Time for an update on saving videos and resources from the internet – the last post on the subject was in September 2007, and there are some new ideas out there. Again, this information is for your assistance – especially if some sites have been blocked by your school or (like here) the connection is too poor to rely on it during class time – not to encourage thieving of copyrighted resources. Make good decisions!
As we are in the Web2.0 and information sharing age, I’ll look only at methods that are totally free.
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First up, Firefox users (if you don’t use it, give it a go here)
The beauty of Firefox is that you can install any number of small add-ons to customise it and make it do what you need. Of particular use in our case are these two add-ons for downloading flash content. Install them and give them a go.
DownloadHelper
VideoDownloadHelper is great for saving online videos (like YouTube) – just wait for the video to completely load on screen and then click the icon in your toolbar. You will get a drop-down menu that gives you options to save – go for the file name that ends in .flv and you’re off.
This also has a powerful conversion tool, allowing you to convert the videos into different formats. A great, complete downloader.
Tip – set all downloads to save to the desktop, so you don’t lose them. Then cut and paste them into your folder.
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edit: Fast Video Download is not longer functioning – clicking on it brings you to a sales page. I’ve replaced it with Download Embedded, below.
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Download Embedded
Download Embedded is a similar app that has a small icon in the lower-right of the browser window. It works in much the same way, saving videos as .flv, but has the added bonus of being able to grab a lot of other flash content (such as animations) from websites. It will list all embedded flash objects on a page and lets you choose which to save. Cool.
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What about non-Firefox users?
Try this app, called Tooble, which runs from your computer. It allows you to browse and download YouTube content, and will convert videos to MP4 format. More on this has been posted on the WhiteBoardBlog.
KeepVid
There is also a host of web-based downloaders, which basically reach into the computer to find the temporary file that is saved when you watch things online and move it to a place where you can find it. Have a go at KeepVid.com or YouTubeCatcher.
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How do I play these files?
SMART Notebook software has an flv player built-in, making life very easy – just drag the file in and off you go.
VLC Player
My favourite media player isVLC Media Player – open-source, free and easy. It isn’t heavy on your computer like Windows Media Player or iTunes, and supports a wide range of file types (including .flv), without having to download anything else. Go for it!
There are .flv specific players available out there, such as FLV Player, but if you have VLC up and running, you don’t really need them.
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Job done!
One thing I can’t get my head around is saving Java applets – maybe someone else can help out on that one.
