fix(dl-video): pass JS runtime + alt YouTube player_clients to yt-dlp#5
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yt-dlp's default extraction path for YouTube currently fails with "Requested format is not available" on systems that don't have Deno installed and/or are signed into Google, because: 1. YouTube's URL "n parameter" requires a JS runtime to deobfuscate. yt-dlp only auto-enables Deno; Node (much more commonly installed) must be passed explicitly with --js-runtimes. 2. The default tv_downgraded / web_creator clients now demand a "Data Sync ID" for signed-in accounts that yt-dlp can't synthesize, so format extraction returns only storyboard images. Forcing the web_safari / mweb / android_vr / ios clients sidesteps the check. Both flags are passed conditionally / scoped: - --js-runtimes is only added if `node` is on PATH (no regression for Deno-equipped systems). - --extractor-args is namespaced to `youtube:`, so other extractors (TikTok, X, Vimeo, …) are unaffected. Verified locally on a 21-minute YouTube video that previously hit "Only images are available for download" — now downloads cleanly. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 <[email protected]>
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Summary
dl-videocurrently fails on YouTube withERROR: [youtube] <id>: Requested format is not availableon systems where:tv_downgraded/web_creatorclients now demand a Data Sync ID).yt-dlp can only emit storyboard images in that state, so the download silently degrades. Symptoms reported elsewhere: yt-dlp#11904, #11932.
This PR adds two flags to the existing
run_dlinvocation:--js-runtimes node:$(command -v node)— only whennodeis on PATH. Lets yt-dlp solve YouTube's obfuscatednparameter without requiring a Deno install.--extractor-args "youtube:player_client=web_safari,mweb,android_vr,ios"— forces clients that don't need a Data Sync ID.Both are scoped —
nodecheck prevents regressions on Deno-equipped systems, and the extractor-args namespace (youtube:) leaves TikTok/X/Vimeo/LinkedIn extraction unchanged.Why these specific clients
web_safari,mweb,android_vr, andiosare the player clients currently confirmed by the yt-dlp project to bypass the Data Sync ID requirement while still exposing the full mp4/webm format ladder (135–401, including 480p–4K progressive variants). I chose four rather than one to give yt-dlp fallback room as YouTube rotates restrictions.Test plan
watch <youtube-url>on a video that previously failed with "Requested format is not available" — confirm it now downloads.watch <tiktok-url>andwatch <vimeo-url>— confirm non-YouTube hosts still work (extractor-args is youtube-only namespace).nodeinstalled (Deno-only), confirm no warnings appear about the missing runtime flag.Notes
Tested on WSL2 Ubuntu, yt-dlp 2026.03.17, Node 22.x at
~/.local/bin/node. The same fix should apply on macOS —command -v noderesolves Homebrew/nvm installs equally.Happy to adjust the player_client list if you'd prefer a smaller set, or to gate the extractor-args behind a
[[ "$URL" == *youtube* ]]check if you want it strictly opt-in for YT URLs.🤖 Generated with Claude Code