How does the extension handle different video stream formats?

The extension will detect HLS, DASH, and direct MP4 sources and combine them into a single MP4 file through local segment stitching on your device.

Will I be able to see download progress?

A progress panel is planned to show real-time speed, percentage, and estimated time remaining, with pause and cancel controls available during the download.

What happens if my internet connection drops during a download?

The automatic retry feature is intended to resume from the last successfully saved segment, so you will not need to start the download over.

Do I need to log in to use this extension?

The session-aware design will read your existing browser login for ARD Mediathek. No credentials will be stored or transmitted by the extension.

Is my privacy protected while downloading?

The entire download workflow is intended to involve zero external analytics or telemetry, and no cloud processing will be used for stream stitching.

Use ARD Mediathek Downloader only for videos you own or have permission to save. Respect the platform and creators, and do not redistribute downloaded videos without the necessary rights.

Downloader Video Downloaders

ARD Mediathek Downloader

Name: ARD Mediathek Downloader
Brand: SERP Apps
SKU: ard-mediathek-downloader
Availability: PreOrder
Rating: 4.9 (3 reviews)

Save ARD documentaries and series before they disappear from the Mediathek.

Join Waitlist

Browser extension

Current-page workflow

Browser downloads

40,000+ SERP Apps users

ARD Mediathek Downloader is an independent product not affiliated with or endorsed by ARD, Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten or any subsidiaries or affiliates. All trademarks are property of their respective owners and use of them does not imply affiliation or endorsement.

Try it free — 3 downloads, no credit card

Your downloads never touch our servers

No ads, no tracking, no analytics

One-time payment, lifetime updates

Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Email support, answered by the people who built it

About ARD Mediathek Downloader

Public broadcasters regularly cycle content, and many documentaries, reports, and series vanish after a short period. ARD Mediathek Downloader lets you preserve that programming on your own drive—simply open any on-demand video and the extension detects every available quality tier. You choose the resolution and save a single MP4 file.

Because the tool reads your existing login session without storing credentials, your personal data stays private. There's no cloud processing; all stitching of adaptive streams happens locally on your machine, so the download is just between you and the Mediathek.

Once saved, the file is named automatically with the show title, episode name, and broadcast date. You can build a well-organized archive of publicly funded journalism and cultural content, ready to play in any standard video player without an internet connection.

Trusted at scale

Trusted by 40k+ SERP Apps users.

Private & local

Private downloads. No ads or tracking.

One connected library

Part of the SERP Apps Extensions Library.

How It Works

Download in 3 clear steps

Open the page, let the extension detect what is available, and save the file to your computer.

Browse to an ARD Mediathek video

Open any on-demand title on ardmediathek.de and let the video player initialize. Log in or use a VPN if the content is restricted.

Open the extension

Click the ARD Mediathek Downloader icon. The extension reads the player and lists every available quality tier with resolution and size estimates.

Pick your resolution and download

Select the quality you want. HLS, DASH, and direct MP4 sources are all handled transparently — you always get a single finished file.

Happy Users

Recent customer feedback

Short, practical feedback from people using ARD Mediathek Downloader in real workflows.

Brought German TV back into my life abroad

I moved to Canada three years ago and missed German documentaries more than anything. ARD Mediathek Downloader lets me grab them during the catch-up window and watch on my own schedule. File naming with broadcast dates makes my archive incredibly easy to navigate.

Klaus Bauer

2025-01-15

Great resource for German language students

Studying German at university and using Mediathek content for listening practice. Being able to download episodes and replay them without internet is exactly what I needed. Quality matches the browser player.

Anna Lindqvist

2025-02-28

Good for catching Tatort before it expires

Tatort episodes expire quickly and I can never watch them the week they air. Now I download them immediately and watch whenever I have time. The DASH stitching works cleanly.

Peter Huber

2025-03-10

These comments and ratings were collected during our July 2026 customer survey and reviewed against support records before publication.

Features

Everything it does

Core capabilities included in ARD Mediathek Downloader.

The extension is designed to parse the ARD Mediathek player and detect all available video streams with their quality tiers.

It will download HLS, DASH, and direct MP4 sources and combine them into one portable video file.

Local segment stitching merges adaptive streams on your device without cloud processing or re-encoding.

A progress panel shows real-time speed, percentage, ETA, and gives you pause and cancel controls.

After a connection interruption, automatic retry resumes from the last successfully saved segment.

Smart file naming uses the show title, episode name, and broadcast date pulled from the page metadata.

The session-aware design reads your existing login and never stores or transmits credentials.

Zero external analytics or telemetry are involved during the entire download workflow.

It is planned to be compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and Opera on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Head to ardmediathek.de and open any on-demand title, then let the video player start.

Click the ARD Mediathek Downloader icon, and the extension lists every quality tier with resolution and size estimates.

Pick your resolution to start; HLS, DASH, and direct MP4 sources are handled transparently, giving you a single finished file.

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