Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Video DownloadHelper — every answer is straight about what it can and can't do.
Yes, when installed from the official Chrome, Firefox, or Edge store listing. It has been maintained for close to two decades with millions of active users and no history of malware. The premium tier is a purchase, not a requirement.
Only partially, and inconsistently — YouTube actively restricts third-party downloaders at the platform level, so this isn't specific to this extension.
.mpd is a DASH manifest, not a video — it's a text file listing where the actual video segments live. Use our manifest inspector to see what's inside one.
The free tier covers detection and download of most standard video sources. Premium adds faster HLS/DASH handling, higher-quality conversions, and removes the watermark on converted files.
By default it uses your browser’s own download folder. On Chrome and Edge that is your system Downloads folder unless you changed it; on Firefox it follows Settings → General → Downloads. Some sites cause a subfolder named after the extension to be used.
The page is likely delivering video in a format the extension cannot intercept (e.g. DRM-protected streams, or a player that fetches segments in a way that hides them). Try refreshing, switching to a different quality, or opening the page in another browser.
The icon only lights up when the extension detects a downloadable stream. If it stays grey, the site is probably using protected or non-standard delivery, or the extension is paused / lacks permission for that tab.
Yes, HLS (.m3u8) is one of the main things it is built for. Paste the playlist into our M3U8 analyzer to preview the quality levels, audio tracks and whether the stream is encrypted.
No — and it is not able to. Streams protected with Widevine, FairPlay or similar DRM will show as protected, and our tools only explain the manifest, never attempt to circumvent protection.
Open the extension, click the cog / settings, and set a download location, or use your browser’s own downloads settings. Our Download Folder Finder shows the exact default path per browser and OS.
The free version is functional without a hard time limit, but conversion and some advanced HLS/DASH features are reserved for Premium. Detection and basic downloads stay free.
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