Best Way to download YouTube Videos and replay offline
16 May 2008I have had the recent need to make online videos available offline, and have had friends and family ask for the same thing…. So its worth a simple post:
There are a myriad of choices out there to download and replay, but which are the best? Well I don’t know of the best- but I do know of the easiest tool chain I have tried:
#1 - Make sure you are using the FireFox Web Browser. If you aren’t using it - it’s a painless transition!
#2 - Grab the Fast Video Downloader Extension here:
With this extension, you get a small little icon in your status bar in the bottom bottom right of your web browser:
Once you are on your YouTube or other video site of choice, this download button, once pressed, creates a “SAVE AS” dialog box for you to save your *.flv file.
Now you say, FLV? well that doesnt sound like a movie file - I am used to AVI, and MPG, and MOV and such, what am I going to do with an FLV file?
Well you can either CONVERT the file from FLV to a more standard file with THIS tool: FREEZ FLV to AVI Converter. This converter might be helpful if you want to embed your new MPG file into a Power Point presentation directly.
Or you can just watch the FLV right on your desktop with this FREE viewer application: FLV Player. Be careful when you load up this program though- it contains lots of BONUS offers that you likely won’t want or need- so be sure to click NO on these.
Other suggestions?