I suppose it's probably illegal, but (hypothetically) how would you save a video clip to file for later burning? For example, from youtube, comhaltas-live or TG4??
It's not necessarily illegal -- depends on the terms & conditions for the site. Some (like the ComhaltasLive site) don't mind if you save the videos and use them later, as long as you don't try to make money from them.
The actual mechanics can be tricky, though, depending on the site. The three that you mentioned all use Flash video, I believe, which means that you'll need some software that can play Flash ".flv" files. You'll also need to find the address of the actual .flv file so that you can download it. Again, this can be easy or hard depending on the site.
If you do Google searches for "flv player" and "download youtube" you'll get sense of what's required.
The Firefox browser provides a facility called VideoDownloader which you can click on if you're watching a Youtube video in order to download the video onto your computer.
I've used it a couple of times and it seems to work pretty well for any number of different formats. Basically you just type in the URL and tell it which format you want and the site then converts it and sends you an email when you can download the new file. (usually almost instantly). I've used it to save video clips from YouTube and it works fine.
With the files on Comhaltas it´s dead easy. To grab a video, simply view the source code for the page the video is on, find the line that goes something like flashvars:"file=http://media.comhaltas.ie/video/cl208/cl208_1Med.flv&showdigits=true&height=400&autostart=false";}; (this is the most recent one), copy the bit that says media.comhaltas.ie/video/cl208/cl208_1Med.flv and paste that into the address bar. You will be asked if you want to save the file - do so and then view it with the flash videoplayer of your choice.
No, I haven´t had any luck with Youtube or TG4 so far using that method. Yesterday, though, I found http://www.oyoom.com/ which works brilliantly for Youtube videos.
I agree about the YouTube video quality (or lack of). In 2004 I made a number of video clips of set dancing in Kilrush, using a small digital video camera that produced its output in jpeg format - not top quality, obviously, but good and clear enough for watching on a computer screen. I later uploaded the videos to YouTube who converted them to flv format (they're listed in my bio). I was disappointed with the reduction in quality.
If all else fails, one reliable way of getting a YouTube video is from your browser's cache (a file that is probably squirrelled away in the darkest recesses of your hard drive). When you play a streaming video from Youtube (and some other websites as well) it is automatically saved in your browser's cache.
The saved file will be a few megabytes in size and will be one of the very latest at the top of the cache. It is unlikely it will have the name it was given by YouTube and will probably be named with a random selection of characters and may or may not have an extension. Drag this file to your desktop, rename it to what you want and add, or change, the extension to FLV.
An important point: drag the file from the cache to the desktop _before_ you quit the browser. This is because the browser may be set up to clear the cache automatically for security reasons when you quit the browser.
A second important point: where is that cache? If you're using Firefox or Opera type "about:cache" (without the quotes) in the address bar and you'll see information about where the cache is hidden (its location seems to vary depending on the browser version, but is usually several levels down). The cache folder may have its Hidden Attribute set, so you'll have to unhide it using Folder Options in the Control Panel.
You'll need software to run the FLV video. FLVPlayer and VLC Media Player (both free) will do a good job, but I'd get both because, for some strange reason, an FLV file may sometimes play on FLVPlayer but not on VLC Media Player, or vice versa.
Correction: in my last but one post (the one about the videos I made in Kilrush) the videos were in mpeg format, not in jpeg (which is for stills). Slip of the finger when typing!
Saving video links
Saving video links
I suppose it's probably illegal, but (hypothetically) how would you save a video clip to file for later burning? For example, from youtube, comhaltas-live or TG4??
Thanks.
# Posted on May 5th 2007 by triplet
Re: Saving video links
It's not necessarily illegal -- depends on the terms & conditions for the site. Some (like the ComhaltasLive site) don't mind if you save the videos and use them later, as long as you don't try to make money from them.
The actual mechanics can be tricky, though, depending on the site. The three that you mentioned all use Flash video, I believe, which means that you'll need some software that can play Flash ".flv" files. You'll also need to find the address of the actual .flv file so that you can download it. Again, this can be easy or hard depending on the site.
If you do Google searches for "flv player" and "download youtube" you'll get sense of what's required.
# Posted on May 5th 2007 by b
Re: Saving video links
In case you have not seen it someone has a YouTubeIrishBlog.
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/13161
# Posted on May 5th 2007 by Tonya
Re: Saving video links
http://www.techcrunch.com/get-youtube-movie/
# Posted on May 5th 2007 by Stíofán
Re: Saving video links
The Firefox browser provides a facility called VideoDownloader which you can click on if you're watching a Youtube video in order to download the video onto your computer.
# Posted on May 5th 2007 by lazyhound
Re: Saving video links
There is an online conversion setup on a site called Zamzar.
http://www.zamzar.com/
I've used it a couple of times and it seems to work pretty well for any number of different formats. Basically you just type in the URL and tell it which format you want and the site then converts it and sends you an email when you can download the new file. (usually almost instantly). I've used it to save video clips from YouTube and it works fine.
# Posted on May 6th 2007 by tctelboy
Re: Saving video links
With the files on Comhaltas it´s dead easy. To grab a video, simply view the source code for the page the video is on, find the line that goes something like flashvars:"file=http://media.comhaltas.ie/video/cl208/cl208_1Med.flv&showdigits=true&height=400&autostart=false";}; (this is the most recent one), copy the bit that says media.comhaltas.ie/video/cl208/cl208_1Med.flv and paste that into the address bar. You will be asked if you want to save the file - do so and then view it with the flash videoplayer of your choice.
# Posted on May 7th 2007 by Björn
Re: Saving video links
thanks Björn, your instructions worked well and I'm stoked
# Posted on May 7th 2007 by dogbox
Re: Saving video links
I can't see any flv filename when I view the source for a Youtube video. Does Björn's trick work for youtube as well?
# Posted on May 8th 2007 by dogbox
Re: Saving video links
No, I haven´t had any luck with Youtube or TG4 so far using that method. Yesterday, though, I found http://www.oyoom.com/ which works brilliantly for Youtube videos.
# Posted on May 8th 2007 by Björn
Re: Saving video links
I do think YouTube needs to sort its video quality!!
# Posted on May 8th 2007 by Mark Harmer
Re: Saving video links
I agree about the YouTube video quality (or lack of). In 2004 I made a number of video clips of set dancing in Kilrush, using a small digital video camera that produced its output in jpeg format - not top quality, obviously, but good and clear enough for watching on a computer screen. I later uploaded the videos to YouTube who converted them to flv format (they're listed in my bio). I was disappointed with the reduction in quality.
# Posted on May 8th 2007 by lazyhound
Re: Saving video links
If all else fails, one reliable way of getting a YouTube video is from your browser's cache (a file that is probably squirrelled away in the darkest recesses of your hard drive). When you play a streaming video from Youtube (and some other websites as well) it is automatically saved in your browser's cache.
The saved file will be a few megabytes in size and will be one of the very latest at the top of the cache. It is unlikely it will have the name it was given by YouTube and will probably be named with a random selection of characters and may or may not have an extension. Drag this file to your desktop, rename it to what you want and add, or change, the extension to FLV.
An important point: drag the file from the cache to the desktop _before_ you quit the browser. This is because the browser may be set up to clear the cache automatically for security reasons when you quit the browser.
A second important point: where is that cache? If you're using Firefox or Opera type "about:cache" (without the quotes) in the address bar and you'll see information about where the cache is hidden (its location seems to vary depending on the browser version, but is usually several levels down). The cache folder may have its Hidden Attribute set, so you'll have to unhide it using Folder Options in the Control Panel.
You'll need software to run the FLV video. FLVPlayer and VLC Media Player (both free) will do a good job, but I'd get both because, for some strange reason, an FLV file may sometimes play on FLVPlayer but not on VLC Media Player, or vice versa.
# Posted on May 8th 2007 by lazyhound
Re: Saving video links
Correction: in my last but one post (the one about the videos I made in Kilrush) the videos were in mpeg format, not in jpeg (which is for stills). Slip of the finger when typing!
# Posted on May 9th 2007 by lazyhound
Re: Saving video links
so how do you save any of the videos on TG4????
# Posted on June 20th 2007 by I_Fel