Intermittent Exception error at end of some videos w/5.4.0 and FF39.0

[RichardS]

[Exception... "A transfer was only partially done when it completed" nsresult: "0x804b004c (NS_ERROR_NET_PARTIAL_TRANSFER)" location: "JS frame :: resource://gre/modules/DownloadCore.jsm :: this.DownloadError :: line 1498" data: no]    

On https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17v7fo6oe_c (HD720 MP4 - first choice in list) using 5.4.0 and FF 39.0 on Win7 x64

also

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z05rUVLm6WE (HD720 MP4 - first choice in list)

I'll get the exception multiple times and then occasionally the d/l will complete.  Seems to be the same exception each time.  Sometimes opening the youtube in a new tab or new window helps, but sometimes it doesn't.

[mig]

If the download starts, the error is unlikely to be due to VDH. VDH's job is to detect the video and tell the Firefox internal service to start the download. If the download fails, there is unfortunately nothing VDH can do.
You'd rather look at your internet access box (may you may want to reboot it), or it can be your Wifi connection if you use one, or possibly your ISP network.

[RichardS]

Hmmm, well the only thing that's changed is the YouTube ADP issue forcing an update to VDH 5.4.0 and the problems popped up.  I suppose YouTube could be more timing sensitive suddenly and I can't really distinguish between a YouTube change causing this or a VDH change, but I've been using VDH for years and never saw an error before this instance.... 

I believe FF updated to 39.0 at the same time as I did the VDH update, so that's another possible culprit.  I guess we'll see if the problem is isolated to me...

[Ray Smith]

I'm having this problem too. From what I can see, im FF39 they have "fixed" an incomplete download problem. The implication of that is that if the host site for the video doesn't report the correct length for the video at the outset, then there is a difference in filesize when the end of the download is reached. One site that I use rtve.es uses a default video length of 2048MB, but in reality the videos are typically 350-700 mb. When I look at the downloads progress dialogue, I can see that FF is reporting downloaded X of 2048mb. When the video is fully downloaded, FF has downloaded lets say 350, and sees this as an incomplete download. It then deletes the partially downloaded file, so this new behaviour isn´t any use to me! If a video correctly identifies its size at the outset, then everything works fine.

This behaviour changed from 38.0.5 to 39

[Ray Smith]

Definitely FF39 is to blame. Have just reinstalled 38.0.5 and everything has reverted to previous behaviour. Now I have a problem........... I can´t update FF without breaking VDH......

[mig]

Ray, can you share an URL on RTVE where you are experiencing that problem ?

[Ray Smith]

Sure:

http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/acacias-38/acacias-38-capitulo-32/3144267/

Heres a brief description of the behavuior:

FF39, cliick to save the video, it shows a download of x of 2048MB. Download goes to the end of the file at around 350MB, and it shows the error message as per the original post. The downloaded file is then deleted, so nothing can be recovered easily.

FF38.0.5 same process to save the video, except at the end of the video it is saved normally.

Have repeated the behaviour on two different PCs and swapping between FF38.0.5 and FF39 without changing VDH

Hope that helps
Ray

Hope that helps

[mig]

Thanks. I confirm the problem.

Doing a little bit of search, the issue with Firefox 39 is related to the fix of this bug: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1168063

Basically, the problem with rtve.es is that their server advertises a wrong media size, 2GB instead of a decent normal file size. I've seen that issue on a couple of other sites before. Up to Firefox 38, it was not a problem downloading those URLs (except that the progress bar was far from accurate), but since Firefox 39, it now generates an error.

Given that Firefox developers took over a decade to discuss the problem, it will be hard to make them step back from their latest changes.

I gave a try with DownloadHelper/Chrome and it was working ok.

I'm not sure there is much we can do here except waiting for those few sites to correct the way they serve their videos.

[mig]

We finally found a solution for this problem. Please check https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/video-downloadhelper-5/eTXarpzGL9s

[VideoFromFoto]

Thank You! This workaround seems to be working. I've tried 10+ videos. All are saved and saved completely.

[Ray Smith]

Thanks Mig. That worked as you described. Seems to me that FF should still offer the user the option to decide whether a "partial" download should be saved or abandoned. There are many servers in use around the world that don´t have correct sizes attached to their videos, and for FF to unilaterally decide the download should be deleted seems to be wrong. Surely a dialogue could be introduced in FF which offers the user the choice to save or delete.