How to specify file format and resolution when using you-get

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of specifying file format and video resolution when using the popular Linux video downloader tool, you-get. Whether you're downloading videos for personal use or for a specific project, understanding these options can help you optimize your downloads and ensure they meet your requirements.

Skills Graph

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Introduction to you-get

you-get is a Python-based command-line tool that allows users to download videos and audio from various online platforms, such as YouTube, Bilibili, and more. It is a versatile and easy-to-use tool that supports a wide range of video and audio formats, as well as various resolution options.

One of the key features of you-get is its ability to specify the file format and resolution of the downloaded content. This can be particularly useful when you want to optimize the file size or quality for your specific needs.

In this tutorial, we will explore how to use you-get to specify the file format and resolution when downloading content.

Installing you-get

Before we begin, let's make sure you have you-get installed on your system. You can install it using pip, the Python package manager:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python3-pip
pip3 install you-get

This will install the latest version of you-get on your Ubuntu 22.04 system.

Verifying the Installation

To verify that you-get is installed correctly, you can run the following command:

you-get --version

This should display the version of you-get installed on your system.

Specifying File Format Options

When using you-get to download content, you can specify the desired file format using the --format or -f option. This allows you to control the type of file that is downloaded, such as MP4, MKV, or AVI.

To list the available formats for a particular video, you can use the --info option:

you-get --info https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

This will display a list of available formats, along with their resolution and file size information.

To download a video in a specific format, you can use the --format option followed by the format code. For example, to download a video in MP4 format, you can use the following command:

you-get --format=mp4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

You can also use the format code to specify a specific quality or resolution. For example, to download a video in 1080p, you can use the following command:

you-get --format=bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]/best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

In this example, the bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a] format code specifies that you want the best available video and audio streams, both in MP4 format. The best[ext=mp4] and best fallbacks ensure that you get the best available format if the preferred format is not available.

Supported File Formats

you-get supports a wide range of file formats, including:

Format	Extension
MP4	.mp4
MKV	.mkv
AVI	.avi
FLV	.flv
WebM	.webm
3GP	.3gp
MPEG	.mpeg

You can use the format codes corresponding to these extensions with the --format option to download content in your desired format.

Controlling Video Resolution

In addition to specifying the file format, you-get also allows you to control the video resolution of the downloaded content. This can be particularly useful when you want to optimize the file size or quality for your specific needs.

To list the available resolutions for a particular video, you can use the --info option:

you-get --info https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

This will display a list of available resolutions, along with their corresponding format codes.

To download a video in a specific resolution, you can use the --format option followed by the format code for the desired resolution. For example, to download a video in 1080p, you can use the following command:

you-get --format=bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best[height<=1080] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

In this example, the bestvideo[height<=1080] format code specifies that you want the best available video stream with a resolution of 1080p or lower. The bestaudio part ensures that the best available audio stream is also downloaded.

You can also use the --resolution option to specify a specific resolution, such as --resolution 1920x1080 for 1080p or --resolution 1280x720 for 720p.

Supported Resolutions

you-get supports a wide range of video resolutions, including:

Resolution	Format Code
2160p (4K)	bestvideo[height<=2160]+bestaudio/best[height<=2160]
1440p (2K)	bestvideo[height<=1440]+bestaudio/best[height<=1440]
1080p	bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best[height<=1080]
720p	bestvideo[height<=720]+bestaudio/best[height<=720]
480p	bestvideo[height<=480]+bestaudio/best[height<=480]
360p	bestvideo[height<=360]+bestaudio/best[height<=360]

You can use the format codes corresponding to these resolutions with the --format option to download content in your desired resolution.

Summary

By the end of this tutorial, you will have a solid understanding of how to use the you-get tool to control the file format and video resolution of your downloads on Linux systems. This knowledge will empower you to tailor your video downloads to your specific needs, making the most of your Linux computing experience.