VR videos not downloading correctly!

[randoomx8]

Describe the bug
Raw VR videos have a left and right side (or top and bottom for some older ones), however, when downloaded via this app, it instead downloads the combined video of left and right (for 180 videos, 360 returns stuff in EAC, which is unusable). The video is still playable, but there is horrible streching and no depth perception.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Go to any youtube video that is marked as VR, 180 or 360, does not really mater.
2. Download it via the app
3. Try to play it in a video player (I recommend GoVR but it should work on anything)
4. Become sad.

Expected behavior
The video is downloaded raw, with both sides intact so that they may be processed by the app itself.

SOLUTION FOUND:

See comment below #213 (comment)
Would be nice to see the app implement this natively for 360 videos.

Additional info (please complete the following information):

• OS: Win 10
• Application version 2.3.1
• Application type installer

[randoomx8]

ytdl-org/youtube-dl#22690
https://youtube-eng.googleblog.com/2017/03/improving-vr-videos.html
https://blog.google/products/google-ar-vr/bringing-pixels-front-and-center-vr-video/

It seems like google made it's own format, however, it seems like some apps are capable of converting them back to regular VR.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.chai.vrtv&hl=en
https://www.videoder.com/

[randoomx8]

THIS MIGHT BE A SOLUTION?

https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2021/01/downloading-360-videos-from-youtube-and-playback-in-linux/
Also ytdl-org/youtube-dl#15267

[randoomx8]

I CAN CONFIRM THAT THIS DOES WORK, EVEN IF A BIT GLITCHY

Doing youtube-dl -f 302+251 --merge-output-format mkv https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DqSh_T20WY --user-agent '' to download a test video works!

I can't get it to merge with audio (seems to think FFMPEG is not installed, even though it is), but the video is fine!! Please implement an option in your app that lets users download VR videos using the command above. (See ytdl-org/youtube-dl#15267 (comment) for more details)

[randoomx8]

I made a batch file to automate my needs while I wait, here is the code if anyone else wants it:

@echo off
Color 1F
echo Welcome to Alemismun's 360 YDL CLI, be sure this program is on the same folder as your ffmpeg and youtube-dl binaries.
echo This CLI can only download 360 videos, 180 videos are believed to be impossible.
echo.
echo Tell your favourite content creators to use better platforms! Such as iwara for MMD VR dance videos.
echo.
echo.
echo [CLI Protip: Right click on this window to paste a link]
set /P videolink="Enter video link... (eg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DqSh_T20WY)"
:VideoSelect
cls
youtube-dl -F %videolink% --user-agent ''
echo.
echo Automatically select best settings?
set /P usebestsetting="Y/N"
if /I "%usebestsetting%" EQU "Y" goto :AutoBest
if /I "%usebestsetting%" EQU "N" goto :ManualQualitySelect
echo.
echo ERROR: INVALID ANSWER.
pause
goto VideoSelect
:ManualQualitySelect
set /P audiosetting="Enter audio quality setting..."
set /P videosetting="Enter video quality setting..."
cls
youtube-dl -f %videosetting%+%audiosetting% --merge-output-format mkv %videolink% --user-agent ''
pause
exit

:AutoBest
youtube-dl -f bestvideo+bestaudio --merge-output-format mkv %videolink% --user-agent ''
pause
exit

UPDATE: I made a repo for it (https://github.com/randoomx8/AL360CLI) and will probably keep updating it until this issue is resolved. Videos downloaded at anything less than "best" become blury, the solution is to download them at best and then convert them into a lower resolution, that way youtube compression does not take away detail.

[randoomx8]

Some one noted on the solution post that there were some clarity and resolution issues, I can indeed see them... I will try to find a way around them.

Edit: Actually, even on desktop at 4K VR videos look like ass so I guess the issue is on their end...

[jely2002]

Hi! Thanks a lot for the research you have already done. Would adding an option, to add an empty user agent string, work to solve this problem?

[randoomx8]

Hi! Thanks a lot for the research you have already done. Would adding an option, to add an empty user agent string, work to solve this problem?

Probably, I think. Its worth the try!
(Ive not yet tried to download a video without mergeing the audio and video, so I have no idea. Will probably try tomorrow or so)

[jely2002]

This feature has been released in 2.4.0 :)

[yeahman45]

I CAN CONFIRM THAT THIS DOES WORK, EVEN IF A BIT GLITCHY

Doing youtube-dl -f 302+251 --merge-output-format mkv https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DqSh_T20WY --user-agent '' to download a test video works!

I can't get it to merge with audio (seems to think FFMPEG is not installed, even though it is), but the video is fine!! Please implement an option in your app that lets users download VR videos using the command above. (See ytdl-org/youtube-dl#15267 (comment) for more details)

does this still work? does not seem so.
jely2002 also closed this issue as completed but it does not seem to work on his app either.
video tested : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVMQhCKhm5E&t=4s