Why Can't I Download Video? (or) Where's My Videos?

@edgework: I started using the free version of MX player and while it did work once, I'm now getting the error message for all videos again.

@mitchell486: On which device? Playing which video?

@charlesda: Did you set it as the default player?

@edgework: Yes, I've tried it several times now.

I'm get the "this is an error message" video again. I haven't changed anything, and I am signed in through the PS4 browser.

@optimalpower: On which video? Please give me one example even if every video you try fails.

@edgework: I just got it on both the Nights of Azure and Into the Stars quick looks. Just tried the latest upf and got the error there as well.

Don't know if this helps any, but I tried it with an old video (Chrono Trigger part 42) and just got a message that it couldn't be played. Still getting Jeff video for everything else.

@player242: OK this has nothing to do with iPad etc. or logged/out users. Do you get an ad before the "This is an error" video plays?

@player242: I think I see your problem. You're selecting one of the qualities, not just hitting the play button and using "Auto". Right?

Uninstalled and reinstalled MX Player as well, videos still don't play.

@charlesda: I sent you a Private Message. Did you see that?

@edgework No, I haven't been getting pre-roll video ads in a very long time. Almost cannot remember, it was probably years ago by now. Back then I was sometimes seeing the same video ad for weeks on every single video, repeated again and again, an ad for a cellphone processor as I recall. And perhaps an American college another time. But they were very, very long ago by now.

There's the “Learn more about this ad” text showing up for a couple seconds, but no video ad ever played for a long time now. It just went on to play the GB video instead. Now, without logging in, it goes to the Jeffror instead.

I do not intentionally try to block any ads and do not have any such app installed on my iPad, never did. The only ads I see on GB is a standard rectangular bar ad and the Sponsored Links by Taboola (one horizontal, one vertical column).

The best I could think of may be the ad network having no applicable ad inventory for my country. A probably unrelated, but similar case is that the Game Informer website does not load at all on any ISP in my country, redirecting to a “there’s an error with your location” page with no way out. I have to resort to using read-it-later services and the like to get at their content at all. I hope GB doesn't end up in a similar place. :(

Then again, YouTube works fine. There are sometimes, but very rarely, preroll video ads on YouTube, local and in my language. I don't remember ever seeing an ad before a GB YouTube video either, though.

The reason I concluded it has to do with logging in is because the video consistently started working once I logged in, and stopped once again as soon as I logged out. And I have canceled Premium for now, so it shouldn't make a difference in the amount of ads I'm supposed to see. In any case, I only ever had a monthly sub in the past, not even the golden badge.

(I haven't re-tested the login/logout dance now, this was at the time I posted my original message.)

I've been downloading endurance run episodes for my commute and the download links haven't worked since yesterday. I can still stream the videos on both a desktop and iphone, its just the download links that don't work.

is it related to this?

@player242: We've found the problem and its related to the quality you've selected. Only Auto works. For iPad we're going to have to remove the quality options and stick with auto. The specific qualities are not playing video correctly and never have (even though for you it worked in the past, for us its not a valid play and never counts and there's other problems) and we just realized that now we're serving video a new way.

@hawkinson76: Are you appending your API key to the rss feed or video URL?

@edgework: Ah yes, I always instinctually and immediately tap on HD. My Internet connection is at least thankfully plenty fast and content served through Akamai CDN has always been solid.

@edgework: This seems to be it for sure. Leaving it on Auto works even when logged out. Still no pre-roll video ad, though. Weird that the other options worked after logging in. Quality with Auto seems reasonable too. It just never even occured to me not to tap HD.

@edgework: No, I don't know what an API key is.

I'm logged in as a premium member and using the "download" links, specifically mobile to keep the size down for my phone.

example of a link that worked up until last week: http://v.giantbomb.com/video/vf_persona4_21_aja_350.mp4

@hawkinson76:ok that link works from a browser. If you want to use it elsewhere you need to append an API key. Like this:

http://v.giantbomb.com/video/vf_persona4_21_aja_350.mp4?api_key=aaabbbccc

To get an API key go here

@mxmark:OK, I'm starting to see what's going on with that player and it looks like its running some kind of probe that we're just responding to with ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and it never even tries to load the actual video, just other weird things. So I've heard good things about it but now have witnessed bad things. We'll make changes were we respond with an actual error to its dumb probes and maybe that will force it to actually load the video?

In any case VLC for Android works.

Yup. I was having the same problem as OptimalPower where videos no longer played on my PS4. I am logged into my premium account and got the Jeff error message on the latest Project Beast video and the Oculus Rift Lineup Part 2. After reading a bit here, I tried selecting Auto as was suggested for someone having the problem on their iPad, and now the videos work. Is this intentional? I liked being able to force a video to be in HD because sometimes my internet speeds fluctuate and it throws auto-quality videos for a loop.

ok so as of Wednesday 17:00 PDT issues with the following should be fixed

• PlayStation
• Old video url formats
• iOS
• Android (mostly)

what's not fixed yet:

• MX Player

what won't be fixed

• Default LG Media player support

@edgework: My use case is working again, thank you!

I was watching a Kerbal video via Plex on PS4 with no issues about an hour ago but when I went to play a new video I'm getting the error message.

Everything works OK on Plex desktop (Mac).

Edit: I just checked my API page and it seems to think I've requested more videos than I thought I had (maybe the video stopped and the queue went through lots of different videos with the error message?).

@edgework: I had a wget script that ran to pull stuff down to my emby server, but I've currently got a directory filled with error messages. I modified the script to include my api_key and a custom user agent, but I'm still seeing errors come down.

Anything obviously wrong here? -> http://hastebin.com/raw/oyabatuhim

Example call + output: http://hastebin.com/raw/mihezazote

@therealnelsk: If you use wget you MUST specify a unique user agent. The default 'wget/1.2.3' is blocked at our firewall.

@edgework: Sorry, is --user-agent="therealnelsk::pull_gb.sh" not satisfying that requirement? I'm have that set in the call. Also, saw a couple posts back you guys were taking down the api_key auth or something, is that still down and why I'm getting big jeffery?

@therealnelsk:

wget --user-agent="therealnelsk::pull_gb.sh" v.giantbomb.com/2015/11/11/vf_extralife2015_sf_pt01_600.mp4?api_key=aaabbbccc111

or  

curl -A

"therealnelsk::pull_gb.sh" v.giantbomb.com/2015/11/11/vf_extralife2015_sf_pt01_600.mp4?api_key=aaabbbccc111  >  mymovie.mp4  

I am using the giant bomb video buddy for android. I have re-linked my account but I am getting the Jeff message for every video I try your to watch, not just premium. Are there any know issues with the app? It has worked great for over a year. It is the most up to date versionight of the app.

@edgework Am I missing something? Pretty sure that's exactly what I'm doing:

target_video_url="${1}?api_key=${api_key}"

output_video_name="${2}"

wget --user-agent="therealnelsk::pull_gb.sh" -O "${output_video_name}" "${target_video_url}"

Full script -> http://hastebin.com/raw/oyabatuhim

@therealnelsk: Send me a private message with an exact wget command that's failing.

Getting error message using iOS Video Buddy app today. It was working earlier in the week. I am a subscriber using Charter.

@edgework

As someone who routinely endures these kinds of rugged launches, I know today must be a bit of a nightmare. Thanks for all your hard work and prompt replies.

That being said, I'm having difficulties streaming, both to the GBVB app (subscribed and Boxee-linked) and via RSS into Downcast (with API key appended to feed URL). I _can_ download videos, however. Latest iOS on an iPad mini, ISP is Teksavvy in Canada. Let me know if I can provide any more useful info. Cheers!

EDIT: correction, I cannot download. GBVB downloaded 3GB of something then returned a 416 http status. Downloading via Downcast retrieves only Jeff's error message.

Just figured I'd add that for me, VLC gave me the error message the first time, but upon clearing and reseting my defaults again it seems to be working fine. That being said, MX worked fine twice and then shit the bed, so I'm still a little paranoid, but it seems okay for now.

Just came here because a video from Jeff told me to. I see 2 similar issues posted in the past 40 minutes also, so I'm guessing it's a thing.

No matter what video I go to watch on the iOS version of Video Buddy (most recent iOS, most recent app version, iPad Air 2) I get the Jeff error message. Was working fine approximately 6 hours ago.

Tried to watch multiple videos, old and new, using both the GBVB and the Luchadeer app. I'm trying to view on an LG V10 running Android 6.0.0 using both the GVBV player as well as VLC. Also tried downloading vids using both apps. Have only been met with Jeff's error message. I'm unable to load videos at all on the mobile site. Don't know if this info is helpful at all but there it is.

Awesome, I'm able to select quality on PS4 again. Thank you!

Watched some UPF on VLC and it likes to stop, cut to black, and then continue every few minutes. It also kicked me back to the video page, but that might be due to site maintenence.

@lanerobertlane: You have to log in (or link your account then log in). This is a new thing and I'll work with the Video Buddy dev to make this easier.

@tollride: For Video buddy you have to Log In and link your Giant Bomb account. I don't think I know what the Luchadeer app is so that means it is no longer compatible (sorry). I've contacted the developers of the apps I was aware of and told them what they needed to do to be ready for this like 5 months ago.

@edgework: I tried to un- and relink my account and still nothing. I'm not looking for a solution this moment. Shit seems crazy and I just want to give what info I can.

@tollride: Did you happen to watch more than 20 videos today?

@edgework: Nope. Spent most of the day at work. Only thing I've watched was Mario Maker, and that I'd downloaded this morning. I have watched a couple of videos successfully using VLC since relinking my account. Fingers crossed, but I think it's working.

@tollride: Can you send me your IP address (from the phone)? If you don't know how to get it go here and send me the result.

With that I can figure out exactly what's going on tomorrow morning.

I'm getting the error video when AirPlaying anything from Safari on OS X. Playing the videos normally in the browser works just fine, but using AirPlay with my AppleTV sends me to the error video. Two videos that are doing this for me:

http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/quick-look-into-the-stars/2300-11077/

http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/oculus-rift-launch-lineup-part-03/2300-11074/

I'm not trying to clog the thread but I have been pulling my hair out the last 2 days. Any help is appreciated.

Premium subscriber (good through December) trying to use Video Buddy on Samsung Note Pro. tablet. I just get an error message in place of any videos in the feed. I have tried un/re-linking my account.

@velutha: You may need to update the app. I have the latest version and it works for me. I've asked a friend on Android to try and they downloaded the latest app and it works fine for them. If you're on an LG phone and are using the default player they gave you then that would be the problem. See the original post in this thread for more info.