diff --git a/youtube_dl/extractor/youku.py b/youtube_dl/extractor/youku.py
index a8fd40c833..07ed7cbd19 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/extractor/youku.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/extractor/youku.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # coding: utf-8
 
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 import json
 import math
 import random
@@ -13,18 +15,25 @@ from ..utils import (
 
 
 class YoukuIE(InfoExtractor):
-    _VALID_URL =  r'(?:(?:http://)?(?:v|player)\.youku\.com/(?:v_show/id_|player\.php/sid/)|youku:)(?P<ID>[A-Za-z0-9]+)(?:\.html|/v\.swf|)'
-    _TEST =   {
-        u"url": u"http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDgyMDQ2NTQw.html",
-        u"file": u"XNDgyMDQ2NTQw_part00.flv",
-        u"md5": u"ffe3f2e435663dc2d1eea34faeff5b5b",
-        u"params": {u"test": False},
-        u"info_dict": {
-            u"title": u"youtube-dl test video \"'/\\ä↭𝕐"
+    _VALID_URL = r'''(?x)
+        (?:
+            http://(?:v|player)\.youku\.com/(?:v_show/id_|player\.php/sid/)|
+            youku:)
+        (?P<id>[A-Za-z0-9]+)(?:\.html|/v\.swf|)
+    '''
+    _TEST = {
+        'url': 'http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDgyMDQ2NTQw.html',
+        'md5': 'ffe3f2e435663dc2d1eea34faeff5b5b',
+        'params': {
+            'test': False
+        },
+        'info_dict': {
+            'id': 'XNDgyMDQ2NTQw_part00',
+            'ext': 'flv',
+            'title': 'youtube-dl test video "\'/\\ä↭𝕐'
         }
     }
 
-
     def _gen_sid(self):
         nowTime = int(time.time() * 1000)
         random1 = random.randint(1000,1998)
@@ -55,49 +64,42 @@ class YoukuIE(InfoExtractor):
 
     def _real_extract(self, url):
         mobj = re.match(self._VALID_URL, url)
-        if mobj is None:
-            raise ExtractorError(u'Invalid URL: %s' % url)
-        video_id = mobj.group('ID')
+        video_id = mobj.group('id')
 
         info_url = 'http://v.youku.com/player/getPlayList/VideoIDS/' + video_id
 
-        jsondata = self._download_webpage(info_url, video_id)
+        config = self._download_json(info_url, video_id)
 
-        self.report_extraction(video_id)
-        try:
-            config = json.loads(jsondata)
-            error_code = config['data'][0].get('error_code')
-            if error_code:
-                # -8 means blocked outside China.
-                error = config['data'][0].get('error')  # Chinese and English, separated by newline.
-                raise ExtractorError(error or u'Server reported error %i' % error_code,
-                    expected=True)
+        error_code = config['data'][0].get('error_code')
+        if error_code:
+            # -8 means blocked outside China.
+            error = config['data'][0].get('error')  # Chinese and English, separated by newline.
+            raise ExtractorError(error or 'Server reported error %i' % error_code,
+                expected=True)
 
-            video_title =  config['data'][0]['title']
-            seed = config['data'][0]['seed']
+        video_title = config['data'][0]['title']
+        seed = config['data'][0]['seed']
 
-            format = self._downloader.params.get('format', None)
-            supported_format = list(config['data'][0]['streamfileids'].keys())
+        format = self._downloader.params.get('format', None)
+        supported_format = list(config['data'][0]['streamfileids'].keys())
 
-            if format is None or format == 'best':
-                if 'hd2' in supported_format:
-                    format = 'hd2'
-                else:
-                    format = 'flv'
-                ext = u'flv'
-            elif format == 'worst':
-                format = 'mp4'
-                ext = u'mp4'
+        # TODO proper format selection
+        if format is None or format == 'best':
+            if 'hd2' in supported_format:
+                format = 'hd2'
             else:
                 format = 'flv'
-                ext = u'flv'
+            ext = 'flv'
+        elif format == 'worst':
+            format = 'mp4'
+            ext = 'mp4'
+        else:
+            format = 'flv'
+            ext = 'flv'
 
-
-            fileid = config['data'][0]['streamfileids'][format]
-            keys = [s['k'] for s in config['data'][0]['segs'][format]]
-            # segs is usually a dictionary, but an empty *list* if an error occured.
-        except (UnicodeDecodeError, ValueError, KeyError):
-            raise ExtractorError(u'Unable to extract info section')
+        fileid = config['data'][0]['streamfileids'][format]
+        keys = [s['k'] for s in config['data'][0]['segs'][format]]
+        # segs is usually a dictionary, but an empty *list* if an error occured.
 
         files_info=[]
         sid = self._gen_sid()
@@ -106,9 +108,8 @@ class YoukuIE(InfoExtractor):
         #column 8,9 of fileid represent the segment number
         #fileid[7:9] should be changed
         for index, key in enumerate(keys):
-
             temp_fileid = '%s%02X%s' % (fileid[0:8], index, fileid[10:])
-            download_url = 'http://f.youku.com/player/getFlvPath/sid/%s_%02X/st/flv/fileid/%s?k=%s' % (sid, index, temp_fileid, key)
+            download_url = 'http://k.youku.com/player/getFlvPath/sid/%s_%02X/st/flv/fileid/%s?k=%s' % (sid, index, temp_fileid, key)
 
             info = {
                 'id': '%s_part%02d' % (video_id, index),