Something like the B+N mate is very difficult to figure out in a game if you don't know the concepts. Even very strong players have failed to win that endgame because they neglected to drill it and it's hard to solve on intuition alone.
There's very little to be learned from just watching the computer execute a perfect 20 move forcing sequence because there are so many different ways to do it you couldn't possibly learn them all. It's much easier to learn one of the imperfect human methods that break it down into more understandable parts.
The point is to get to a position where you can force a mate that you know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur3mVl0bdog <- excellent video
I couldn't mate with bishop and knight. I played for about thirty minutes, then decided to watch the computer play itself. I then replayed to see how it was done. Spent an hour analyzing the moves. Explained what each move seemed to accomplish. Then another hour and a half trying to use my notes to do it on my own. Now approaching four hours and frustration has won. With puzzles, I don't think I'll ever ask for help. But this seems different.
I'll sleep, then watch tutorials tomorrow. How long do you usually try to do something on your own before asking for help?