How to Download Videos from Websites Like Google Video, YouTube, MySpace, and Others
<<< UPDATE NOTICE: Due to the overwhelming amount of comments and the fact that this article was written over 8 months ago, I decided it was time to update it with the latest tools, websites, and tips available to download videos from the internet >>>
It's been close to 8 months since I published this article, since then the integration of YouTube and Google Videohas been completed, YouTube is pretty much the one stop shop for videos online. In case you are interested in videos from social sites like MySpace, Facebook, and others, the tips listed below will help you quickly and easily get that content on your computer.
Site #1 - iDesktop.tv
You can download any video on YouTube using iDesktop.tv, you simply go to the site and click on the download link. You are given the option to download that video in multiple formats, MPEG, MOV, AVI, and many others.
Site review and linkscan be found here
Site#2 - Vixy.net
Similar but not as powerful as iDesktop.tv, Vixy allows you to save the videos by simply entering the URL(YouTube and other FLV files)for a specific video, please see the example below.
Conversion started...
Done!
The two samples above illustrate ways of getting those videos downloaded using a website to process and encode those files. If you want to go the other route and download the FLV files and convert them yourself, you can use the software listed below to accomplish this, as well as the original article I wrote.
Program #1 - Video DownloadHelper 2.6.1 (Firefox Add-on)
"DownloadHelper is a tool for web content extraction. Its purpose is to capture video and image files from many sites.
Just surf the Web as you are used to, when DownloadHelper detects it can do something for you, the icon gets animated and a menu allows you to download files by simply clicking an item."
Via Mozilla
Program #2 - Free FLV Downloader
"Moyea FLV Downloader is a freeware to download FLV (Flash video) from all video sharing sites at great speed. This program is a one-stop solution to download, manage, play back and convert downloaded videos for Ipod, Iphone, PSP, Cell Phone, Windows Media, XVid and MP3."
Via FLV Soft
Original Article - Published July 10th, 2006
This simple tutorial will show you how to download videos from the internet (MySpace, YouTube, Google Video, etc) and save them to your computer. The reason you have to through this process to download the videos is due to the fact that content providers use special formats that do not allow playback in traditional media players as such this method allows you to save the video files to a universal .avi video file that you can play back almost anywhere. As always comments/suggestions are welcome.
1. Download & install Firefox (You need firefox for the extension to work)
2. Download & install the Video Downloader extension for Firefox (The video downloader extension allows you to save videos from popular websites like Myspace, YouTube, Google, and others.)
3. Download & install Media Coder (This encoder converts the video you download into .avi files which allow you to view and store them at your won discretion)
4. Find the video you wish to save. Once you are on the page click the Video Downloader Button in the bottom right part of your Firefox Browser window.
5. A window will pop-up. Click the button that says Download Link
6. When prompted select Save to Disk and then click OK
>>>>>Please note that if the file you download does not have the extension .flv, then rename the file and end the name with .flv <<<<<
7. Start up MediaCoder
8. Click on the I agree radio button and on the Skip Setup Wizard button, then close the window that appears after that.
9. Drag and drop the .flv files you downloaded into the large white area in Media Coder
10. Click on the Video tab in the lower left-hand section on the window and select XviD in the Format drop-down menu.
11. Click the large Start buttonon the top toolbar window to start transcoding your video.
12. When completed a window will propmt you saying that transcoding is completed, go your file's original location and an .AVI file shoudl be there with the same file name. Now you can play it with Windows Media or your favorite media player.
Original tutorial found at DVD Help Forums
Note: You should not download/copy/distribute videos which you have no rights to.
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How many times you wanted to view your favorited youtube video, but it was removed by user or deleted ?Don't let this happen again! Download Youtube videos to your hard disk drive and watch them whenever you want! Just enter url of a video and click 'G...
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great information
There are just too many tools to do it.. can be confusing sometimes. Some download site doesn't work after some time.
Watch YouTube HD
Watch YouTube HD - higher definition, and download MP4 videos, check this site :
http://www.ouideo.com/youtube/
Really good !
Try http://www.grabme.in It
Try
http://www.grabme.in
It supports 12 different sites including Youtube, MySpace, MetaCafe, DailyMotion etc
the video sites list
Hi
ww.all-video-sites.com is a list of video sharing websites from around the world. I`ve more than 200 links listed so far. Mail me - If you do know a good site i`ve forgotten.
And thanks for your information. I mostly use keepvid.com to download videos.
Download Youtube
Here is a nice web site where you can search, view and download YouTube videos.
http://www.ilikeyoutube.com/
Enjoy.
Take YouTube Videos with you
YouTubeRobot.com today announces YouTube Robot 2.0, a tool that enables you to download video from YouTube.com onto your PC, convert it to various formats to watch it when you are on the road on mobile devices like mobile phone, iPod, iPhone, Pocket PC, PSP, or Zune.
YouTube Robot allows you to search for videos using keywords or browse video by category, author, channel, language, tags, etc. When you find something noteworthy, you can preview the video right in YouTube Robot and then download it onto the hard disk drive. The speed, at which you will be downloading, is very high: up to 5 times faster than other software when you download a single file and up to 4 times faster when you download multiple files at a time.
Manual download is not the only option with YouTube Robot. You may as well schedule the download and conversion tasks to be executed automatically, even when you are not around. Downloading is followed by conversion to the format of your choice and uploading videos to a mobile device (if needed). For example, you can plug in iPod, select the video, go to bed, and when you wake up next morning, your iPod will be ready to play new YouTube videos.
Product page: http://www.youtuberobot.com
Direct download link: http://www.youtuberobot.com/download/utuberobot.exe
Company web-site: http://www.youtuberobot.com
E-mail: support@youtuberobot.com
Matt...
It sounds like some kind of filter or JS is disabled for security, one of the things you can do is add idesktop.tv to your list of trusted sites in internet explorer and it should allow you to get access to the content without an issue. Let me know if it works...good luck
How to change those properties...
1. go to Tools > Internet Options (in Internet Explorer)
2. Click the Security Tab and select the Trusted Sites icon
3. Click on the sites button right below
4. A pop-up will show that will allow you to add the currrent site you're (idesktop.tv)
5. Click Add.....it should work
when i download from
when i download from idesktop.tv my internet explorer blocks the download with one of the drop-down tabs. i can choose "download file" but when i do so, it just refreshes the page. how do i stop the it from blocking it from this site?
This is very very easy, you will love it
You don't have to do all this stuff, there's a simple and very easy way out. "Download any video and audio that u see on the internet". Including Youtube, Metacafe or whatever website. This is very cool & easy trick which will save u a lot of time.
Just watch this video, you will love it ......
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1073108/download_streaming_video_and_audio_files/
How about if you have
How about if you have BitComet and Videora? How do you use the 2 to download and convert videos for ipods?
software
if you like software that is youtube to avi (windows) email me.. avi (windows) video play at you're DVDplayer that has usb..
Did you try...
Jeremy - did you try the Video Download Helper plug in I mentioned on this article?
Heavy.com
I wwant to download video form this site but i don't knwo how
please help me
especially thsi video
http://indievideocodes.com/videocode/1/1997/1997gardenofeden.html
the url may be
the url may be http://www.pqdvd.com/download-youtube-videos-tool.html ?
download videos tool
I know a tool called "PQ FLV Downloader" from http://www.pqdvd.com/download-youtube-videos-tool.html, which has very very download speed.
a fast download speed software
Thanks for your explain, I also know a tool called "PQ FLV Downloader" from http://www.pqdvd.com/download-youtube-videos-too.html, which can download videos from google video,youtube,yaho,MSN and others.
I think so...
I agree with the last poster
DownloadHelper
There is another firefox plugin that still works (as of 25th Jan 2008) on YouTube:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3006
Also, VLC player (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/) will play FLV files, if you have that installed you don't need to convert them.
why not?
go to media-convert.com and convert it to like .wma file format.
Free FLV Converter
I always use the free FLV Downloader on http://www.flvsoft.com/download_flv/
it supports IE, Firefox, Maxthon, Opera
Why not?
I followed all the steps, did them corectly. but when i went to go put it on movie maker.it told me "not a supported file type, and it cannot be imported into Windows Movie Maker." is there anything i can do to make it?
Myspace
Somehow, I cannot download from Myspace. I have downloaded everything. The Video Downloader and Media Coder. I've found the video I wanted to download. I click the Video Donwloader button thing. A window pops up but it won't let me download. Here's a shoot of what popped up and what happens when I click the first Download Link button.
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k275/momodachi/untitled.jpg
Plz E-mail me at minimomo1010@yahoo.com and help me. Thanx.
Mac?
Does MediaCoder work for Mac?
One software to beat them all !!!
I found a better and easier way to download movies from those sites. It's true that I payed a few bucks for it, but not only that it downloads them automatically, but you can also search with it on those sites, after specific keywords...and no visit to those sites is needed...just give it a try, then maybe you will make also a review here about it..I think it's really worth it. It's called Videoraptor(http://audials.com/en/videoraptor/index.html)
No Sound...
I've followed everything that was said. But, why can't the FLV player play the video. And after I used the MediaCoder, there's no video only audio! Please help!
jc_coolblue@yahoo.com - this is my e-mail add...
Easier way
http://rd.cache.l.google.com/get_video?video_id=
just put a youtube video ID number at the end there to download the flv. haven't tested with other sites so feel free to...
I just need one software ........
There are just too many tools to do it.. can be confusing sometimes. Some download site doesn't work after some time.
For me, i like using zillatube … because it not only downloads youtube videos in seconds, it can converts them to windows video!
As i can recall,its link is at zillatube website
No sound?
audio should be set to LAME MP3. video should be set on Format to XviD & Container to Avi. All this you can change in the bottom left hand corner. Just click on the Audio & Videos tabs. I played around with it for awhile, and FINALLY got it to work! thank god!
no sound
Hi, thanks for the tips. I followed the steps to download from YouTube but there is no sound when i play the videos, no matter which player i use. Hope you can help. Thanks.
sofiamagdalena98@yahoo.com
Another way to download YouTube and other video sites
http://boomvid.com
You can also download YouTube Video, Google Video, Dailymotion, ifilm, Break, putFile, grouper, MySpace, That Video Site, Grinvi,...all in one page in one click. Check out this site: http://boomvid.com
Enjoy!!!
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