Inconsistent server code response using HTTP API

I’m using WordPress http api to get a server response code from youtube api so I check the validity of a video. I do this in a function from my functions.php which processes my post form where I collect the url of the youtube video. The issue is I’m getting inconsistent responses as where videos that are valid are returning 403’s occasionally.

Now I also check the validity on the front end using jquery .ajax() using the same youtube api request and that works correctly 100% of the time. So a video will validate using youtube api and jquery and then sometimes return a 403 using the php method. So what is the issue here? This is my processing function for the form. You’ll notice I’m printing out the $video_id every time to make sure it’s correct and it is.

function video_process_form( $query ) {
  global $error_output; 
  if ( $query->is_page( 'submit-video' ) && isset( $_POST['title'] )) {

    $output = null; 

    if ( ! function_exists( 'wp_handle_upload' )) {
        require_once(ABSPATH . "wp-admin" . '/includes/image.php');
        require_once(ABSPATH . "wp-admin" . '/includes/file.php');
        require_once(ABSPATH . "wp-admin" . '/includes/media.php');
    }

    $file = $_FILES;

    // Do some minor form validation to make sure there is content
    if ($_POST['title'] != null && $_POST['title'] != 'Video Title') {
        $title =  $_POST['title'];
    } else {
        $error_output .= 'Please enter a video  title<br/>';
    }

    if ($_POST['description'] != null && $_POST['description'] != 'Video Description') {
        $description = $_POST['description'];
    }

    if ($_POST['video_url'] != null && $_POST['video_url'] != 'Youtube URL') {
        $vid_url = $_POST['video_url'];
        $video_id = getVideoId($vid_url);
        if ($video_id) {
          printf($video_id);
          $video_response =    wp_remote_retrieve_response_code(wp_remote_get('http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/videos/' . 

          $video_id));
          printf($video_response);
          if ($video_response == 200) {
              $video_url = $vid_url;
          } else {
              $error_output .= 'This is not an existing youtube video<br/>';
          }
        } else {
          $error_output .= 'This is not an existing youtube video<br/>';
        }
    } else {
          $error_output .= 'This is not an existing youtube video<br/>';
    }
    $tags = $_POST['post_tags'];

    // Add the content of the form to $post as an array
    $new_post = array(
        'post_title'    => $title,
        'post_content'  => $description,
        'tags_input'    => array($tags),
        'post_category' => array(12),
        'post_status'   => 'publish',           // Choose: publish, preview, future, draft, etc.
        'post_type' => fod_videos  // Use a custom post type if you want to
    );

    // If No Errors, Save Post and Redirect //
    if ($error_output == null) {
        $pid = wp_insert_post($new_post);
        update_post_meta($pid,'video_code',$video_url);
        wp_redirect( get_permalink($pid)); 
    // If Errors, Return Errors for Display in Template //
    }
 }
 do_action('wp_insert_post', 'wp_insert_post');
}
add_action( 'pre_get_posts', 'video_process_form' );