How to download youtube movies?

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Can someone show me how I can save a video from yotube to my computer

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    Why don't you get Firefox and install one of the plug-ins that save flash video.



    Flash Video Resources Downloader is what I use.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mikead View Post


    Can someone show me how I can save a video from yotube to my computer



  • Reply 2 of 16
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    That, or you could use KeepVid, wherein you enter the URL of the video you want and it downloads it.
  • Reply 3 of 16
    dr millmossdr millmoss Posts: 5,403member
    Somebody very recently mentioned a method that involves the Activity window in Safari, but I haven't been able to make that work for me.
  • Reply 4 of 16
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Reload the movie/page.



    Quickly open the Activity Windows in Safari by hitting alt-command-a.



    Scan for an .flv (usually) that is loading into the mb range. If you miss it, the file you want is usually several mb.
  • Reply 5 of 16
    dr millmossdr millmoss Posts: 5,403member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    Reload the movie/page.



    Quickly open the Activity Windows in Safari by hitting alt-command-a.



    Scan for an .flv (usually) that is loading into the mb range. If you miss it, the file you want is usually several mb.



    I tried that several times. I don't see the movie file, and it's unclear how you capture any of the files that show in the Activity window. They can't be dragged, only double clicked and opened in separate Safari windows. What's the trick?
  • Reply 6 of 16
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dr Millmoss View Post


    I tried that several times. I don't see the movie file, and it's unclear how you capture any of the files that show in the Activity window. They can't be dragged, only double clicked and opened in separate Safari windows. What's the trick?



    Example:



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG1doJEwkKI&NR=1



    Reload it.



    Open Activity Window.



    And . . . there it is. Double click on it and download will begin. A new Safari Window will open. It will be blank. Ignore it. Check the Download window to see the progress.









    It's tough to spot sometimes. It works with other video sites as well. Other things can be downloaded from the Activity Window, too. It's a powerful tool. No 3rd party apps needed.



    Let me know how it works!
  • Reply 7 of 16
    dr millmossdr millmoss Posts: 5,403member
    Worked when I tried it again. Not sure what I did wrong the first time.



    BTW, cmd-shift-4-space allows you to screen shot only one window. So there's a tip right back atcha.
  • Reply 8 of 16
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dr Millmoss View Post


    Worked when I tried it again. Not sure what I did wrong the first time.



    BTW, cmd-shift-4-space allows you to screen shot only one window. So there's a tip right back atcha.



    Nice! I just mindlessly use the Grab utility. This'll save me time.
  • Reply 9 of 16
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    I had forgotten about that trick; I use it all the time. However, it should be noted that more savvy web designers keep the source files protected, which thwarts this technique (for instance, you're not going to be able to download Hulu files this way).
  • Reply 10 of 16
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    I like the javascript method. You just add an empty bookmark and then for the URL part, paste in the following:



    javascript:if(!document.getElementById('download-youtube-video')){var%20video_id=null;var%20video_hash=null ;var%20video_player=document.getElementById('movie _player');if(video_player){var%20flash_variables=v ideo_player.attributes.getNamedItem('flashvars');i f(flash_variables){var%20flash_values=flash_variab les.value;if(flash_values){var%20video_id_match=fl ash_values.match(/[^a-z]video_id=([^(\\&|$)]*)/);if(video_id_match!=null)video_id=video_id_match[1];var%20video_hash_match=flash_values.match(/[^a-z]t=([^(\\&|$)]*)/);if(video_hash_match!=null)video_hash=video_hash_ match[1]}}}if(video_id==null||video_hash==null){var%20args =null;try{args=yt.getConfig('SWF_ARGS')}catch(e){} if(args){video_id=args['video_id'];video_hash=args['t']}}if(video_id!=null&&video_hash!=null){var%20div_e mbed=document.getElementById('watch-embed-div');if(div_embed){var%20div_download=document.cr eateElement('div');var%20div_download_code='%3Cbr% 20/%3E%3Cspan%20id=\\'download-youtube-video\\'%3E%3Ca%20href=\\''+' ash+'\\'%20onclick=\\'blur(this);\\'%3EDownload%20 as%20MP4%3C/a%3E';try{if(yt.getConfig('IS_HD_AVAILABLE'))div_d ownload_code=div_download_code+'%20|%20%3Ca%20href =\\''+' ash+'\\'%20onclick=\\'blur(this);\\'%3EDownload%20 as%20MP4%20HD%3C/a%3E'}catch(e){}div_download.innerHTML=div_downloa d_code+'%3C/span%3E';div_embed.appendChild(div_download)}}}voi d(0)



    When you are on a youtube page and you hit the bookmark, it makes a link visible in the comments called download MP4 and you just click it and you can download the video. This works better than the Activity window method for a number of reasons:



    - you don't have to search for the video file link

    - it downloads the complete file. The activity method will only download a partial file if you've skipped through the video

    - it downloads as MP4, which is better supported on Macs than FLV and you don't have to re-encode



    The activity window method works for other Flash sites though.
  • Reply 11 of 16
    buddhabuddha Posts: 386member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    I like the javascript method. You just add an empty bookmark and then for the URL part, paste in the following:



    javascript:if(!document.getElementById('download-youtube-video')){var%20video_id=null;var%20video_hash=null ;var%20video_player=document.getElementById('movie _player');if(video_player){var%20flash_variables=v ideo_player.attributes.getNamedItem('flashvars');i f(flash_variables){var%20flash_values=flash_variab les.value;if(flash_values){var%20video_id_match=fl ash_values.match(/[^a-z]video_id=([^(\\&|$)]*)/);if(video_id_match!=null)video_id=video_id_match[1];var%20video_hash_match=flash_values.match(/[^a-z]t=([^(\\&|$)]*)/);if(video_hash_match!=null)video_hash=video_hash_ match[1]}}}if(video_id==null||video_hash==null){var%20args =null;try{args=yt.getConfig('SWF_ARGS')}catch(e){} if(args){video_id=args['video_id'];video_hash=args['t']}}if(video_id!=null&&video_hash!=null){var%20div_e mbed=document.getElementById('watch-embed-div');if(div_embed){var%20div_download=document.cr eateElement('div');var%20div_download_code='%3Cbr% 20/%3E%3Cspan%20id=\\'download-youtube-video\\'%3E%3Ca%20href=\\''+' ash+'\\'%20onclick=\\'blur(this);\\'%3EDownload%20 as%20MP4%3C/a%3E';try{if(yt.getConfig('IS_HD_AVAILABLE'))div_d ownload_code=div_download_code+'%20|%20%3Ca%20href =\\''+' ash+'\\'%20onclick=\\'blur(this);\\'%3EDownload%20 as%20MP4%20HD%3C/a%3E'}catch(e){}div_download.innerHTML=div_downloa d_code+'%3C/span%3E';div_embed.appendChild(div_download)}}}voi d(0)



    When you are on a youtube page and you hit the bookmark, it makes a link visible in the comments called download MP4 and you just click it and you can download the video. This works better than the Activity window method for a number of reasons:



    - you don't have to search for the video file link

    - it downloads the complete file. The activity method will only download a partial file if you've skipped through the video

    - it downloads as MP4, which is better supported on Macs than FLV and you don't have to re-encode



    The activity window method works for other Flash sites though.



    Never seen this one before. How do you create an empty bookmark with Safari, Marvin?
  • Reply 12 of 16
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by buddha View Post


    Never seen this one before. How do you create an empty bookmark with Safari, Marvin?



    You can just bookmark a random site or hit add bookmarks when the bookmarks list is up. Technically it's not a blank/empty bookmark, more a random bookmark and you just change the name and the URL.



    Also when I said the link appears in the Youtube comments - I mean the poster comments on the right-hand side, just below the video description.
  • Reply 13 of 16
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    You can just bookmark a random site or hit add bookmarks when the bookmarks list is up. Technically it's not a blank/empty bookmark, more a random bookmark and you just change the name and the URL.



    Also when I said the link appears in the Youtube comments - I mean the poster comments on the right-hand side, just below the video description.



    And it also sends all of my keystrokes to some guy in the Ukraine, right?
  • Reply 14 of 16
    Keepvid.com is the easy way. They've even got a bookmarklet you can put in your bookmarks toolbar. The site is slow sometimes, though.
  • Reply 15 of 16
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dr Millmoss View Post


    And it also sends all of my keystrokes to some guy in the Ukraine, right?



    Worse, each click generates an ad revenue increment towards the cost of adopting a foreign orphan baby. After so many clicks, they ship the baby - that's what the appendChild function at the end does.



    Unfortunately computer code always looks more cumbersome than the task it performs.
  • Reply 16 of 16
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    - it downloads the complete file. The activity method will only download a partial file if you've skipped through the video



    Best thing to do when using the Activity Window is to reload the page and then download. It'll grab the entire file.
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