Playing YouTube videos with VLC - mystery error [SOLVED]

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

It's not really an issue anymore. The fix is included in VLC 1.1.9.

Unfortunately though, sooner or later, YouTube will change its page format yet again and the bug will come back. This is a cat and mouse game... Frankly, if you want to show your own videos, you are better off copying the videos on the hard drive and open them directly in VLC with "Media / Open file".

[ogry]

After checking that with 1.1.6 this don't work, I just installed 1.1.9

Trying to open http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnRsmxiNaOQ
I just show the title of the video, but then I receive this message

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Su entrada no puede abrirse: VLC es incapaz de abrir el MRL «http://v16.lscache3.c.youtube.com/videoplayback?sparams=id%2Cexpire%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Citag%2Calgorithm%2Cburst%2Cfactor\u0026fexp=903921%2C907605\u0026algorithm=throttle-factor\u0026itag=34\u0026ipbits=8\u0026burst=40\u0026sver=3\u0026signature=8DF650678852646CE697572744BDE6CACE23D000.515DFEF72E506C1AAF6A9889ED54D7ED3D0078B1\u0026expire=1303664400\u0026key=yt1\u0026ip=87.0.0.0\u0026factor=1.25\u0026id=02746c9b188d68e4». Ver el registro para más detalles.

My youtube.lua has this...

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if string.match( line, "BASE_YT_URL" ) then _,_,base_yt_url = string.find( line, "\"BASE_YT_URL\": \"(.-)\"" ) end _,_,t = string.find( line, "\"t\": \"(.-)\"" ) -- vlc.msg.err( t ) -- video_id = string.gsub( line, ".*&video_id:'([^']*)'.*", "%1" ) fmt_url_map = string.match( line, "\"fmt_url_map\": \"(.-)\"" ) -- FIXME: do this properly fmt_url_map = string.gsub( fmt_url_map, "\\u0026", "&" ) if fmt_url_map then for itag,url in string.gmatch( fmt_url_map, "(%d+)|([^,]+)" ) do -- Apparently formats are listed in quality order, -- so we can afford to simply take the first one if not fmt or tonumber( itag ) == tonumber( fmt ) then -- do unescaping of / url = string.gsub( url, '\\/','/' ) path = url break end end end

Any Idea about what's happenning?


Saludos, OSCAR

[Roddude]

The best way to view and download YouTube videos is with Opera Web Browser and VLC. Go to "C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Local Settings\Application Data\Opera\Opera\cache", with username being your own computer username, not just "Username". The location will be somewhat different in Windows 7, but you can still find it. It will help to create a link to this cache folder on your desktop or somewhere easily accessible.

You will see various folders in the Opera cache folder beginning with "g", and all numbered in ascending order. The files inside the folders will all have the file extension .tmp, but you can set VLC to open all .tmp files without problems. This will save you having to choose Open With>Choose program from a list>VLC. You can just click on it instead. Your current video will always be in the highest numbered folder, and, of course, will be the largest file. Use View>Arrange icons by size to keep the video file on top of the list. If you like, you can pause the video on YouTube, and keep using View>Refresh to see if the file stops increasing in size, which means it has finished downloading. If you want to save the video, simply use MediaInfo (http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net) to see what type of file it is (Flash Video [.flv], .mp4, etc.), rename the extension to that, and rename the file to something you'll remember. You can then copy and paste it to where you want, or drag it to another folder.

This can all be done even while the video is playing, except that MediaInfo may hang on certain files that haven't finished downloading. If so, wait until it's done downloading, then rename the file extension. Do this as soon as possible, because if you leave the file extension as .tmp, the next time you run a program such as C-Cleaner or another program that deletes temporary internet files, it will be deleted.

[cnc]

I get the following:

VLC is unable to open the MRL 'http://v16.lscache1.c.youtube.com/video ... 0c56e128c5'. Check the log for details.

Is that the problem under discussion here? (I'm not among the talented, I'm afraid.)

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Is that the problem under discussion here? (I'm not among the talented, I'm afraid.)

VLC version?

[cnc]

1.1.7

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

Can't you READ? The answer to your problem is spelt in this exact same thread.

The vlc version you need is 1.1.9

[Virus666]

Hi,

Thanks for solving that issue. I have installed VLC 1.1.10 to Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat from following PPA:

https://launchpad.net/~ed10vi86/+archive/video

VLC now can open almost all YouTube videos except this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtRnLod5PaY

That is NTV's (a Turkish news channel) live broadcast in YouTube. When I try to open it by VLC, I get that error:

Code: Select all

Your input can't be opened: VLC is unable to open the MRL 'http://youtube.com/get_video?video_id=KtRnLod5PaY&t=vjVQa1PpcFOcgHfLMz8OTOadULljeyvjyFo8xA4KOtM='. Check the log for details.

When I try to open the same URL via terminal; the result is the same:

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rifat@rea-pc:~$ vlc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtRnLod5PaY VLC media player 1.1.10 The Luggage (revision exported) Blocked: call to unsetenv("DBUS_ACTIVATION_ADDRESS") Blocked: call to unsetenv("DBUS_ACTIVATION_BUS_TYPE") Blocked: call to setlocale(6, "") Warning: call to srand(1308488411) Warning: call to rand() Blocked: call to setlocale(6, "") (process:2265): Gtk-WARNING **: Locale not supported by C library. Using the fallback 'C' locale. Blocked: call to setenv("_PX_CONFIG_ORDER", "", 1) [0x99f7014] signals interface error: signal 17 overriden (0x682b8c0) [0x99f7014] signals interface error: /usr/lib/libQtCore.so.4(?)[(nil)] [0x99f76ac] main playlist: stopping playback Blocked: call to setenv("_PX_CONFIG_ORDER", "", 1) Blocked: call to setenv("_PX_CONFIG_ORDER", "", 1) [0x99f7014] signals interface error: signal 17 overriden (0x682b8c0) [0x99f7014] signals interface error: /usr/lib/libQtCore.so.4(?)[(nil)] [0x99f7014] signals interface error: signal 17 overriden (0x682b8c0) [0x99f7014] signals interface error: /usr/lib/libQtCore.so.4(?)[(nil)] Blocked: call to setenv("_PX_CONFIG_ORDER", "", 1) [0x9c68fbc] access_http access error: error: HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found [0x9c6e024] access_http access error: error: HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found [0x9c6e024] access_http access error: error: HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found [0x9c68fbc] access_http access error: error: HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found [0x9c6e024] access_mms access error: error: HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found [0x99f76ac] main playlist error: no suitable access module for `http://img.youtube.com/vi/KtRnLod5PaY/default.jpg' [0x9c68fbc] access_mms access error: error: HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found [0x9c25b84] main input error: open of `http://youtube.com/get_video?video_id=KtRnLod5PaY&t=vjVQa1PpcFO38hIyUC63te5fvZBubdcjCJi_C64NQPI=' failed: (null)

Moreover, the URL is played in Firefox 4 via Flash Player while the browser is currently using YouTube HTML5 trial.

What can be the problem, any idea?

[PeterPatrickGo]

Is it caused by the youtube itself?

[caji316]

I am using version 1.1.11 and it want play the youtube either. I edited the .lua script as mentioned earlier in the script, but still a no go. It stopped VLC from crashing, but it still want play YouTube...Do I need to convert back down to 1.1.09.....Thanks.....

[Lotesdelere]

I am using version 1.1.11 and it want play the youtube either. I edited the .lua script as mentioned earlier in the script, but still a no go. It stopped VLC from crashing, but it still want play YouTube...Do I need to convert back down to 1.1.09.....Thanks.....

Use this Youtube.lua file:
http://git.videolan.org/?p=vlc/vlc-1.1. ... 78f07a759e

[meowimacat]

I am using version 1.1.11 and it want play the youtube either. I edited the .lua script as mentioned earlier in the script, but still a no go. It stopped VLC from crashing, but it still want play YouTube...Do I need to convert back down to 1.1.09.....Thanks.....

Use this Youtube.lua file:
http://git.videolan.org/?p=vlc/vlc-1.1. ... 78f07a759e

Yeah but where do I put that
Do I download a file before then input that code or ?

[Lotesdelere]

Yeah but where do I put that
Do I download a file before then input that code or ?

What about reading this thread ?

Windows:
viewtopic.php?p=293972#p293972

1. Find the "youtube.lua" script (which is in the following directory: VLC -> lua -> playlist)
2. ** Make a backup **

Linux:
viewtopic.php?p=294911#p294911

After discovering /usr/lib/vlc/lua/playlist/youtube.luac was a compiled version I tried a hunch and replaced it with the not-compiled fixed-up youtube.lua file from an XP install. Works great! Apparently, it doesn't matter if it's compiled or not.

[meowimacat]

We had the same problem, it just started this week..

Seems that YouTube have started adding an escaped unicode sequence (\u0026) in-place of the & (ampersand) character in their flash variables.

I've posted a patch in trac (http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/4608)

If you want to get your hand a little dirty, and edit the LUA script that parses the YouTube video you can:

Use notepad or a 'plain' text editor and do the following:

1. Find the "youtube.lua" script (which is in the following directory: VLC -> lua -> playlist)
2. ** Make a backup **
3. Using notepad or a text editor, open the youtube.lua file and change the following (about half way down):

Find:

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if not fmt or tonumber( itag ) == tonumber( fmt ) then -- do unescaping of / url = string.gsub( url, '\\/','/' ) path = url

And add the following two lines (after the string.gsub line, but before the path = url line):
-- do convert of unicode 0026 to ampersand
url = string.gsub( url, '\\u0026','&' )

It should look like this when you're done:

Code: Select all

if not fmt or tonumber( itag ) == tonumber( fmt ) then -- do unescaping of / url = string.gsub( url, '\\/','/' ) -- do convert of unicode 0026 to ampersand url = string.gsub( url, '\\u0026','&' ) path = url

Save that..

Worked for us, hope it works for you..

Cheers,
ObM.

Okay I've downloaded the zip and everything but I have no idea where this goes
I'm not understanding what you mean when you say vlc>lua(where is this) > playlist maybe you could give me a screncap ? please

[Marget]

Thanks for the info!

[jim1954]

hahahahahahahahahah

no wonder the arts have dried up

to use any of this stuff you have to be a scientist with a calculator.

this crap is gonna destroy culture.

[mrbobo]

I am also having this problem. I have tried editing the youtube.lua file as instructed, but it does not fix anything. I am using version 2.0.1 on windows xp. The error message is "VLC can't recognize the input's format:". The screen will flicker between the vlc traffic cone icon and a still image of the youtube video.

[msavage4695]

I am new to VLC and not very technical. I am looking for free software which will allow me to speed up educational videos with audio synched . VLC works great on my DVDs but I can't seem to get it to speed up youtube videos for the site Khanacademy.org..Can VLC do that? is there something I have to change in settings? If not vLC any ideas what would work? I found MYSPEED but it's only free for a week. Thanks for any help you can give

Also I couldn't figure out how to create a new post...I found the various groups but nothing seems to allow me to post new?

[czechmate12]

I am also having this problem. I have tried editing the youtube.lua file as instructed, but it does not fix anything. I am using version 2.0.1 on windows xp. The error message is "VLC can't recognize the input's format:". The screen will flicker between the vlc traffic cone icon and a still image of the youtube video.

Strangely enough I get the same quirk as well as a wide green band right down the centre of the screen, with the colours either side of this band being diminished.
I tried changing the OUTPUT in the display options, but the problem persisted in FLV, MP4 and AVI formats.
I've found this problem exists in ALL the version 2's so I "updated" to the last of the version 1's, thus solving the problems.

On a similar note, some FLV's crash and others don't. Are there several versions of FLV around?

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

I am also having this problem. I have tried editing the youtube.lua file as instructed, but it does not fix anything. I am using version 2.0.1 on windows xp. The error message is "VLC can't recognize the input's format:". The screen will flicker between the vlc traffic cone icon and a still image of the youtube video.

Strangely enough I get the same quirk as well as a wide green band right down the centre of the screen, with the colours either side of this band being diminished.
I tried changing the OUTPUT in the display options, but the problem persisted in FLV, MP4 and AVI formats.
I've found this problem exists in ALL the version 2's so I "updated" to the last of the version 1's, thus solving the problems.

On a similar note, some FLV's crash and others don't. Are there several versions of FLV around?

DirectX should remove that issue. This is what is used in 1.x

[Bipbip]

I was trying to save a YT video to watch it later, but or it fails, or it has no sound. what i'm doing wrong?
Except, that this is not allowed.

[ifail]

Hey,

tried everything written in here, but nothing helped out.
Is there any fix to this problem now?

[davidnova97829]

Hey guys, when I open the file with notepad, some symbols does not appear correctly, some squares are on, I think I need to change notepad to Unicode, but I don' tknow how; cant edit de luac file

[caji316]

You'll have to wait for a fix from the VCL team Admin's..This is a new problem 2-3 days old and they are working on it per another thread...

[ctp9]

Here is the latest solution to you all (psl's post):

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=104192&p=353068#p353051