diff --git a/test/helper.py b/test/helper.py
index da714078da..d5e0a603e3 100644
--- a/test/helper.py
+++ b/test/helper.py
@@ -134,3 +134,17 @@ def expect_info_dict(self, expected_dict, got_dict):
             missing_keys,
             'Missing keys in test definition: %s' % (
                 ', '.join(sorted(missing_keys))))
+
+
+def assertRegexpMatches(self, text, regexp, msg=None):
+    if hasattr(self, 'assertRegexpMatches'):
+        return self.assertRegexpMatches(text, regexp, msg)
+    else:
+        m = re.match(regexp, text)
+        if not m:
+            note = 'Regexp didn\'t match: %r not found in %r' % (regexp, text)
+            if msg is None:
+                msg = note
+            else:
+                msg = note + ', ' + msg
+            self.assertTrue(m, msg)
diff --git a/test/test_YoutubeDL.py b/test/test_YoutubeDL.py
index 2902dbec73..8735013f72 100644
--- a/test/test_YoutubeDL.py
+++ b/test/test_YoutubeDL.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import sys
 import unittest
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))))
 
-from test.helper import FakeYDL
+from test.helper import FakeYDL, assertRegexpMatches
 from youtube_dl import YoutubeDL
 from youtube_dl.extractor import YoutubeIE
 
@@ -274,6 +274,12 @@ class TestFormatSelection(unittest.TestCase):
         # Replace missing fields with 'NA'
         self.assertEqual(fname('%(uploader_date)s-%(id)s.%(ext)s'), 'NA-1234.mp4')
 
+    def test_format_note(self):
+        ydl = YoutubeDL()
+        self.assertEqual(ydl._format_note({}), '')
+        assertRegexpMatches(self, ydl._format_note({
+            'vbr': 10,
+        }), '^x\s*10k$')
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
index d4dd05d8c8..e9811bd055 100755
--- a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
@@ -1139,57 +1139,57 @@ class YoutubeDL(object):
             res = default
         return res
 
-    def list_formats(self, info_dict):
-        def format_note(fdict):
-            res = ''
-            if fdict.get('ext') in ['f4f', 'f4m']:
-                res += '(unsupported) '
-            if fdict.get('format_note') is not None:
-                res += fdict['format_note'] + ' '
-            if fdict.get('tbr') is not None:
-                res += '%4dk ' % fdict['tbr']
-            if fdict.get('container') is not None:
-                if res:
-                    res += ', '
-                res += '%s container' % fdict['container']
-            if (fdict.get('vcodec') is not None and
-                    fdict.get('vcodec') != 'none'):
-                if res:
-                    res += ', '
-                res += fdict['vcodec']
-                if fdict.get('vbr') is not None:
-                    res += '@'
-            elif fdict.get('vbr') is not None and fdict.get('abr') is not None:
-                res += 'video@'
+    def _format_note(self, fdict):
+        res = ''
+        if fdict.get('ext') in ['f4f', 'f4m']:
+            res += '(unsupported) '
+        if fdict.get('format_note') is not None:
+            res += fdict['format_note'] + ' '
+        if fdict.get('tbr') is not None:
+            res += '%4dk ' % fdict['tbr']
+        if fdict.get('container') is not None:
+            if res:
+                res += ', '
+            res += '%s container' % fdict['container']
+        if (fdict.get('vcodec') is not None and
+                fdict.get('vcodec') != 'none'):
+            if res:
+                res += ', '
+            res += fdict['vcodec']
             if fdict.get('vbr') is not None:
-                res += '%4dk' % fdict['vbr']
-            if fdict.get('acodec') is not None:
-                if res:
-                    res += ', '
-                if fdict['acodec'] == 'none':
-                    res += 'video only'
-                else:
-                    res += '%-5s' % fdict['acodec']
-            elif fdict.get('abr') is not None:
-                if res:
-                    res += ', '
-                res += 'audio'
-            if fdict.get('abr') is not None:
-                res += '@%3dk' % fdict['abr']
-            if fdict.get('asr') is not None:
-                res += ' (%5dHz)' % fdict['asr']
-            if fdict.get('filesize') is not None:
-                if res:
-                    res += ', '
-                res += format_bytes(fdict['filesize'])
-            return res
+                res += '@'
+        elif fdict.get('vbr') is not None and fdict.get('abr') is not None:
+            res += 'video@'
+        if fdict.get('vbr') is not None:
+            res += '%4dk' % fdict['vbr']
+        if fdict.get('acodec') is not None:
+            if res:
+                res += ', '
+            if fdict['acodec'] == 'none':
+                res += 'video only'
+            else:
+                res += '%-5s' % fdict['acodec']
+        elif fdict.get('abr') is not None:
+            if res:
+                res += ', '
+            res += 'audio'
+        if fdict.get('abr') is not None:
+            res += '@%3dk' % fdict['abr']
+        if fdict.get('asr') is not None:
+            res += ' (%5dHz)' % fdict['asr']
+        if fdict.get('filesize') is not None:
+            if res:
+                res += ', '
+            res += format_bytes(fdict['filesize'])
+        return res
 
+    def list_formats(self, info_dict):
         def line(format, idlen=20):
             return (('%-' + compat_str(idlen + 1) + 's%-10s%-12s%s') % (
                 format['format_id'],
                 format['ext'],
                 self.format_resolution(format),
-                format_note(format),
+                self._format_note(format),
             ))
 
         formats = info_dict.get('formats', [info_dict])
@@ -1197,8 +1197,8 @@ class YoutubeDL(object):
                     max(len(f['format_id']) for f in formats))
         formats_s = [line(f, idlen) for f in formats]
         if len(formats) > 1:
-            formats_s[0] += (' ' if format_note(formats[0]) else '') + '(worst)'
-            formats_s[-1] += (' ' if format_note(formats[-1]) else '') + '(best)'
+            formats_s[0] += (' ' if self._format_note(formats[0]) else '') + '(worst)'
+            formats_s[-1] += (' ' if self._format_note(formats[-1]) else '') + '(best)'
 
         header_line = line({
             'format_id': 'format code', 'ext': 'extension',