fent/node-ytdl-core

Add support for downloading live videos more than 4 hours back

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#688 opened on Aug 14, 2020

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featurehelp wanted

Description

The YouTube player allows to go "back in time" in a live video up to 12 hours, and if you pause the video at -12h and return after some time, you can still play it, so it should be possible to download the video even more than 12 hours back.

However, using ytdl-core, I could only download live videos up to 4 hours back, which was the previous limit.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascriptnodejs
Domain
backend
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Familiarity with ytdl coreBasic understanding of Node.js streams
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
40
Research direction
Investigate the ytdl core source code, particularly the live stream handling in files like lib/info.js and lib/format utils.js. Look for parameters that limit the time window for live video downloads, such as 'begin' or 'live chunked time'. The YouTube player allows up to 12 hours, so find how to extend the current 4 hour limit. Consult the YouTube API documentation for live stream URL parameters if needed.
Add support for downloading live videos more than 4 hours back · fent/node-ytdl-core#688 | Good First Issue