www.zdf.de : Can't download simple WMV streams with GetASFStream

[JK1974]

Hi,

I just retried GetASFStream as I was really satisfied with it some months ago, especially, as it is a free tool, but now I have major problems downloading video streams with the latest version.

The protocol analysis gives me e.g. the following links:

rtsp://ms.mdcs.dtag.de/zdf/zdf/06/10/061025_mm_comic_vh.wmv
http://ms.mdcs.dtag.de/zdf/zdf/06/10/061025_mm_comic_vh.wmv
http://wstreaming.zdf.de/zdf/veryhigh/061025_mm_comic.asx

The source is

http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/inhalt/31/0,4070,3991871-6-wm_1500,00.html

Trying to download one of these links, I always get something like

<<<<<<<<<< START:[2007/07/27 16:58:37] >>>>>>>>>>
Protocol[HTTP] is used.
DL URL=http://wstreaming.zdf.de/zdf/veryhigh/061025_mm_comic.asx
<ASX version ="3.0">
<Entry>
<Ref href="mms://ms.mdcs.dtag.de/zdf/zdf/06/10/061025_mm_comic_vh.wmv"/>
</Entry>
</ASX>
Under protocol reference...
Protocol[MMST] is used.
DL URL=mms://ms.mdcs.dtag.de/zdf/zdf/06/10/061025_mm_comic_vh.wmv
[0] Since it is not connectable with a server, it shifts to a RTSP(MS) protocol.
Err:[404] Not Found
[1] It is not It shifts to a RTSP(MS) protocol.
It shifts to a Fast Streaming protocol.
Err:[0] The response which is not defined from a server
It shifts to a MMSH protocol.
It shifts to a RTSP(MS) protocol.
Err:[404] Not Found
[2] It is not It shifts to a RTSP(MS) protocol.
It shifts to a Fast Streaming protocol.
Err:[0] The response which is not defined from a server
It shifts to a MMSH protocol.
It shifts to a RTSP(MS) protocol.

Does anybody know how to fix this problem with GetASFStream? It?s also interesting to me that entering the first http address intro the browser gives me an "access error" while it works accessing with the media player. Setting the user agent explicitly does not seem to help as I have set it to the data sent by WMP 11 and I still get the same error messages.

Thanx a lot in advance!

[compn]

Originally Posted by JK1974

It?s also interesting to me that entering the first http address intro the browser gives me an "access error" while it works accessing with the media player.

wmp automatically tries the other protocols (you can verify this by running URL Snooper and putting a url into wmp).

hmm, the rtsp gives me 404, but mms url works in NetTransport

mms://ms.mdcs.dtag.de/zdf/zdf/06/10/061025_mm_comic_vh.wmv

[JK1974]

I tried downloading the stream again on a different system, and it worked! Main difference: The problematic system has WMP11 installed while the other XP still uses WMP10. I wonder if this could be the problem...

Can you play the stream with WMP11? As far as I know only WM Recorder in the PRO or ADA mode can capture packets from the Windows Media Player. Other stream recorders download stream pretending to be media player, but not actually using it.

[JK1974]

Yes, the stream does play with WMP11, it just can?t be downloaded. But nevertheless, pretending being a media player seems to work as long as WMP10 is installed.

Searching the Web, I found out that MMS is not supported anymore by WMP11. Could this be the reason why it does work on a WMP10 system while it does not on a WMP11 system?

Do you have the same problem when downloading with other media stream recorders like WM Recorder, Replay A/V or freeware SDPReceiver?

[JK1974]

I just tried with SDPReceiver and got the following messages:

> OPEN :	http://wstreaming.zdf.de/zdf/veryhigh/070807_h12.asx
> SAVE :	C:\Documents and Settings\User\Desktop\070807_h12_vh.wmv
> URL  :	mms://ms.mdcs.dtag.de/zdf/zdf/07/08/070807_h12_vh.wmv
> Connecting...
> Resolving DNS IP address, please wait...
> TTCP: socket connect failed: 10061

I checked WM Recorder, and this one was working with this URL, but trying to download free streams e.g. from

http://www.maxdome.de

(Movie Flat) does not work apart from the trailers preceding the movies.

On the other hand: Downloading movies from

http://rtl-now.rtl.de

worked with GetASFStreams as well as the free movies from

http://www.maxdome.de

. Nevertheless, other sites like the ZDF pages or the video streams from

http://www.ard.de

don't work, and I would like to find out the reason for this, as over all, I was satisfied with GetASFStream and it really seems to work on WMP10 systems. Maybe I can uninstall WMP11 here and try it again with WMP10 installed, or I am going to setup a VMware image with a "clean" XP SP2 to see if it really has to do with WMP11.

Ard.de videos are very easy to get.

Try to find the Windows Media stream URL with freeware URL Snooper. Then you may use freeware SDP Receiver or FlashGet to record them.

You may also find stream URLs with WM Recorder. But if if you record Windows Media streams with other media stream recorders you may need to change http:// onto mms:// or rtsp://.

Not all of the web-site are that easy. Thay is why I recommend WM Recorder. It can record more Windows Media streams than any other stream recorder.

I dunno German and I wasn't able to play free movies at

http://www.maxdome.de

.

[JK1974]

You would have had to register and select movies/movie-flat.

The reason why WM Recorder stops recording might be that the main movie at maxdome.de seems to be DRM restricted. Although the movies are free, WMP tells me that a ripped stream (with GetASFStream) is just playable for one day. Then you would have to re-download it.

EDIT: I just see in the description that indeed WM Recorder does not support streaming of DRM protected material.