User Guide

Complete guide to downloading media with Web VideoDownloader

This guide covers everything you need to know about using Web VideoDownloader (WVD) to detect, preview, and download video and audio files from web pages. Whether you're saving a lecture recording, archiving public domain content, or downloading Creative Commons media, this guide will walk you through every feature.

Getting Started

Installation

Web VideoDownloader is available as a free Chrome extension. After installation, you'll see the WVD icon appear in your Chrome toolbar (the puzzle piece area). If the icon is hidden, click the puzzle piece icon in Chrome's toolbar, find "Web VideoDownloader" in the list, and click the pin icon to keep it visible.

First-Time Setup

WVD works out of the box with no configuration needed. However, you can customize several settings by right-clicking the extension icon and selecting "Options":

Minimum file size filter: Set a minimum file size (in KB) to filter out small media files like icons, thumbnails, or advertising clips. The default is 100 KB, which works well for most users.
Blocked domains: Add specific domains where you don't want the extension to detect media. This is useful for sites where you know you won't need to download anything.
Language: WVD supports 37 languages. The extension automatically uses your browser's language, but you can change it manually in the options.

Detecting Media Files

How Auto-Detection Works

When you visit a web page, WVD automatically monitors network activity in the background using Chrome's webRequest API. It watches for HTTP responses that contain media content types such as video/mp4, audio/mpeg, or application/vnd.apple.mpegurl (HLS). This detection is completely passive and read-only — the extension never modifies, blocks, or redirects any network traffic.

As media files are detected, the extension icon in your toolbar will show a badge with the number of detected files. Click the icon to open the popup and see the full list.

What Gets Detected

WVD can detect the following types of media as they load on a web page:

Video Files

MP4, WEBM, FLV, MOV, AVI, MKV, TS — any standard video format served over HTTP/HTTPS.

Audio Files

MP3, WAV, OGG, AAC, FLAC — music, podcasts, sound effects, and other audio content.

HLS Streams

M3U8 playlists (master and variant) — adaptive bitrate streams used by many modern video platforms.

Direct Downloads

Files served with Content-Disposition headers indicating a downloadable attachment.

When Files Are Not Detected

There are several reasons why WVD might not detect media on a page:

The video hasn't started playing yet. Many sites load media on-demand. Try clicking play on the video first, then check the extension popup again.
The site uses DRM (Digital Rights Management). Platforms like YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and others use encryption to protect their content. WVD deliberately blocks detection on these platforms to comply with copyright policies.
The media is embedded via an iframe from a different domain. In some cases, media loaded inside cross-origin iframes may not be captured by the network monitoring.
The file is too small. If you have a minimum size filter set, very small media files will be filtered out. You can adjust this threshold in the extension options.
The site uses blob URLs or MediaSource Extensions. Some modern video players construct media from JavaScript using blob URLs or MSE, which don't generate standard network requests.

Previewing Media

Before downloading, you can preview any detected video directly in the extension popup. Click the play button next to a detected file to open an inline video player. This helps you verify you're downloading the correct file, especially when multiple media files are detected on the same page.

The preview feature uses your browser's built-in media player, so it supports all formats that Chrome can play natively. For HLS streams, the extension uses the HLS.js library for preview playback.

Downloading Standard Media Files

One-Click Downloads

For standard video and audio files (MP4, WEBM, MP3, etc.), downloading is straightforward:

Click the WVD icon in your toolbar to open the popup
Find the file you want in the list (files show their format, size, and source)
Click the download button (arrow icon) next to the file
A new tab opens showing the download progress with a speed indicator
Once complete, click "Save File" to save it to your computer

Download Progress

The download interface shows real-time information including:

Progress percentage: A circular progress ring showing how much of the file has been downloaded
Download speed: Current download speed in MB/s or KB/s
Downloaded size: How many bytes have been downloaded so far
File metadata: File name, format, size, and source domain

Downloading HLS/M3U8 Streams

Understanding HLS

HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) is a streaming protocol developed by Apple that is now widely used across the web. Instead of delivering a single video file, HLS breaks the video into many small segments (typically 2-10 seconds each) described by a playlist file (M3U8). This allows the player to adaptively switch between quality levels based on your internet speed.

Quality Selection

When WVD detects an HLS stream with multiple quality levels, it presents a quality selector before downloading. Quality options typically include:

Resolution-based options: 1080p, 720p, 480p, 360p, etc.
Bandwidth-based options: When resolution info isn't available, options are shown by bitrate (e.g., 5000 kbps, 2500 kbps, 1000 kbps)

Select your preferred quality and click "Start Download." The extension will then download all segments for that quality level and merge them into a single playable file.

HLS Download Process

Downloading HLS streams involves several steps, all handled automatically:

The M3U8 playlist is parsed to identify all video segments
Each segment is downloaded sequentially
The progress indicator shows segment-by-segment progress (e.g., "Segment 15/120")
All segments are merged into a single MPEG-TS (.ts) or MP4 file
The merged file is made available for you to save

HLS downloads may take longer than standard file downloads because the extension needs to download and process many small segments. A stable internet connection is recommended for the best experience.

Managing Settings

Size Filter

The size filter helps you avoid cluttering your media list with tiny files. Web pages often load small media files for UI sounds, animations, or advertisements. By setting a minimum size (e.g., 100 KB or 500 KB), you can focus on the media that matters. You can always set this to 0 to see everything.

Blocked Domains

If you want to disable media detection on specific websites, add their domains to the blocked list in the extension options. This is useful for:

Websites where you never need to download media
Sites that load many small media files and clutter the detection list
Reducing the extension's memory usage on media-heavy sites you visit frequently

Note that major DRM-protected platforms (YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, etc.) are blocked by default at the code level and cannot be unblocked.

Troubleshooting

No Media Detected

If the extension shows no detected files, try these steps in order:

Make sure the video or audio on the page has actually started playing
Refresh the page and wait for media to load
Check that the site isn't in your blocked domains list
Verify the extension is enabled (check chrome://extensions)
Try restarting Chrome

Download Fails or Gets Stuck

If a download fails or stalls, common causes include:

Expired URL: Some media URLs expire after a short time. Refresh the source page and try again.
Server restrictions: Some servers block downloads from browser extensions. There isn't a workaround for this.
Network interruption: Especially for HLS downloads with many segments, a brief network drop can cause failures. Try again with a stable connection.
CORS restrictions: Cross-origin resource sharing policies on some servers may prevent the download from completing.

Extension Not Working After Chrome Update

Chrome updates occasionally affect extension behavior. If WVD stops working after an update:

Go to chrome://extensions
Find Web VideoDownloader
Toggle the extension off and back on
If that doesn't help, remove and reinstall the extension

Best Practices

Respect copyright. Only download media that you have the right to download. This includes Creative Commons content, public domain media, your own uploaded content, and content where the rights holder has explicitly permitted downloading. When in doubt, check the website's terms of service.

Preview before downloading to make sure it's the right file
Choose appropriate quality for HLS streams — higher quality means larger files and longer download times
Keep the extension updated for the best compatibility and security
Use the size filter to keep your media list clean and focused
Close tabs when done — the extension automatically cleans up detected media data when tabs are closed

Supported Languages

Web VideoDownloader is fully localized in 37 languages. The extension automatically detects your browser's language and adjusts the interface accordingly. Supported languages include:

English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Thai, Polish, Dutch, Hindi, Indonesian, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Greek, Estonian, Finnish, Filipino, Irish, Hungarian, Malay, Norwegian, Romanian, Slovak, and Swedish.

For additional help, visit our Contact & FAQ page or email us at magi815@gmail.com.