5 min read

The site is not on the supported list — what now

The extension has a list of platforms with dedicated support, where it knows the page structure, takes the highest rendition and merges separate tracks. That is not the whole story: alongside it runs a generic mode that simply watches the tab's network requests and notices media streams passing through.

So on an unfamiliar site the extension may well find something. The result is just less predictable, and it helps to know what it depends on.

When the generic mode works

  • The site serves a plain MP4 or WEBM file — the simplest case, downloaded whole.
  • It uses unencrypted HLS or DASH — the stream arrives in segments and the extension assembles them into one file.
  • The video is openly accessible and needs no special headers or signed links.

When it does not

  • DRM. Netflix, Amazon Prime and other paid streamers encrypt the stream through Widevine. The key lives inside the browser's protected module and no extension can reach it — that is the point of the technology, not a shortcoming.
  • YouTube. Not supported: Chrome Web Store policy does not allow downloader extensions for it.
  • Short-lived signed links — playback works, but the direct URL expires before a download can finish.
  • Players that only release the video after an authorisation flow the extension does not reproduce.

A quick tell for DRM: if the service is paid and offers offline viewing inside its own app, the stream is almost certainly encrypted and there is no point trying.

What to try on an unfamiliar site

  1. 1Start playback — until the player begins fetching the stream there is nothing to intercept.
  2. 2Let it run for a few seconds so the extension sees the requests.
  3. 3Open the Tentek popup: whatever was found appears as a list.
  4. 4If there are several entries, take the one with the highest resolution or the note about merged tracks.

An empty list means either the stream is protected, or the player serves video in a way the generic mode does not parse. In the second case dedicated support for the platform would fix it, and it is worth asking for.

Requesting support for a site

Message us on Telegram with the address of a page that has video on it. Dedicated support is written per platform, so a clear example speeds things up. Priority follows how many people ask for the same site.

Two things that will not happen: DRM circumvention and YouTube support. The first is technically impossible, the second is a direct route to being removed from the store.

Common questions

So does it download from any site after all?

Not any site. On supported platforms it works reliably and at full quality; elsewhere it depends on how the player is built. With DRM platforms it does not work at all.

Why does nothing show up on paid services?

Their stream is encrypted with DRM and the key is only available to the browser's own protected module. That is by design and an extension cannot work around it.

The video is playing but the extension does not see it

Usually the popup was opened before playback started. Start the video, let it run a few seconds, then open the popup again.

Several files were found — which one do I pick?

The one with the highest resolution. If an entry mentions merged video and audio, take that one: a standalone video track saves without sound.

Will YouTube be supported?

No. Chrome Web Store policy does not allow extensions that download from YouTube.

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