Newpipe: Please make your metadata OPTIONAL!

[shuttittuppitt]

I used "New pipe" (0.19.5) to download a video from youtube. The video plays as expected. However, I looked at the video with "Media info" for android, & I found this.

"Title: ISO Media file created in NewPipe (A libre lightweight streaming frontend for Android)."

The addition of this METADATA is a privacy concern. It's also not needed in order to PLAY a video. Plus, adding any metadata to ANY file always increases that file's size.

Give us the OPTION of NOT adding ANY metadata to a downloaded video.

[TobiGr]

https://github.com/TeamNewPipe/NewPipe/blob/9cf76a918ef9a7dc0d2c18f6913bea28256f72f4/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/streams/Mp4FromDashWriter.java#L851-L867
Line 856 - 866 should be removed.

[wb9688]

@TobiGr: You can't just remove all those bytes and expect it to work…

[TobiGr]

That's what we need to test. I guess, we can replace them with 0x00

[wb9688]

@TobiGr: No, you should read what the specification says, and possibly look at other implementations, not just guess

[TobiGr]

Found one more:

https://github.com/TeamNewPipe/NewPipe/blob/9cf76a918ef9a7dc0d2c18f6913bea28256f72f4/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/streams/Mp4FromDashWriter.java#L729

PS: The specification is here

[mgolden356]

@shuttittuppitt I can't find this metadata on properties on any of my file manager apps. How would I be able to view this metadata?

[shuttittuppitt]

I found it when I used this on a video that I downloaded. I usually use it to find a video's bit rate, among other things.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.mediaarea.mediainfo

[07416]

This metadata also draws attention to NewPipe. I don't know what effect a DMCA takedown would have on the development.

[07416]

Please make your metadata OPTIONAL!

And off by default, of course (if needed at all).

[TobiGr]

We will remove that completely. @kapodamy Do you have time to help us with that?

[shuttittuppitt]

@TobiGr
I just remembered that according to "Media info", that same metadata is included not only for the "video" part of the downloaded video, but also for the "audio" part too. So there may be another part of the source code that has it specifically for the audio part.

[kapodamy]

@TobiGr
Yes i can, but dont scare me