scripts/mediathek-download

• mediathek-download
  • Preparation
  • Executing
  • Extracting necessary informations
    • Firefox
    • Google Chrome

mediathek-download

mediathek-download is a simple fish script for downloading videos form the mediatheks from ZDF, ARD and similar one who split and devliver the video in segments. Additional to download the video, it combines it to one file and converts it to mp4. Currently it only handles .ts files.

Preparation

The following software is required to run this script:

• fish
• curl
• ffmpeg

It may be convenient to make the script executable with chmod +x mediathek-download.fish.

Executing

It is assumed, that the script is executable as shown before. If it isn't prepend the executions with fish.

./mediathek-download.fish <number of sequences> <URL before segment number> [URL after segment number]

The first to arguments are required, while the last one is optional. The number of sequences and the URL can be extracted from the developer tools of your browser. Read the next chapter for more information.

Extracting necessary informations

Firefox

1. Visit the site with the video.
2. Open the Developer Tools: Menu > Web Developer > Network.
3. Make sure only Media and Other are selected in the filter bar (second bar from top in the Developer Tools window).
4. It may be necessary to select a specific video quality in the player, especially if it is set to automatic.
5. Start the video or, if it autostarted, reload the page.
6. Make sure you see some requests containing a .ts file extension
7. Jump nearly to the end of the video
8. A pattern showing the segment numbers should be visible. Remember the last (and probably highest number), it should be the number of sequences.
9. Click on the last list entry once the video finished.
10. Select and copy the complete Request URL
11. Split the copied string into the part before and (is existent) the part after the segment number.
12. Run the script with the now known parameters.

Google Chrome

1. Visit the site with the video.
2. Open the Developer Tools: Menu > More Tools > Developer Tools.
3. Select Network in the Developer Tools window
4. Make sure only XHR is selected in the filter bar (third bar from top in the Developer Tools window). If nothing is found there after the following stepts, try All.
5. It may be necessary to select a specific video quality in the player, especially if it is set to automatic.
6. Start the video or, if it autostarted, reload the page.
7. Make sure you see some requests containing a .ts file extension
8. Jump nearly to the end of the video
9. A pattern showing the segment numbers should be visible. Remember the last (and probably highest number), it should be the number of sequences.
10. Click on the last list entry once the video finished.
11. Select and copy the complete Request URL in the Headers tab.
12. Split the copied string into the part before and (is existent) the part after the segment number.
13. Run the script with the now known parameters.