[FFmpeg-user] How to check if a youtube URL is valid before starting download?

[Bo Berglund]

Before I run my Linux script for download a youtube video stream I would like to
be able to check if the URL supplied is valid, i.e. it does not display an error
message like this video does:
https://youtu.be/21qP3flYoic

Can this be done using youtube-dl or straight ffmpeg?

I need a bash script or function "validytvideo" which returns 0 if the URL is OK
and 1 if not.

I am using ffmpeg in scripts to download news videos unattended and I want to be
notified when a YouTube URL has become unavailable...

Please suggest a bash script solution rather than python, which I do not
master...


-- 
Bo Berglund
Developer in Sweden