[gentoo-user] yt-dlp config file different than old youtube-dl

[Dale]

Howdy all, 

I followed a thread about youtube-dl not being updated and it was
recommended to switch to yt-dlp.  So, I switched.  Then I found out that
it doesn't use the old youtube-dl.conf file.  It downloaded a HUGE
video.  The thing was 1080P.  O_O  Anyway, I created a new config file,
yt-dlp.conf in /etc and copied the options to it.  That didn't work
well.  I found a website with tips and I thought I changed things to
where it will work like the old tool but it spits on my keyboard and
exits.  Obviously, I'm not doing something right here.  Here's some info:

[IP-] [  ] net-misc/yt-dlp-2021.12.27

My .conf file for yt-dlp:

--format 'bv*[ext=webm,ext=mp4][width<=?1280]+bestaudio/best'  #My test line
-i

This is the line from the old youtube-dl.conf that worked for it:

--format 'bestvideo[ext=webm,ext=mp4][width<=?1280]+bestaudio/best' 

-i

This is what it spits out when I try to download a video.


dale@fireball ~/Desktop/Documents/Firefox/Firefox Multi-Account
Containers $ youtube-dl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=808xcfzkDRU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL5cuGOzf54
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy7lyvAfOSw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfN5L5zAJUo
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python-exec/python3.9/yt-dlp", line 33, in <module>
    sys.exit(load_entry_point('yt-dlp==2021.12.27', 'console_scripts',
'yt-dlp')())
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/yt_dlp/__init__.py", line 842,
in main
    _real_main(argv)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/yt_dlp/__init__.py", line 803,
in _real_main
    with YoutubeDL(ydl_opts) as ydl:
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py", line 630,
in __init__
    else self.build_format_selector(self.params['format']))
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py", line
2194, in build_format_selector
    return _build_selector_function(parsed_selector)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py", line
2067, in _build_selector_function
    fs = [_build_selector_function(s) for s in selector]
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py", line
2067, in <listcomp>
    fs = [_build_selector_function(s) for s in selector]
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py", line
2078, in _build_selector_function
    fs = [_build_selector_function(s) for s in selector.selector]
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py", line
2078, in <listcomp>
    fs = [_build_selector_function(s) for s in selector.selector]
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py", line
2088, in _build_selector_function
    selector_1, selector_2 = map(_build_selector_function,
selector.selector)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py", line
2158, in _build_selector_function
    filters = [self._build_format_filter(f) for f in selector.filters]
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py", line
2158, in <listcomp>
    filters = [self._build_format_filter(f) for f in selector.filters]
  File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/yt_dlp/YoutubeDL.py", line
1816, in _build_format_filter
    raise SyntaxError('Invalid filter specification %r' % filter_spec)
SyntaxError: Invalid filter specification 'ext=webm,ext=mp4'
dale@fireball ~/Desktop/Documents/Firefox/Firefox Multi-Account Containers $

There's nothing sensitive there so nothing is edited or changed to
prevent it from being public.  It is as it was on my screen. 

What I'm trying for, I prefer mp4 videos but webm will do.  I'd like the
maximum size to be something like a 720P tall or 1280P wide.  I really
don't need a 1080P tall or larger to watch on my 24" monitor.  Sometimes
even 720P is to much, if it's just someone talking about things.  I only
need a higher res when it is showing how to repair something small or
something.  I think 720P would be good enough, always has anyway.  I
think it is happy with that setting tho.  This seems to work but who
knows what it will download.

--format 'bestvideo[width<=?1280]+bestaudio/best'

The part it really doesn't like seems to be this: 

SyntaxError: Invalid filter specification 'ext=webm,ext=mp4'

Can someone tell me what the new and improved yt-dlp wants in its conf
file to try for mp4 first and then webm?  Nothing I tried seems to
work.  :-(

Thanks for the help.

Dale

:-)  :-) 

[Arve Barsnes]

On Sat, 8 Jan 2022 at 06:27, Dale <rdale...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The part it really doesn't like seems to be this:
>
> SyntaxError: Invalid filter specification 'ext=webm,ext=mp4'
>
> Can someone tell me what the new and improved yt-dlp wants in its conf
> file to try for mp4 first and then webm? Nothing I tried seems to
> work. :-(

I have never used extension filtering before, but it might not be
possible to specify a list, so then you need to make one extra format
in your syntax. This worked for me:

--format 'bv*[ext=webm][width<=?1280]+bestaudio/bv*[ext=mp4][width<=?1280]+bestaudio/best'

Regards,
Arve

[Dale]

That doesn't spit on my keyboard so it's a good start at least.  Time
will tell.  It's currently downloading a webm video.  I'd prefer a mp4
but it may not be available for that video.  Time will tell tho.  Later
on it might grab a mp4 and then I'll know it is getting mp4 when it
can.  Honestly tho, webm does work well. 

Thanks much.  Will post updates later on how it's doing.  I'm also going
to study that to see if I can grasp what its doing.  What's different
about it. 

Dale

:-)  :-) 

P. S.  Can't wait for fiber internet to get here.  They ran the cable a
while back.  It's getting closer.  :-D 

[Nikos Chantziaras]

On 08/01/2022 07:26, Dale wrote:
> This is the line from the old youtube-dl.conf that worked for it:
>
> --format 'bestvideo[ext=webm,ext=mp4][width<=?1280]+bestaudio/best'

The "--format-sort" option is much better for this. To prefer 720p video
or lower, but not higher:

--format-sort=width:1280,height:720,vcodec:av1

The AV1 codec preference is nowadays default, but I like to specify it
anyway. AV1 has the smallest video size but at the same time the highest
video quality as well. If AV1 is not available, it will fall back to VP9
(higher quality, bigger size,) and then to H.264 (lower quality, smaller
size.)