Youtube adds encrypted metadata to any FLVs and MP4s downloaded from youtube video pages. Most likely this data is the downloader's IP address and other personally identifying information, meaning any video you share can forever be traced back to you. Here is one way to overwrite it and remove the youtube stuff:
Tools needed
http://yamdi.sourceforge.net/
Yet Another MetaData Injector for FLV
Usage:
Code:
yamdi -i sample.flv -o sample_new.flv
Or create a shell script to process all files in your directoy: (first create a subdirectory called "new" where all changed files will be copied).
Code:
#!/bin/sh
x=1
ls -1 *.flv > tmp.tmp
while true
do
fname=`cat tmp.tmp |head -$x |tail -1`
"/root/path/yamdi" -i $fname -o new/$fname
x=`expr $x + 1`
done
edit: To see detailed FLV metadata use the tool "flvtool2."
http://rubyforge.org/projects/flvtool2/
Code:
flvtool2 -P filename.ext
That's useful. So that confirms it is metadata and not a customized stream. Well once I try out yamdi.
I usually re-encode to XViD making this moot for me but very useful tip if it works as advertised CaptainLeech.
.. oh and Welcome to the Forum!
Yes, welcome to the forum, and thanks for the great info. Though I don't usually upload such formats, those that I repeatedly watch I just download (makes no sense to keep getting the same data) and some of those are passed on in person, so this is still very handy for me. Cheers!
First off, thank you for the link and welcome to the forum.
(11-21-2010 08:10 AM)CaptainLeech Wrote: [ -> ]Most likely this data is the downloader's IP address and other personally identifying information
I just took a peek at the metadata from a small file I downloaded last August. There is indeed encrypted metadata there, however I am more inclined to believe that it is the uploaders, and not the downloaders info.
(11-21-2010 08:10 AM)CaptainLeech Wrote: [ -> ]meaning any video you share can forever be traced back to you.
If you share via youtube that will happen regardless, and your program can not help with that as the metadata ( which I see ) is created upon upload to youtube.
(11-21-2010 05:53 PM)JFK Wrote: [ -> ] (11-21-2010 08:10 AM)CaptainLeech Wrote: [ -> ]I just took a peek at the metadata from a small file I downloaded last August. There is indeed encrypted metadata there, however I am more inclined to believe that it is the uploaders, and not the downloaders info.
The data is dynamic which indicates to me it is written "on the fly" prior to the file being served. You can confirm this by downloading a video, deleting your youtube cookies, and then downloading that same video again. You will see the "sourcedata" aattribute has changed with a dfferent alphanumeric string. What this string actually contains is anyone's guess.
(11-21-2010 05:53 PM)JFK Wrote: [ -> ] (11-21-2010 08:10 AM)CaptainLeech Wrote: [ -> ]meaning any video you share can forever be traced back to you.
If you share via youtube that will happen regardless, and your program can not help with that as the metadata ( which I see ) is created upon upload to youtube.
By share, I mean post-download sharing (via bittorrent or any p2p specifically after being downloaded from youtube by a viewer).
If you want to hide your private info from youtube you need to upload through a proxy with a fake e-mail account (which you should also create through a proxy).
After looking into this, I got confused. I really don't know where to begin with Y.A.M.D.I
Would the metadata be preserved when converting the videos to other formats?
No, all you convert is the video format.