How To Download YouTube Videos
By horns
Dozens of websites and applications popped recently which make downloading your favorite YouTube videos easy as pie.
I prefer to use the web based ones, but there's also some great software you can use, some will even convert the videos to more popular formats like avi, mpeg or DivX.
Below you will find a list of the most popular tools used to download YouTube videos for offline viewing!
Web based video downloaders
Downloadandsaveyoutubevideos.com
Big domain name for a simple tool. This one can download videos through a proxy server, so if you're blocked from downloading them in your work or school this should make it possible.Now this one is a bit more advanced. With Zamzar you can actually convert videos before you download them. It supports Google and YouTube, and a number of other sites.
Supports both downloading and converting videos to DivX, avi, mov, 3gp, mp4. It can even convert to mp3, if audio is all you want.
This one supports 98 (yes, 98!) different video sharing websites. If you want to keep it really simple, this is the tool for you.
Supports 25 different sites. Nothing special about this one.
Video download software
Supposedly supports about 100 vid sharing websites. It's a simple tool with not too many options, but does the trick.
This one supports batch downloading of videos uploaded by certain user.
Both downloader and converter. Converts your files to avi, mov, mp4 and 3gp.
This one works on Linux. No converting options though.
GetTube will download files from Youtube and a couple of other sites. Works on OS X.
Firefox plugins for downloading
This Firefox plugin will download vids from Google, MySpace and YouTube, and convert them to DivX avi.
I can't believe someone named this addon like this. Supports Google, YouTube, MetaCafe etc.
Google Video Getter and YouTube To Me. Pretty self explanatory. Requires (of course) Greasemonkey to work.
.flv players
It could be called Windows Media Player Lite.
I prefer this one over Media Player Classic. Also works cross platform.
Comments
The files you download are usually in .flv format. I mentioned 2 very good video players that support .flv files, Media Player Classic and VLC Media Player.
If the videos don't have any extension, then rename them manually and add .flv extension.
Your hub is great.
Incredibly useful resource, thank you!
Thanks for the article. I had no idea this could even be done. I just finsihed burning a dvd full of my favorite YouTueb movies
I suggest to add to the list the new NetVideoHunter Firefox add-on. It can download videos and music from any site with embedded players, and easy to use:http://netvideohunter.com
Great hub. I just want to add FlashLynx. It's free desktop application, and works well... http://www.techdisease.com/internet/flashlynx-vide
Useful resources
Sindicut 4 years ago
I have a problem after DLing that I cannot view the videos.