svtplay-dl

There are many video sharing websites in all languages but almost none come with a built-in download option. That is the main reason why software developers try to create applications that can grab content without a lot of hassle from the user’s part. One such software utility is svtplay-dl.

Released under an open-source license, svtplay-dl provides you with a console application that makes it possible to download videos, episodes and clips from various websites and save them to your computer for offline viewing. There are various supported websites, among which we can mention twitch.tv or hbo.com.

With its help, you can create a locally-stored collection that will be available anytime, regardless of whether your PC is connected to the Internet or not.

Since it runs in the Windows console only, there is no standard GUI available. Nevertheless, the syntax is not difficult and all the options and parameters are clearly explained in the help section, which is revealed instantly when running the executable.

When downloading series, you can configure svtplay-dl to create a subfolder with the same title as the show, which enables you to get things organized much faster and easier. RTMP-based live streams can also be downloaded.

There are also options related to the video quality . By default, the best format is downloaded but you are free to specify the bitrate or the video resolution. Svtplay-dl allows you to set a preferred download method.

svtplay-dl can also handle subtitles, if any are available. You can download subtitle files in your language or all the available languages and optionally merge them with the corresponding video or audio file.

Running in the Windows console might be an inconvenient to many but the truth is the syntax is easy and working with svtplay-dl is not difficult once you get accustomed to the commands. On the downside, it does not support more popular video sharing websites, but the list might be expanded in the future.