> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://savemate.io/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Video Downloads

> Download detected video streams in your preferred quality and format.

Once SaveMate detects a video stream, you can download it to your device in the quality and format of your choice.

## How to download

<Steps>
  <Step title="Detect a stream">
    Navigate to a page with video content. The SaveMate icon lights up when a stream is found.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the download panel">
    Click the SaveMate icon to see detected streams. Click **Download** on the stream you want.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose quality and format">
    The format picker shows all available quality levels and formats for the detected stream. Select your preferred option.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start download">
    Click **Download** to start. The file saves to your browser's default download location.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Available qualities

| Quality             | Free plan | Professional |
| ------------------- | --------- | ------------ |
| SD (480p and below) | Unlimited | Unlimited    |
| HD (720p)           | Unlimited | Unlimited    |
| Full HD (1080p)     | 3 per day | Unlimited    |
| QHD (1440p)         | -         | Unlimited    |
| 4K (2160p)          | -         | Unlimited    |
| 8K (7680p)          | -         | Unlimited    |
| 60fps content       | -         | Unlimited    |

## HLS & DASH stream downloads

For HLS (m3u8) and DASH (mpd) streams, SaveMate handles the complexity of downloading segmented video:

1. Parses the manifest to identify all video and audio segments
2. Downloads segments concurrently for maximum speed
3. Combines segments into a single continuous file
4. Optionally converts to your preferred container format

Key capabilities:

* **Concurrent threading** — Multiple segments download in parallel for faster completion
* **Resume capability** — Interrupted downloads can be retried
* **Separate audio/video** — Automatically combines separate audio and video tracks into one file
* **Adaptive quality** — Choose from all available quality variants in the manifest
* **Live streams** — Record ongoing live streams (Professional plan)

## Progressive video downloads

For direct video files (MP4, WebM, MKV, etc.), SaveMate downloads the file directly. File sizes are shown upfront when available from HTTP headers.

## Download limits

**Free users:**

* Unlimited downloads at 720p and below
* 3 HD downloads per day (1080p and above)
* Daily limit resets at midnight

**Professional users:**

* Unlimited downloads at all qualities
* No daily limits

<Tip>
  The HD download limit is tracked per device. If you're logged in, it's tied to your account to prevent quota abuse across devices.
</Tip>

## Supported formats

SaveMate can download video in 16+ container formats:

| Category             | Formats                      |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| **Common video**     | MP4, WebM, MKV, MOV          |
| **Transport stream** | TS, M2TS, MTS                |
| **Legacy**           | AVI, WMV, FLV, MPG, 3GP, OGG |
| **Audio**            | MP3, AAC, M4A, FLAC, WAV     |

<Info>
  Format conversion from HLS/DASH to MP4/MKV/MOV/WebM is a [Professional feature](/docs/features/format-conversion).
</Info>

## Download settings

Customize download behavior from the extension options page:

* **Download management** — Enable browser download API integration for better control over file naming and save location
* **Download path** — Set a custom folder prefix for downloads (e.g., `SaveMate/` to organize files)
* **File naming** — Files are automatically named with deduplication (adding a number suffix if a file already exists)

<Info>
  The download management feature requires an optional browser permission that is requested at runtime when you enable it.
</Info>