StreamgrabHow to download a DASH (.mpd) video from a web page
Updated
An .mpd file is a DASH manifest: a small XML file that points to the video and audio tracks, which are cut into short pieces. Saving it gives you the XML, not a video. Copy its address from the Network tab and give it to yt-dlp, which needs ffmpeg to join the tracks, or use an extension that fetches and joins them.
Without an extension: yt-dlp
- Find the manifest. Open the page, press F12, choose the Network tab, start the video, and type
mpdin the filter box. - Copy the address of the request that ends in
.mpd. - Run yt-dlp with the address in quotes:
yt-dlp "https://example.com/video/manifest.mpd". DASH keeps video and audio apart, so yt-dlp needs ffmpeg installed to merge them into one file.
That is the route to use when you are comfortable in a terminal. It works with any browser, and it lets you pick a format with yt-dlp's options.
With Streamgrab
- Play the video with Streamgrab installed. It lists a DASH stream in the popup, and a number appears on the toolbar icon. Reload the page first if you installed it after the page loaded.
- Choose a quality from the menu. The qualities come from the manifest.
- Press Download. Streamgrab reads the manifest, downloads the chosen video track and an audio track, and saves them.
Because DASH stores audio and video apart, there are two outcomes. When both tracks are MP4, Streamgrab joins them into one MP4. With Save to disk (Pro) the tracks are written as they arrive and stay two files. When they are not MP4, for example WebM video with separate audio, it saves two files, tells you, and you can play them together or merge them in a video editor.
Free and Pro
- Free: HLS and DASH streams up to 720p, one at a time, with no daily count. Direct MP4 and WebM files are not limited.
- Pro: any quality, three downloads at once, and Download all for a page with several streams. Pro costs €29 for life or €15 for 12 months.
7 days of Pro, free, no card.
When a manifest is refused
- DRM. A manifest that declares content protection is refused with "This stream is protected by DRM and cannot be downloaded."
- Live. A live manifest has no end. Streamgrab says: "Live streams cannot be saved as a file."
- Several parts. A stream made of several parts, for example one with an ad break, cannot be joined. Streamgrab saves nothing and says why.
- Size. Limited by free disk space; over 50,000 pieces is refused.
Download only video you have the right to keep. Streamgrab runs in Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Firefox on desktop. For the full list of reasons a download fails, see why a video will not download. For HLS playlists, see the m3u8 guide.
Questions
- What is an mpd file?
- It is a DASH manifest, an XML file that describes the video and audio tracks and where their pieces are. It is not a video file.
- Why does a DASH download give me two files?
- DASH keeps video and audio in separate tracks. Streamgrab joins them into one MP4 when both are MP4. Otherwise it saves two files and tells you.
- Can I download a DASH video with yt-dlp?
- Yes. Pass the .mpd address to yt-dlp. It needs ffmpeg installed to merge the audio and video tracks.
- Why was my manifest refused?
- Streamgrab refuses DRM-protected streams, live streams, streams made of several parts such as ad breaks, and streams that list more than 50,000 pieces.
Save a stream as a file
Streamgrab is free to start, with no account and no watermark. Direct MP4 and WebM files are never limited.
Streamgrab runs in Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Firefox on desktop. Download only what you have the right to keep. Streamgrab is an independent product.