downloading YouTube videos

[Jo-Anne]

I have two questions about downloading YouTube videos:

1. Is cnet.com a safe site from which to download a video downloader? (I
Googled cnet.com and got an OK review from McAfee but some negative comments
from individuals.) I'd like to use the safest site possible. The downloader
I was looking is YouTube Downloader 2.5.6.

2. Is there an advantage to converting videos from the .flv format--and if
so, what is the best format to convert to? I use VLC Media Player on my
WinXP computer.

Thank you!

Jo-Anne

 

[pjp]

Think you'll find downloading YouTube (or for that matter any flv streaming
media) was, is and will continue to be a never ending game between YouTube
who don't want you to be able to do that and software developers continually
updating in response to YouTube's changes.

One way I've found to do without all the bs is basically just before the
video finishes I turn off the pc, e.g. hard reset. This prevents the browser
from being able to delete the temporary file it was using. Once rebooted, I
locate, copy and rename that specific file (experience required to determine
the actual file, watch what file changes size in your specific "Temp" folder
while video loads and plays) and then use a stand alone conversion program
to change it's format, e.g. Any Video Converter.

"Jo-Anne" <Jo-Anne@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:i0tesb$cgd$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>I have two questions about downloading YouTube videos:
>
> 1. Is cnet.com a safe site from which to download a video downloader? (I
> Googled cnet.com and got an OK review from McAfee but some negative
> comments from individuals.) I'd like to use the safest site possible. The
> downloader I was looking is YouTube Downloader 2.5.6.
>
> 2. Is there an advantage to converting videos from the .flv format--and if
> so, what is the best format to convert to? I use VLC Media Player on my
> WinXP computer.
>
> Thank you!
>
> Jo-Anne
>

 

[Jo-Anne]

Thank you, pjp! Sounds like more than I really want to do, though!

Jo-Anne

"pjp" <pjpoirier_is_located_at_@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e3SpPcIHLHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Think you'll find downloading YouTube (or for that matter any flv
> streaming media) was, is and will continue to be a never ending game
> between YouTube who don't want you to be able to do that and software
> developers continually updating in response to YouTube's changes.
>
> One way I've found to do without all the bs is basically just before the
> video finishes I turn off the pc, e.g. hard reset. This prevents the
> browser from being able to delete the temporary file it was using. Once
> rebooted, I locate, copy and rename that specific file (experience
> required to determine the actual file, watch what file changes size in
> your specific "Temp" folder while video loads and plays) and then use a
> stand alone conversion program to change it's format, e.g. Any Video
> Converter.
>
> "Jo-Anne" <Jo-Anne@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:i0tesb$cgd$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>>I have two questions about downloading YouTube videos:
>>
>> 1. Is cnet.com a safe site from which to download a video downloader? (I
>> Googled cnet.com and got an OK review from McAfee but some negative
>> comments from individuals.) I'd like to use the safest site possible. The
>> downloader I was looking is YouTube Downloader 2.5.6.
>>
>> 2. Is there an advantage to converting videos from the .flv format--and
>> if so, what is the best format to convert to? I use VLC Media Player on
>> my WinXP computer.
>>
>> Thank you!
>>
>> Jo-Anne
>>
>
>

 

[Daave]

Jo-Anne wrote:
> I have two questions about downloading YouTube videos:
>
> 1. Is cnet.com a safe site from which to download a video downloader?
> (I Googled cnet.com and got an OK review from McAfee but some
> negative comments from individuals.) I'd like to use the safest site
> possible. The downloader I was looking is YouTube Downloader 2.5.6.
>
> 2. Is there an advantage to converting videos from the .flv
> format--and if so, what is the best format to convert to? I use VLC
> Media Player on my WinXP computer.
>
> Thank you!
>
> Jo-Anne

The YouTube video, once viewed, will be in your IE TIF folder. Assuming
the file is intact, you should be able to copy it to another folder play
it with VLC. It's probably a good idea to rename it and append the .flv
extension to it.

If you would rather not do that much work, entering the YouTube URL into
the keepvid.com site should work:

http://keepvid.com/

Othre people like to use Firefox and the greasemonkey plugin to download
YouTube videos.

Or simply don't worry about it if you have a high-speed connection and
if you think YouTube will wind up keeping the video on its site (this is
usually the case).

As long as your video player plays .flv files, I see no advantage in
converting them to another format.

 

[Bill in Co]

Jo-Anne wrote:
> I have two questions about downloading YouTube videos:
>
> 1. Is cnet.com a safe site from which to download a video downloader? (I
> Googled cnet.com and got an OK review from McAfee but some negative
> comments
> from individuals.) I'd like to use the safest site possible. The
> downloader
> I was looking is YouTube Downloader 2.5.6.

Sounds good to me. Some people had problems with cnet.com? Well, they
may have problems with some other sites too, for that matter. So far I
haven't run into such with cnet.com or download.com. Maybe someone else
has had some other experiences though.

> 2. Is there an advantage to converting videos from the .flv format--and if
> so, what is the best format to convert to? I use VLC Media Player on my
> WinXP computer.
>
> Thank you!

I don't see any point in converting FLV videos, assuming you have some FLV
capable player.

Well, maybe there is (possibly) one point: if you were going to burn and
play a DVD disk with the videos stored on them (i.e., it might be that MPG
is a more universally recognized playback format than FLV for some DVD
players).

 

[Jo-Anne]

"Daave" <daave@example.com> wrote in message
news:uxtZueJHLHA.5684@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Jo-Anne wrote:
>> I have two questions about downloading YouTube videos:
>>
>> 1. Is cnet.com a safe site from which to download a video downloader?
>> (I Googled cnet.com and got an OK review from McAfee but some
>> negative comments from individuals.) I'd like to use the safest site
>> possible. The downloader I was looking is YouTube Downloader 2.5.6.
>>
>> 2. Is there an advantage to converting videos from the .flv
>> format--and if so, what is the best format to convert to? I use VLC
>> Media Player on my WinXP computer.
>>
>> Thank you!
>>
>> Jo-Anne
>
> The YouTube video, once viewed, will be in your IE TIF folder. Assuming
> the file is intact, you should be able to copy it to another folder play
> it with VLC. It's probably a good idea to rename it and append the .flv
> extension to it.
>
> If you would rather not do that much work, entering the YouTube URL into
> the keepvid.com site should work:
>
> http://keepvid.com/
>
> Othre people like to use Firefox and the greasemonkey plugin to download
> YouTube videos.
>
> Or simply don't worry about it if you have a high-speed connection and if
> you think YouTube will wind up keeping the video on its site (this is
> usually the case).
>
> As long as your video player plays .flv files, I see no advantage in
> converting them to another format.
>
Thank you, Daave! I'm afraid I need more help, though. First, I checked
Temporary Internet Files, which showed a folder named Content.IE5, which
seemed to contain a bunch of letter/number jpg, gif, etc. files. Did I do
something wrong?

Then, I tried keepvid.com, but I got the following message across the top of
the page: "Your security settings do not allow websites to use ActiveX
controls on your computer... Click here for options." But I can't click on
that message. As soon as I hover the mouse over it, it goes blue and is
unclickable. I pasted in the URL anyway and clicked on "download." The page
said: "Loading Java applet." But it never loaded, and I got an error message
that indicated I could "click here" to download Java or--if I had
it--restart the browser. I could have sworn I had Java, but I don't see a
Sun Microsystems folder in Program Files, and I didn't see anything in Add
or Remove Programs. Does this mean that I should download Java? (I did
restart the browser but encountered the same problem.)

Thank you again!

Jo-Anne

 

[Jo-Anne]

"Bill in Co" <surly_curmudgeon@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:AOmdncDd793w96_RnZ2dnUVZ_sudnZ2d@earthlink.com...
> Jo-Anne wrote:
>> I have two questions about downloading YouTube videos:
>>
>> 1. Is cnet.com a safe site from which to download a video downloader? (I
>> Googled cnet.com and got an OK review from McAfee but some negative
>> comments
>> from individuals.) I'd like to use the safest site possible. The
>> downloader
>> I was looking is YouTube Downloader 2.5.6.
>
> Sounds good to me. Some people had problems with cnet.com? Well, they
> may have problems with some other sites too, for that matter. So far I
> haven't run into such with cnet.com or download.com. Maybe someone else
> has had some other experiences though.
>
>> 2. Is there an advantage to converting videos from the .flv format--and
>> if
>> so, what is the best format to convert to? I use VLC Media Player on my
>> WinXP computer.
>>
>> Thank you!
>
> I don't see any point in converting FLV videos, assuming you have some FLV
> capable player.
>
> Well, maybe there is (possibly) one point: if you were going to burn and
> play a DVD disk with the videos stored on them (i.e., it might be that MPG
> is a more universally recognized playback format than FLV for some DVD
> players).
>

Thank you, Bill! If I can't get Daave's suggestions to work, I'll go ahead
and download the downloader. All I really want to is to make sure I can
watch certain videos when I need them (they contain techniques that aren't
easy to follow from written instructions). I figured one can't guarantee
that YouTube will keep them up forever.

Jo-Anne

Jo-Anne

 

[Daave]

Jo-Anne wrote:

> Thank you, Daave! I'm afraid I need more help, though. First, I
> checked Temporary Internet Files, which showed a folder named
> Content.IE5, which seemed to contain a bunch of letter/number jpg,
> gif, etc. files. Did I do something wrong?

Try this (it's for IE7, but if you have IE8, I'm sure it's similar):

Tools | Internet Options | Browsing History: Settings | View Files

Click the "Size" column until the largest files are on top. You should
see it/them now.

In IE7, this is the location:

CDocuments and Settings\[profile]\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files

(If you're in a folder by the name of Content.IE5, I'll bet it's under
another profile!)

You could also get there using Windows Explorer, but you need to show
hidden *and* protected operating system files in Folder Options in order
to get there that way.

 

[Daave]

Jo-Anne wrote:

> Then, I tried keepvid.com, but I got the following message across the
> top of the page: "Your security settings do not allow websites to use
> ActiveX controls on your computer... Click here for options." But I
> can't click on that message. As soon as I hover the mouse over it, it
> goes blue and is unclickable. I pasted in the URL anyway and clicked
> on "download." The page said: "Loading Java applet." But it never
> loaded, and I got an error message that indicated I could "click
> here" to download Java or--if I had it--restart the browser. I could
> have sworn I had Java, but I don't see a Sun Microsystems folder in
> Program Files, and I didn't see anything in Add or Remove Programs.
> Does this mean that I should download Java? (I did restart the
> browser but encountered the same problem.)
> Thank you again!

What kind of profile are you using: limited user account or computer
administrator?

What are your current security settings?

Which security programs are currently running on your PC?

For Java:

http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

I prefer to download the larger "Offline" package. When you install it,
there is no need to install any toolbars, etc., when prompted.

To confirm you have the latest Java, go here (actually do this first!):

http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp

BTW: The most recent version is:

Version 6, Update 20

That being said, there are Java exploits out in the wild that *could*
set into motion malware entering your PC, and you may not want to use
the keepvid.com website after all!

 

[Jo-Anne]

"Daave" <daave@example.com> wrote in message
news:uAoB7bKHLHA.5136@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Jo-Anne wrote:
>
>> Thank you, Daave! I'm afraid I need more help, though. First, I
>> checked Temporary Internet Files, which showed a folder named
>> Content.IE5, which seemed to contain a bunch of letter/number jpg,
>> gif, etc. files. Did I do something wrong?
>
> Try this (it's for IE7, but if you have IE8, I'm sure it's similar):
>
> Tools | Internet Options | Browsing History: Settings | View Files
>
> Click the "Size" column until the largest files are on top. You should see
> it/them now.
>
> In IE7, this is the location:
>
> CDocuments and Settings\[profile]\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
> Files
>
> (If you're in a folder by the name of Content.IE5, I'll bet it's under
> another profile!)
>
> You could also get there using Windows Explorer, but you need to show
> hidden *and* protected operating system files in Folder Options in order
> to get there that way.
>

Done! It worked perfectly, Daave! I have IE7 on this computer, and I
followed your directions, using Tools | Internet Options, etc. So nice that
I can do this without adding yet another program.

Thank you!

Jo-Anne

 

[Daave]

Jo-Anne wrote:
> "Daave" <daave@example.com> wrote in message
> news:uAoB7bKHLHA.5136@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> Jo-Anne wrote:
>>
>>> Thank you, Daave! I'm afraid I need more help, though. First, I
>>> checked Temporary Internet Files, which showed a folder named
>>> Content.IE5, which seemed to contain a bunch of letter/number jpg,
>>> gif, etc. files. Did I do something wrong?
>>
>> Try this (it's for IE7, but if you have IE8, I'm sure it's similar):
>>
>> Tools | Internet Options | Browsing History: Settings | View Files
>>
>> Click the "Size" column until the largest files are on top. You
>> should see it/them now.
>>
>> In IE7, this is the location:
>>
>> CDocuments and Settings\[profile]\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
>> Files
>>
>> (If you're in a folder by the name of Content.IE5, I'll bet it's
>> under another profile!)
>>
>> You could also get there using Windows Explorer, but you need to show
>> hidden *and* protected operating system files in Folder Options in
>> order to get there that way.
>>
>
> Done! It worked perfectly, Daave! I have IE7 on this computer, and I
> followed your directions, using Tools | Internet Options, etc. So
> nice that I can do this without adding yet another program.
>
> Thank you!

YW.

 

[Jo-Anne]

"Daave" <daave@example.com> wrote in message
news:%23AlHmhKHLHA.5700@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Jo-Anne wrote:
>
>> Then, I tried keepvid.com, but I got the following message across the
>> top of the page: "Your security settings do not allow websites to use
>> ActiveX controls on your computer... Click here for options." But I
>> can't click on that message. As soon as I hover the mouse over it, it
>> goes blue and is unclickable. I pasted in the URL anyway and clicked
>> on "download." The page said: "Loading Java applet." But it never
>> loaded, and I got an error message that indicated I could "click
>> here" to download Java or--if I had it--restart the browser. I could
>> have sworn I had Java, but I don't see a Sun Microsystems folder in
>> Program Files, and I didn't see anything in Add or Remove Programs.
>> Does this mean that I should download Java? (I did restart the
>> browser but encountered the same problem.)
>> Thank you again!
>
> What kind of profile are you using: limited user account or computer
> administrator?
>
> What are your current security settings?
>
> Which security programs are currently running on your PC?
>
> For Java:
>
> http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
>
> I prefer to download the larger "Offline" package. When you install it,
> there is no need to install any toolbars, etc., when prompted.
>
> To confirm you have the latest Java, go here (actually do this first!):
>
> http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp
>
> BTW: The most recent version is:
>
> Version 6, Update 20
>
> That being said, there are Java exploits out in the wild that *could* set
> into motion malware entering your PC, and you may not want to use the
> keepvid.com website after all!
>

I think I'll forego Java for now, especially since I managed to use your
easy method to copy the temporary internet files.

Thank you!

Jo-Anne