[Bug] option to allow temporary quality setting change

[markygnlg]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe

The latest 1.6.6 version took away the ability to temporarily change the quality setting that I want for a specific video (changelog 'Fixed quality changeing related issues'). I prefer game videos to play at 1080p & discussion videos (mostly peoples faces) to be 480p or lower. Previous versions allowed to set each tab individually.

I have multiple tabs open with youtube regularly & I set this extension/add-on to either 720p or 480p depending on how much downloading I'm doing in the background - if a game has a large update for download I'll set the extension to 480p or lower for some videos.

Since 1.6.6 I need to either change the quality slider to the new resolution (which is fine if I only have one tab open) or I will disable the extension then copy/duplicate the tab I want a custom setting, then re-enable the extension.

The old functionality was that I could lower/increase the quality setting for each tab individually.

Is it a change to the extension's functionality or to the pop-up settings page?

Extension's functionality

If the latter, please propose a new design on Figma or describe it as detailed as possible

No response

Additional context

I have downgraded to 1.6.4 so I am no longer disabling/re-enabling the extension but I suggest having this 'feature' as an option for those that do not know how to downgrade.

I'm not sure if I should have posted this in discussions -> categories -> ideas.

[markygnlg]

To clarify - in the current 1.6.6 version:

1. I set the extension to 720p
2. When I watch a game video on youtube I'll increase the quality to 1080p using youtubes options
3. The video will load the 1080p cache & start to play but then this v1.6.6 extension will reset the quality option back to 720p which loads a new instance of the 720p cache

I prefer the old functionality where the extension assumed that I changed the quality option manually for a reason.

[avi12]

This is a bug report, not a feature request, since a user has requested this feature a long time ago and I implemented it, but apparently it broke somehow

[avi12]

Can you record a video of you reproducing the issue?

[markygnlg]

I've not screen recorded before (maybe I could use my mobile) but I do have a NVIDIA GPU which has some sort of inbuilt recorder ability ('ShadowPlay').

The intended function worked with v1.5 & 1.6.4 - it is just 1.6.6 that forces the screen quality to be locked to the add-ons/extensions setting. I was originally using the Chrome version on Opera via the extension 'Install Chrome Extensions' but today I downgraded to 'youtube_auto_hd_fps-1.6.4__adapted_for_opera.zip' (after using 1.6.6 for a few weeks).

If you can't reproduce it then it might be an issue on Opera.

I'll look into recording it after work but I might just use screenshots as my upload rate is 150 kB (1200 kilobits) so uploading a video would take a long time - my connection speed (& it's unreliable speed) is the main reason I use this extension.

[avi12]

I've not screen recorded before

If you're on Windows, the easiest way I can think of is ShareX If not, you can use OBS

If you can't reproduce it then it might be an issue on Opera.

There's a low chance that it's a browser issue In general, you should always get the extension compatible with your browser from its browser store and not from CWS, as a developer who's publishing to CWS (Chrome Web Store) does not guarantee non-Chrome compatibility On the other hand, by installing the extension from the intended store, the developer has to ensure a full compatibility with the browser

[markygnlg]

It may be a browser issue but keep in mind that it only happens on v1.6.6 - the issue I'm trying to explain worked with v1.5 & 1.6.4, both the Chrome version & the 'adapted_for_opera.zip' from here (github).

I'll look into the windows ShareX or NVIDIA ShadowPlay. Rekn it'll take a few hours though as I'll need booze to get me into the mood to learn something new & I'm all out. Pay comes today, in a few hours.

[markygnlg]

I've made 2 videos with ShareX:

https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/62978705/181170400-e01b4716-9be3-4840-951e-f239756d3330.mp4

https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/62978705/181170555-8eae0cd2-384d-43df-889d-c32a50ef1d13.mp4

[markygnlg]

The 1.6.4 video shows that I have the extension set to 1080p but I'm playing the video with 480p & the grey cache line stays cached (there is also a download logger on the lower left to show download speed & data amount).

The 1.6.6 video shows that I can not select 480p nor 720p - the extension keeps going back to 1080p & each time it does so the cache resets & re-downloads (as shown by the download logger on the lower left showing download speed & data amount).

As I stated, I know how to downgrade to 1.6.4 so I no longer have a problem but if other users would like the option that I showed in video 1.6.4 then perhaps you could make a toggle to either force the 1.6.6 behaviour or to allow the older behaviour (I had v1.5 installed which also works as v1.6.4).

[markygnlg]

I just tested v1.6.6 with firefox & it does the same thing but only once or twice.

It seems to depend on how fast I re-select the quality: if I wait a few seconds then the quality reverts to the extension but if I click the new quality again straight away then the manual setting remains

EDIT: I just noticed that, in the video, when I changed from 480 to 720 it stayed as 480!!

https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/62978705/181174649-ee9c0f08-e91f-4641-b12a-60e7eda6a374.mp4

[avi12]

THanks to the video, I can not only try to reproduce the bug, but also know what browser it occurred in

[markygnlg]

No probs, glad to help since you've made such a fantastic extension!!

Just to be clear:

• the first 2 videos are Opera browser (youtube-auto-hd v1.6.4 & v1.6.6);
• the third video is Firefox browser (youtube-auto-hd v1.6.6).

Thanks for the great extension/add-on too!!

[markygnlg]

BTW, Firefox has errors with your '*__adapted_for_firefox.zip' files as Firefox no longer allows the 'about:config and xpinstall.signatures.required is set to false' work-around, ie:

"This Add-on could not be installed because it has not been verified"

Some info I found states "You need to use Dev Edition or Nightly" & "you'll need to use developer edition, nightly, or ESR" - but I don't use Firefox regularly, it's just a backup browser.

[avi12]

This is how I check the extension on Firefox: https://extensionworkshop.com/documentation/develop/temporary-installation-in-firefox/

[avi12]

Another way is to use a tool like web-ext, but at this moment, since FIrefox doesn't support Manifest V3 in its stable version (but only under a flag), it requires preprocessing the manifest.json before running the web-ext command

[markygnlg]

Thanks for the help. Your reply reminds me of a 3rd option I discovered on Reddit - which I didn't mention above:

"If you really want to use a addon. There is a method. This is not a solution for installation of unverified addon but this method can be used for obtaining signed addon.

You can actually make a signed addon for yourself by signing in as developer in mozilla addon page and then you have to upload either zip/crx file, which you want to be signed and choose that it was only for personal use. If there were no error it would generate a signed addon which you can install."

I'll probably try what you showed me just for the experience but Opera is my goto because of the 'popup' currency conversion & the 'popup' copy/search prompt (& I'm toooo lazy to find extensions/add-ons for Firefox/Chrome that do the same).

Good luck & all the best!! (it's tax time so I hope I'll have something left over for this extension - I'm soooooooooooooooooooo tired of youtube displaying 'Auto [xxxx]p' but playing in 240p!!!!!!!!!! ARRRrrGGHGHGHHH!!!

[markygnlg]

I have an unrelated question:

Do you know why the 1st 2 videos were shown as links but the 3rd video was an inline video?

[avi12]

I believe you need to add a new one before the video link I fixed it for you, you can look at the edit history P.S. I was able to edit your message because I'm the owner of this repository

[markygnlg]

HAHA! I actually wanted it the other way! Less inline pics, videos & video cache = less data!! Funny how we think different!!

[avi12]

I'm not sure the data consumption works like that, though you can verify the network activity in Opera DevTools

[markygnlg]

Unfortunately, it's true that "data consumption works like that" - hence me NEEDING your extension/add-on.

I use a data manager/calculator (as shown in the previous videos) that displays a graph constantly & as you can see on the video of the 1.6.6 version - I have a slow download rate; ie.: I KNOW what is downloading & when, so I have no need to "verify the network activity in Opera DevTools" to see my "data consumption".

[avi12]

Anyway, I'll work on fixing the bug you mentioned earlier

[avi12]

Solve it in https://github.com/avi12/youtube-auto-hd/commit/0327931ad670683c824aa28fc15cc5fa849253a8

[markygnlg]

I thought you might want to know that I downgraded to 1.6.4 on Opera browser & , when needed, I downgrade Firefox with your suggestion above (https://extensionworkshop.com/documentation/develop/temporary-installation-in-firefox/).

I've been doing this for over 3 months because I can not get a reliable resolution with the newer versions.

Still a GREAT extension/add-on nonetheless!

P.S. I noticed that the newer versions (above 1.6.4) seem to work better if I do not pause before changing the setting manually. Unfortunately, with my slow download I NEED to pause in order to allow the cache to catch up & when it does not, I use this to control the download speed (BTW, 'BitMeter' is the manager/calculator/monitor that I use - very old but still works, as shown in the videos)

[avi12]

That's unfortunate that the quality change isn't consistent There are a lot of projects in my mind and allocating time for each is challenging. I'll do my best

[markygnlg]

Sorry bud, I didn't mean that I wanted it fixed ... as I stated in my OP:

"I have downgraded to 1.6.4 ... I suggest ... an option for those that do not know how to downgrade."

All the best wishes to you & your kin for this new year!! Bye.