YouTube video downloaders: How to Record/Capture/Download flash videos from YouTube

Saving .FLV videos to hd
YouTube uses http protocol to stream flash .FLV videos. To save them you may use the means described in the following FAQ:
Getting/Capturing/Downloading .FLV flash videos streamed through the http protocol, namely:

• Replay Media Catcher - Flash Audio/Video stream recording software
  Replay Media Catcher records/downloads/rips and renames YouTube videos for FREE. Also Replay Media Catcher can extract .MP3 audio from .FLV videos downloaded from YouTube.
• Freecorder 4 - freeware direct sound recorder and video downloader and converter
  Freecorder 4 is a freeware program that allows you to save automatically renamed YouTube videos. Freecorder 4 can also save many other HTTP and HTTPS streaming videos for free.
• Jaksta Free Media Recorder - freeware video download, radio downloader, media converter, sound recorder
  Jaksta Free Media Recorder allows to download YouTube videos (you may choose quality including low quality, high quality, HD video) and extract them from the browser cache. The latter allows you to stay undetected while recording.
• Ask & Record Toolbar - freeware streaming audio/video recorder and converter
  Ask & Record Toolbar is a freeware program that allows you to record/download/rip and rename YouTube videos. Ask & Record Toolbar can also save many other HTTP and HTTPS streaming videos for free.
• Use WM Recorder - audio/video stream recording software
• Use Replay A/V - stream capturing/recording program
• Use URL finder and any download manager
• Save .FLV flash files from the cache folder

See the following FAQ for more details
FAQ: How to record/download/capture/save Macromedia/Adobe Flash .FLV video HTTP stream from embedded player

If you use Replay A/V stream capturing/recording program or any download manager, please note that ATM the URL looks like the following one

http://sjl-casing12.sjl.youtube.com/get_video?video_id=xCWyeJBxrl4

These flash video URLs have no .FLV, .SWF extension or any other information that helps you to find the URL easily. But Replay A/V has special customizations for YouTube, MySpace, Google Video and other video download sites.

Also note that after downloading with many download managers you have to rename file to "some_filename.flv" (change some_filename to anything you like, but leave the .flv file extension) to be able to watch it with .FLV player or convert it with FLV converter.

You can play Macromedia Flash .FLV videos as described in the following FAQ
How to play Macromedia Flash video .FLV files (FLV players)
and can convert .FLV video files as descibed in the following forum thread
How to convert .FLV videos downloaded from Google, YouTube, etc.

Using freeware Miro to download YouTube videos
Freeware open-source Miro (Windows/Mac/Linux) allows to download YouTube videos. You can also save your search terms and download new videos automatically.

Using freeware Fast Video Download plug-in for FireFox
You may also use a freeware (no spyware, no adware) Fast Video Download plug-in for FireFox to download flash videos from YouTube, Google Video, MySpace, Daily Motion, hi5.com, metacafe.com, AG.ru, Angry Alien, badjojo.com, break.com, bubblare.dk, Current.com, mult.ru, putfile.com, Streetfire, vidiac.com.
Fast Video Download homepage.

Using web-sites to download flash videos
Many web-sites can be used to download flash videos from many web-sites (unfortunately not all of them), including YouTube and Google Video:
download-youtube-videos.org
youtubecatcher.com
vixy.net
flv.to
savefrom.net
keepvid.com


Using YoutubeGetter - flash downloader for YouTube (Windows XP/ Internet Explorer)
YoutubeGetter works very easily. It downloads the flash video file from YouTube with a right mouse click. You even don't have to flash videos first.

Using VDownloader - flash downloader for YouTube and Google Video
VDownloader can download videos from youtube and google video in AVI format.

To download a clip you only have to enter the url of the page with the video you want to download, and the program will save it in your hard disk.

p.s. What ways of flash video capturing/recording from YouTube do I prefer?

• Replay Media Catcher (Windows) - Flash Audio/Video stream recording software, FREE YouTube video downloader/ripper.
  
  Video Tutorial: How to record YouTube Videos for FREE with Replay Media Catcher
  
  
  
• Freecorder 4 - freeware direct sound recorder and video downloader and converter (Windows)
• Freeware Ask & Record Toolbar (Windows)
• Free web-site download-youtube-videos.org (Windows, Linux, Mac OS or any other OS)
• Freeware Miro (Windows)
• Replay A/V (Windows) stream capturing/recording program
• WM Recorder (Windows) audio/video stream recording software
• URL finder (Windows) + any download manager
• Freeware Fast Video Download plug-in for Firefox (Windows, Linux).

How to download YouTube videos with command line utility
How to download youtube video from command line without installing flash player

How to watch and save/rip/record/download Higher Quality YouTube videos
How to watch older YouTube videos in Higher Quality on YouTube (YouTube HQ hack)
How to download Higher Quality music video Avril Lavigne "Girlfriend" from YouTube

How to download/rip/capture/save/catch other flash videos
FAQ: How to record/download/capture/save Macromedia/Adobe Flash .FLV video HTTP stream from embedded player
FAQ: How to record/download/capture/save Macromedia/Adobe Flash .FLV video RTMP stream from embedded player
Tutorial: How to Record RTMP and HTTP Streaming Flash Video and Audio with Replay Media Catcher


How to play and convert .FLV videos downloaded/captured/ripped/saved from YouTube
FLV Players: Playing captured .FLV videos
FLV Converters: Converting .FLV videos

Downloading videos from YouTube (Windows, Macintosh, Linux)

Originally Posted by k8chin

i want to download some videos off youtube.com is it possible to do this?

there are so many apps or ways for window users...what do you recommend and i have flash 8..which comes w/ flv player i believe..but just in case do i need one still?

You may find VideoDownloader plug-in for the firefox or web-sites like Keepvid and Javi Moya's blog much easier to use when downloading videos from YouTube.

In fact Keepvid and Javi Moya's blog is most probably the only handy way to download videos off YouTube on Macintosh and Linux.

Why do I call the following options the best way to record videos from YouTube then:

• Replay Media Catcher
• WM Recorder
• Replay A/V
• URL Finder + Download Manager

???

Because it pays you to learn how to use software that can record/download many stream formats. When you decide to record some other stream in the future, you will be able to deal with it much faster 'coz you will be posessing the necessary knowledge already.

But if you download video files from YouTube exclusivley, there is no any sense to spend time and money on the things you will never use anywhere else.

p.s. Now Replay Media Catcher in the demo mode can record 100% of YouTube videos (you can record only 75% of other streams in the demo mode). So now you can use Replay Media Catcher for FREE to record YouTube videos! And besides capturing videos from YouTube, Replay Media Catcher can automatically rename them, so instead of some weird filename you get the name from YouTube without lifting a finger! Enjoy this cool feature for FREE!

[nukacola]

or use Freecorder or FlashFetcher which is now able to save youtube and google videos

I also found a software Jaksta Free Media Recorder. It could download and convert the FLV to iPod, PSP and iPhone directly.

Above all, its 100% free (no trial)

Check http://www.freemediarecorder.com/

No need of all this tools to download youtube videos.

Use web-sites allowing to download from youtube without installing any software:

• http://vixy.net
• http://youtubecatcher.com
• http://download-youtube-video.org
• ...

and download youtube videos with only one click

[any ANONYMOUS forum user]

How to download music video from YouTube for FREE. How to extract MP3 song from YouTube music video for FREE (Replay Media Catcher video tutorial)

i know a site where they show you in a easy way with pictures and text how to download a you-tube video and how to do more then that.
http://all-streaming-media.com/

[Disciple]

I am using Vdownloader to get youtube, pr0ntube etc videos as .avi or .mpg among others.
Program is freeware too

EDIT: Here is the link from where I got it from vdownloader.com

Replay Media Catcher and WM Recorder are excellent assistants to online surfers, which enable you to record web videos from YouTube, Google video, Yahoo video, PBS, ESPN, blogtv, Adobe TV, etc. They download and capture streaming videos automatically, just play them and they will be saved onto your PC.

Unlike many unworthy programs like Wondershare Streaming Video Recorder, Replay Media Catcher and WM Recorder work really well.

Also I recommend you to try downloading videos using freeware Jaksta Free Media Recorder, Freecorder, Fast Video Download