info I managed to successfully download & decrypt a Channel 5 Video.
So therefore (obviously) I have the PSSH & the Licence URL.
(or had, as they have probably now expired)

How can I do the lookup for the decryption Key(s) without cutting & pasting to https://cdrm-project.com/ ??

A solution using the new Java HttpClient would be most helpful, as I don't do Python.

[DanskerDave]

I'm still interested in understanding what https://cdrm-project.com/ is doing.
(maybe delegating the request to some google service?)

Nevertheless, here (inline & as attachment) is some (anonymised) Java source to automate the query:

package com.channel5;

import java.net.URI;
import java.net.http.HttpClient;
import java.net.http.HttpRequest;
import java.net.http.HttpRequest.BodyPublishers;
import java.net.http.HttpResponse.BodyHandlers;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
import java.util.StringJoiner;

public class PostAnon {

	private static final char QUOTE  = '"';

	public  static void main(final String[] args) throws Exception {

		final var licenceURL   = "https://cassie.channel5.com/api/v2/licences/widevine/491/C5458360001";

		final var licenceQuery = new StringJoiner(String.valueOf('&'))
				.add(query(licenceURL + "?expiry", "1714590905"))
				.add(query(             "tag",     "12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890"))
				.add(query(             "CMCD",    "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"))
				.toString();

		final var jsonText = new StringJoiner(String.valueOf(','), String.valueOf('{'), String.valueOf('}'))
				.add(json("license",   licenceQuery))
				.add(json("headers",   "accept: \\\"*/*\\\"\\ncontent-length: \\\"316\\\"\\nConnection: keep-alive"))
				.add(json("pssh",      "AAAABBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB="))
				.add(json("buildInfo", ""))
				.add(json("proxy",     ""))
				.add(json("cache",     true))
				.toString();

		final var request = HttpRequest.newBuilder()
				.uri   (new URI("https://cdrm-project.com/wv"))
				.POST  (BodyPublishers.ofString(jsonText))
				.header("Referer",      "https://cdrm-project.com/")
				.header("User-Agent",   "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:125.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/125.0")
				.header("Content-type", "application/json")
				.build();

		System.out.println("licenceURL: " + licenceQuery);
		System.out.println("json Text.: " + jsonText);
		System.out.println("Request...: " + request);

		final var response = HttpClient.newBuilder().build().send(request, BodyHandlers.ofByteArray());

		final var mpdBytes = response.body();
		final var mpd      = new String(mpdBytes, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);

		System.out.println();
		System.out.println("Response..: " + response);

		System.out.println(mpd);
	}

	private static String query(final String key, final String value) {
		return       key  + '=' +       value;
	}
	private static String json(final String key, final boolean value) {
		return quote(key) + ':' +       value;
	}
	private static String json(final String key, final String value) {
		return quote(key) + ':' + quote(value);
	}
	private static String quote(final String unquoted) {
		return QUOTE + unquoted + QUOTE;
	}
}

[stabbedbybrick]

How can I do the lookup for the decryption Key(s) without cutting & pasting to https://cdrm-project.com/ ??

I'm still interested in understanding what https://cdrm-project.com/ is doing.
(maybe delegating the request to some google service?)

Like most scripts regarding widevine, it's using pywidevine as backend. If you want to automate the entire process for Channel5 without any manual input, you'll need to reverse engineer the API. Python is recommended for obvious reasons, but this can theoretically be done with any language that allows for http requests.

[A_n_g_e_l_a]

How can I do the lookup for the decryption Key(s) without cutting & pasting to https://cdrm-project.com/ ??

You cannot now use cdrm project for channel 5 lookup. C5 system changed after this thread was created. They now use a weekly changing HMAC and AES key to unlock access to the license server.

A solution using the new Java HttpClient would be most helpful, as I don't do Python.

If you do Java, as I did once, you can make the translation to Python fairly easily. The benefit is that most code for decryption is written in Python. If you understand data structures then it is only the syntax you'll need to lookup; a web-search, or more latterly an AI instance to chat with, will help with the intricacies of the python code. An AI chat engine will also explain what the code does.

Python is a higher level language and you'll find it easier than Java once you are over the initial shock.

You do not mention having your own Content Decryption Module. Extract one from an Android device - real or virtual if you need. And if that is the case - 'ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW' about decrypting GENERALLY - is is the stickies, at the very top of the forum. Do your homework there before asking more questions - it saves everyone's time.

Working Channel 5 solutions already exist within this forum for those with a CDM of their own - written in Python, of course.

[DanskerDave]

You cannot now use cdrm project for channel 5 lookup. C5 system changed after this thread was created. They now use a weekly changing HMAC and AES key to unlock access to the license server.

Not sure about that. Successfully downloaded...
Andalucia with Michael Portillo
...yesterday using the "How To's" posted earlier in this Thread.

- downloaded *.mpd using URL from "The Stream Detector" Plugin for Firefox
- downloaded Audio & Video using filenames from the *.mpd
- copied PSSH from aforementioned *.mpd
- copied Licence URL from POST using Firefox-F12
- used CDRM Project to extract Decryption Key(s)
- used mp4decrypt with Decryption Key to decrypt Audio & Video
- mux'ed 'em to *.mkv & works fine in the Settop Box.

[A_n_g_e_l_a]

You cannot now use cdrm project for channel 5 lookup. C5 system changed after this thread was created. They now use a weekly changing HMAC and AES key to unlock access to the license server.

Not sure about that. Successfully downloaded...
Andalucia with Michael Portillo
...yesterday using the "How To's" posted earlier in this Thread.

- downloaded *.mpd using URL from "The Stream Detector" Plugin for Firefox
- downloaded Audio & Video using filenames from the *.mpd
- copied PSSH from aforementioned *.mpd
- copied Licence URL from POST using Firefox-F12
- used CDRM Project to extract Decryption Key(s)
- used mp4decrypt with Decryption Key to decrypt Audio & Video
- mux'ed 'em to *.mkv & works fine in the Settop Box.

Ok stand corrected. Thanks for the update.

Still wouldn't rely on cdrm-project lest TPD-whats-his-face throws a wobbly again and takes his toys home for another three months.

[DanskerDave]

Python is a higher level language and you'll find it easier than Java once you are over the initial shock.

The problem with Python is it violates the first rule of structured programming:
"There is only one rule that is vaild all of the time & that is there are no rules that are valid all of the time."

[Wesler99]

Hi there,

just found this thread and was wondering if somebody could help with downloading the 5 episodes of "The Evolution of Black British Music"? It can be found here:
https://www.channel5.com/the-evolution-of-black-british-music/season-1

I would try the provided scripts myself, but unfortunately i cannot access the website because i am not located in the UK. I tried to access via VPN, but still no access.

Would be much appreciated if someone is able to help.

Thank you in advance.