Downloading Movies from Youku

Kuma777 Member

From: Manchester Registered: 2009-09-14 Posts: 26

Since coming back from Japan last year I've been using Youku to get my daily dose of Japanese variety TV. Especially from the user japanch (http://u.youku.com/user_show/id_UMjk2MzI3OTQ4.html) who uploads new shows daily.

I used a great universal application call jdownloader to grab them from youku so I could watch them any time and it also allowed me to 'batch' download a shows at a time.

Unfortunately recently a lot of the shows that I like to watch have started to display 'sorry this video can only be streamed within mainland China' message. Thankfully Chrome has a plugin that allows people to get around this limitation and watch the videos not matter where you are. The only problem is that this still doesn't solve the problems of not being able to download via jdownloader. When you copy in a URL of a show that requires you to be in mainland china to watch it you just get an error.

I've been testing out a software called Jaksta that kinda of lets you download files in the browser but doesn't do a very good job. The entire video generally needs to be loaded and doing 'batch' downloads of shows is almost impossible.

While I know there's a way to add proxies to jdownloader I've never been successful with it.

As I imagine there's a few people here how like me watch Japanese shows etc from youku and possibly downloaded them, someone might know a way to get round this little problem? I use mac, so something that supports OS X would be best!

Cheers!

Last edited by Kuma777 (2012 July 15, 1:27 pm)

Bokusenou Member

From: America Registered: 2007-01-12 Posts: 820 Website

Kuma777 wrote:
Unfortunately recently a lot of the shows that I like to watch have started to display 'sorry this video can only be streamed within mainland China' message. Thankfully Chrome has a plugin that allows people to get around this limitation and what the videos not matter where you are. The only problem is that this has disable the videos from being downloaded via jdownloader.

Just wondering, what is the name of the plugin you use?

CerpinTaxt Member

From: America Registered: 2008-11-23 Posts: 85

Haven't tested this and maybe it's been changed, but if you're streaming something browsers usually save that data locally either in a .swf or .flv Finding the directory where these temporary files are stored in Chrome will be the same as downloading them.

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howtwosavealif3 Member

From: USA Registered: 2008-02-09 Posts: 889 Website

hey could you give us a link to that chrome plugin. that mainland china crap has been really been killing me lol. I love my japanese tvvv

is the file format from youku mp4 or avi anyway or is it flv or something?

you could look into clubbox for downloading as well. im not sure if it's as fast. the speed limit on clubbox is 50kbs/second

here's a link to my entry with links on registering on clubbox
http://choronghi.wordpress.com/2010/11/ … rean-subs/

just to get a taste of what clubbox has
go to clubbox.co.kr and search for the tv show in japaense
like
i searched ame talk (in japanese ) and i got this
you can list by date/file/etc

admin: removed useless bloat

that is only one page

Last edited by howtwosavealif3 (2012 July 15, 1:36 pm)

Kuma777 Member

From: Manchester Registered: 2009-09-14 Posts: 26

Bokusenou - Thanks for the message! After re-reading what I typed I realized I made it sound like the plugin was blocking jdownloader. I've re-edited to make it more understandable. The plugin is called Unblock Youku btw

CerpinTaxt - That's a good idea will load and start buffering a file in youku in chrome to test it out. Though the main problem is that youku for what ever reasons only buffers so much of the video say 15min before it stops, and the .flv are split into these 15min chunks. So I'd have to let 15min buffer them move the slider along, let another 15min buffer again etc. until I got all the files. Could take a while if I'm doing it with multiple shows.

Kuma777 Member

From: Manchester Registered: 2009-09-14 Posts: 26

Here the link to the plugin https://chrome.google.com/webstore/deta … dk/details

I can't thank the person who made it enough! I'm pretty much 100% addict to Japanese TV and the thought of not being able to watch my regulars was unbearable

Thanks for the link to registration clubbox! I think I tried using it a long time ago but just never got into it. But if it lets me download my shows n that, think I'm going to have get in on the action!

++++
Just read your article and the linked on about making an account on clubbox and it all came flooding back. I remember trying to register there and having loads of trouble as I didn't have IE and couldn't install it on the Mac. Think I ended up dual booting XP in the end to use IE and downloaded the .exe file for clubbix and having problems with that too. Probably just gave up in the end after finding youku last time.

Think this might be my 'weekend project' for next week mi thinks. Haven't got the energy for it now lol
++++

Last edited by Kuma777 (2012 July 15, 1:43 pm)

s0apgun 鬼武者 ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

From: Chicago Registered: 2011-12-24 Posts: 453 Website

Thanks for the Youku channel link. I tried a couple youtube downloaders for you but none of them worked. I think there is a Windows app to download from Youku but I'm also using a Mac. LMK, if you find something.

Oniichan Member

From: 名古屋 Registered: 2009-02-02 Posts: 269

Thanks for the link! Unfortunately, Youku rarely even works these days. i think that they merged with tudou and it's been slow ever since.

Kuma777 Member

From: Manchester Registered: 2009-09-14 Posts: 26

While before when ever I used a proxy with jdownloader it never used to work, over the last 2 days using proxies from http://spys.ru/free-proxy-list/CN/ has been successful!

In the setting for jdownloader just put in the proxy i.p address and port number from the proxy list above and try to copy a 'china only' link! With any luck you'll be able to download the show, I've generally been getting 500 KB/s speeds. You'll have to try a few sometimes before you find one that works but I've had a pretty good success rate.

Anyway hope it helps!

temporary Member

Registered: 2011-09-29 Posts: 60

Thanks for the proxy list!

By the way, you should turn off the proxy usage in JDownloader after it decoded the actual download URLs (when they appear on the "Linkgrabber" tab), that way you can download with full speed and won't put unnecessary strain on the proxy server.

Last edited by temporary (2012 August 05, 6:42 am)

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