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(intro explanation: some will work without Adobe Flash ; others are YT-only, some will NOT work for yt)
(→‎well actually: bvd2.nl "BestVideoDownloader 2" - .crx installation instructions, cmdln and GUI ; Opera and Mozilla Firefox versions two)
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:[http://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/video-download/dacoiknafinklohdbidcejfbpokabaic/related related .crx extensions in the Extensions "store"]
 
:[http://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/video-download/dacoiknafinklohdbidcejfbpokabaic/related related .crx extensions in the Extensions "store"]
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=== and this ===
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Direct download of the extension (installation/package) : [http://bvd2.nl/chromeupdate/bestvideodownloaderv1.2.5.crx v 1.2.5.crx]
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[http://bvd2.nl/chrome official webpage] for the CRX (Chrome extension), which provides ...
  +
  +
==== installation instructions ====
  +
  +
===== GUI =====
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graphical (beginner) approach: open the Chrome (or Chromium) browser's <b>extensions</b> settings page:
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<tt> Menu > Tools > Extensions </tt>
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OR,
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<code>chrome://extensions</code>
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  +
THEN ...
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Find the icon (in a graphical file manager) of the <code>.crx</code> file that was downloaded, and
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<br />drag-and-drop it into the settings page of your Chrom_ web browser.
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  +
OR, alternate method:
  +
  +
===== command-line =====
  +
  +
Type the path/location of the executable (binary or <code>.exe</code> file) for Chrome (<code>/usr/bin/chromium</code> or <code>c:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome.exe</code>) followed by (as an argument) the path to the <tt>.crx</tt> file.
  +
  +
  +
=== developer ===
  +
  +
His official website for his extension : http://BVD2.nl/download
  +
  +
http://bvd2.nl/mp3 (careful with the ads embedded in(to) his webpages on his website -- they're a lot like those on (visiting) a BitTorrent seeds website!)
  +
  +
==== Firefox version ====
  +
  +
He seems to offer a version of his extension for Mozilla Firefox:
  +
  +
I do not recommend it,therefore I will not place it in the above "XUL" category.
  +
  +
"BestVideoDownloader 2"
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  +
[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/bestvideodownloader-2/reviews/ read user reviews on the official Mozilla website for Firefox extensions].
  +
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<small>[https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/latest/465816/addon-465816-latest.xpi direct download of latest]</small>
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  +
=== Opera version ===
  +
  +
https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/bestvideodownloader-2/
   
 
==Opera==
 
==Opera==

Revision as of 23:56, 22 June 2014

Have you ever wanted to save a (local(ly-stored)) copy of (capture) a video that is playing in your web browser?

A nice range of tools are at your disposal, ranging from: browser extensions ; StreamTransport for Windows ; as well as rtmpdump and other command-line tools.

Some of these approaches/methods and tools will work when no Adobe Flash player plugin (flashplugin) is installed, and HTML5 video is in-use.

Some web browser extensions will only work for YouTube-hosted/served videos. In contrast, other approaches/tools/methods listed/mentioned here (in this article/page('s contents)) will not work for identifying and downloading (extracting/obtaining) Yt videos.

Background

See the "Background" (child page) for an explanation of how video is implemented by Macromedia/Adobe's (Shockwave-)Flash stack/platform of technologies. That page provides important information that will help you better understand the technical underpinnings/workings behind flash video that is embedded in a webpage (and viewed by a web browser).

web Inspector tool

The Developer Tools that are bundled with web browsers (such as Chrome's Inspector) can be helpful in detecting any video files that are transferred from the host/server to the client/web-browser. In particular, use the Network activity pane(l)/window/box: this logs transfer events that take place between the server/host and client (browser/visitor). For Mozilla-based browsers, Firefox has its own built-in tools (which are analogous to the one built into Chrome/Chromium). Also, there is the Firebug extension.

copy as curl

WebKit/Blink!-based Inspector (Developer) tools (that are bundled with Chrome and Safari web browsers) offer an option to "copy as cURL". To use this, go to the "Network" of the Inspector/ Developer Tool and find a video file among the list. Right-click on its entry among the list of transfer events. Among the items presented by the context menu, choose "copy as cURL". This will copy, to the clipboard, a fully-formed cURL command line that replicates (including all HTTP headers) the same request that the GUI browser made to the server to first obtain (download) that video file. Open a "terminal" window and paste that command line into the terminal (command-line interpreter / console). Running cURL with that command line that the Inspector tool provided, will simulate as if that request originated from the full graphical web browser (user agent). This is a thorough simulation that includes replicating the browsing context (referrer URLs, e-tags, tokens, etc.). Again, though, this will not (work) be much use for YouTube videos.


tips, organized by provider/website

Wistia

Look for a file with a suffix/extension of ".bin" in its name, NOT / as opposed to what you'd (otherwise) expect, which is: .flv or .mp4 or even .webm maybe.

Vimeo

Like Wistia, the video is embedded in the (parent) webpage as an iframe (inline or embedded frame (a webpage within a webpage))

however, accessing that URL of the iframed-webpage containing the vimeo posting/video requires a ?referrer-URL? -- otherwise access may be denied. Plus, the video file itself has a query string unique ID or key of some sort dynamically generated by the server in response to a request for the video. Trying to request the video file's name with the "?" and what follows after the .mp4 will be denied access by Vimeo's server(s).

proxies

native-apps / web Proxies provide (all?) the same functionality that the "Network" feature of a web browser's Developer/Inspector Tool provides. It allows the examination of all transfers (traffic) between client and server in an HTTP(S) connection.

There is a .NET app for Windows called Fiddler2. See wikipedia:Fiddler (software) ; also, the official homepage.

There are numerous open-source apps such as HTTP Ripper by Jonas Wagner. See its homepage.


Note however, that all the above tools only are capable of detecting transfers/activity that take place using the HTTP protocol. Any video that is sent over another protocol, such as RTMP, will not be detected by these tools/methods/means.
Also, those tools will not be able to identify a .mp4 (or webm or .flv) file that originates from YouTube (even though those transfers do take place in the HTTP application transport layer, and not R.T.M.P.).

Websites

There are several websites on the internet that make it easy to download the actual video files that play from YouTube (and possibly other websites/domains as well, such as Vimeo, and DailyMotion).

N.B. Warning: Please be wary of visiting these websites with a computer that runs Microsoft Windows. Who knows what adware, spyware, or other malicious and questionable software may infect you.

SaveFrom

e.g.: http://en.savefrom.net/#url=http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=55jmuORfNF4

It offers alternate domain names: sfrom.net/http://youtube.com/

and SSyoutube.com, Srapidshare.com

?This doesn't use any Java, right ?

I discovered this website because a FF extension that I downloaded, [1], which provides a button (when it detects a yt video) that , when clicked, simply opens up an AdFly URL (like, for example: http://adf.ly/2790808/http://en.savefrom.net/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy6fnsawNjE).

browser extensions

The makers of SaveFrom offer official web-browser extensions, to help use their website.

There are extensions available for all of the major modern web browsers:

see all-available, including:

user tools PHP

Save Media

this one is less trust-worthy. Its usage requires a Java applet to run within your web browser. It advertises: http://VDownloader.com/

SaveMedia.com. Try adding "save" to the left of any YouTube video URL (e.g. www.youtube.com/watch?v= --> www.saveyoutube.com/watch?v= or www.SaveMedia.com/watch?v=.)

The website instructs: allow Java plugin to run in browser, instructional screen shot/capture


XUL extensions

These extensions can be added to Mozilla software such as Firefox. Some may also work with SeaMonkey.

N.B.!: Often, YouTube makes changes that renders some of these browser extensions useless for downloading YouTube videos. This is undoubtedly an effort by YouTube to enforce their end-user terms-of-service that says, among other conditions, that video files hosted by YT should not be downloaded!

InBasic

only works for YouTube videos, not other videos (from DailyMotion or any flash animation)

InBasic offers a Mozilla Firefox browser extension called "Media Downloader" which, according to [2] "contains a pure JavaScript library to extract the ORIGINAL audio file out of FLV video format also in integration with FFmpeg it converts audio and video files to MP3 format. "

This great wonderfully-designed add-on: "Youtube Video and Audio Downloader" No Restart required to install!

add latest stable edition to Firefox

0.3.5 is the latest

It offers a nice Metro-style UI look. It offers downloads of "true" HD, including versions of the video that have no audio streams. <-- Does anyone understand this? Fleetwoodta (talk) 22:29, February 25, 2014 (UTC)

Also, see the developer's (maker's/author's) profile on Mozilla Add-ons directory, which lists the developer's homepage (website) as: http://add0n.com/. Also: official homepage on GitHub


YouTube Downloader Lite

on Addons.Mozilla.org: get the latest, 0.1.2 from 30 May 2014.

Mentions support for DASH video (on yt).

Developers: Sarah Avilov


Download Flash and Video

This one can (in contrast with the ones previously mentioned above) download all sorts of videos, including YouTube (even when no FlashPlugin is present (using HTML5 video) as well as any video file (.mp4 or .flv) sent through played with a flash animation .swf player).

Download Flash and Video Get the latest .xpi here, which is (currently) 1.56.

Also see their developer profile on Mozilla. The developer has its own (official) website: FNVfox.com. Official changelog: versions downloads.

In my experience, this particular extension was certain (could be relied upon) to identify and allow the downloading of the .swf files, but not always/necessarily the video files (.mp4, .webm, .flv)! (under certain conditions / in certain particular cases)

Yes, this add-on/extension is good at/for identifying and downloading (any/all) embedded .swf (Shockwave-flash) animation files (usually media players (that provide transport/playback controls)) that are embedded in a currently-visited (viewable) webpage (but not the actual multimedia content (media streams)).

To use it, make sure that the Add-on/extensions toolbar is made visible in Firefox. A keyboard shortcut for doing this is Ctrl + / (forward slash).

The little (down-pointing arrow) icon should be visible on the right edge (end) of the add-ons toolbar. In other words, look for an icon in the bottom-right of your Firefox browser window. Once Firefox loads a webpage that has any detectable .swf embedded flash animations (whether ads or actual media/movie players), that icon will become red-coloured, which indicates that it recognised files that it can offer to download. Clicking on that down-pointing arrow button will present a list of any .swf files that it detected. However, it has not detected video files that play through flash animations. In order for the video file to be downloaded, it is necessary to first click play (in the .swf animation that serves as a player / transport control for the video playback) to start playing any flash video, and THEN, the video files should be visible , listed by this extension.


FVD

Flash Video Downloader from FVD (username: pos1t1ve on the Mozilla repo). Download the latest .xpi which is now 5.9.1 (which was released 1 May 2014). I am not able to right-click (get a context menu) on a link to any video that it detects and allows to be downloaded and copy URL of target.

http://flashvideodownloader.org/fvd-downloader.xpi

Windows build from Download.com

This extension is also featured on Download.com: "Flash Video Downloader Youtube Downloader for Firefox"

one reviewer, brianc123981 wrote: "full of spyware" (on 2011 apr 9).
one reviewer (CyberknightMK) on Mozilla's official extensions/add-ons website for Firefox wrote about spyware, as well: "Surf Canyon spyware " [3].
Now CNET's Download.com offers a direct URL to the XUL .xpi package from the maker's official website which is older than what Mozilla (Firefox)'s repository of XUL .xpi files offers (5.9.1). It's dated: "2014-03-16 06:26:17" (UTC/GMT) -- Version 5.8.5 is not listed among versions on Mozilla's (changelog / revision history of the extension).

I examined the contents of the actual .xpi file (5.8.5) (which is a .ZIP (PKzip WinZIP container/archive/package file), essentially)
and I see, within its folder/directory tree/structure, a folder: "modules/ffmpeg/" which contains Windows (win32) -only compiled binaries: .dlls and an .exe. However this is true only for the "FFmpeg" component of this software, it seems. The rest of the contents of the package/archive/extension should work with any Firefox browser, regardless of which OS (underlying platform) that it is running on (environment that the Firefox browser is running within).


Video Download Helper

official homepage (website)

Firefox extension page on AddOns.Mozilla.org

I find that one to be confusing. It's hard to tell which detected video files are relevant to the current webpage you're on (as opposed to previous browing history and/or neighboring browsing windows or tabs) and which is up-to-date or old (or started playback partway into the file). The UI (UX) is not as clear as the others I mention here. --Fleetwoodta (talk) 12:34, 14 June 2014 (UTC)

FlashGot

The FlashGot extension features FlashGot Media section/feature/aspect.

www.flashgot.net/features

addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/220/

on Download.com InformAction, also makes NoScript, another popular and featured FF add-on. flashgot_mass_downloader-1.5.5.8-fx+sm+tb.xpi (XPI package/installer)

Graugon also featured XUL XPIs like Firefox Video Download Helper

SoftPedia offers a more up-to-date (in fact, perfectly up-to-date from upstream developer, latest stable release): [4] changelog flashgot-1.5.5.97.xpi

UnPlug

UnPlug saves video and audio which is embedded on a webpage. This extension is provided by h2g2bob, who has a website of his own. Download the latest verson, which currently stands at 2.056 ; previously: 2.054. Is this based upon a PHP script?

Adobe HDS

If, the browser's web inspector (web Debugger/Developer tool) (see above) lists files that bear a filename suffix/extension of ".f4f", which are between 1 and 2 MiBs in size -- that is a sign that ?DASH? Adobe HDS technology is being used for serving the video that is playing. These .f4f files are NOT playable (in VLC, Mplayer, etc.), as they are. These files need to be converted. Fortunately, there is a tool for that ...

PHP script for [5]

Additionally, the developer (K.S.V.) has benevolently also authored and released a wonderful Firefox (XUL) extension called "HDS Link Detector." This extension helps with the use of his PHP script for downloading and converting video that is embedded in a webpage using Adobe's H.D.S. technology. It detects any HDS (.f4f) video that is on the webpage and formulates a command line that can be copied and pasted into the command-line invocation of the PHP script. This is much easier than trying to figure out and plug in the right arguments / values (switches) when formulating the PHP script's command line.

This extension was discovered when reading this thread by [6].

HDS is Adobe's newer technology for deploying video on the web. Is it the same as DASH wikipedia:Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP ?


more

Additional XUL .xpis can be found via this search for "video download" in the official Mozilla extensions repository website.

Chrome

Google's Chrome browser does not allow any web browser extension that enables the direct downloading (capture) of the video files (.mp4, .flv, .webm) from YouTube (video postings). This is because doing so (by the end-user) violates YouTube's Terms of Service.

Find and install extensions for Chrome-based web-browsers from The "Chrome Store" (official online repository of browser extensions).

You can't use this to install (add) Chrome browser extensions to the Opera (15+) browser (unless the user-agent string of your Opera browser is spoofed to fool Google's servers into thinking that the browser that you are using is in fact Chromium-based.)


FVD

FVD offers an extension for the Firefox browser, as well as one for Chrome.

mirror of .crx download on SoftPedia ver. 5.6.5. [7] developer's profile page on Softpedia [8]


well actually

"Video Download" "from Alparslan" details

related .crx extensions in the Extensions "store"


and this

Direct download of the extension (installation/package) : v 1.2.5.crx

official webpage for the CRX (Chrome extension), which provides ...

installation instructions

GUI

graphical (beginner) approach: open the Chrome (or Chromium) browser's extensions settings page:

Menu > Tools > Extensions

OR,

chrome://extensions

THEN ...

Find the icon (in a graphical file manager) of the .crx file that was downloaded, and
drag-and-drop it into the settings page of your Chrom_ web browser.

OR, alternate method:

command-line

Type the path/location of the executable (binary or .exe file) for Chrome (/usr/bin/chromium or c:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome.exe) followed by (as an argument) the path to the .crx file.


developer

His official website for his extension : http://BVD2.nl/download

http://bvd2.nl/mp3 (careful with the ads embedded in(to) his webpages on his website -- they're a lot like those on (visiting) a BitTorrent seeds website!)

Firefox version

He seems to offer a version of his extension for Mozilla Firefox:

I do not recommend it,therefore I will not place it in the above "XUL" category.

"BestVideoDownloader 2"

read user reviews on the official Mozilla website for Firefox extensions.

direct download of latest

Opera version

https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/bestvideodownloader-2/

Opera

In 2013, Opera switched from using their own in-house, closed-source technologies like Presto (layout/rendering engine) to basing the development of their web browser on the open-source Chromium codebase.

Opera maintains their own website (online repository) of web browser extensions.

search for "youtube download"

How many of those browser extensions (Only?) work for (or haven't been updated since the Presto-based generation 12) Opera browser (12, before the move to Chromium-base)? Fleetwoodta (talk) 17:46, March 12, 2014 (UTC)


one, in particular:

YouTube Video Downloader

"YouTube Video Downloader" by developer Sarah Avilov who also has a profile for Mozilla Firefox extensions / add-ons.

Torch

Torch is a web browser that is derived from the open-source codebase of the Chromium project. In other words, it's mostly the same as Google's Chrome browser. It has many nice features built-in, including a BitTorrent client, as well as "Download Media" [9]. When a page is loaded in the Torch browser that has video playing (whether through the Adobe Flash plugin (or not?)) and it detects this, the "Download Media" button on the toolbar will come to colour (life) and activate and allow the video file to be downloaded. I don't see options to choose which video file to download from YouTube postings -- only an .mp4 file seems to be

This browser is only available for Windows, right? Fleetwoodta (talk) 16:41, March 12, 2014 (UTC)


AvantBrowser

"Avant Browser" (not spelled with an 'e': "Avante")

AvantBrowser features/has a "Video Sniffer" tool/feature/capability built-in/bundled. "Avant Browser can detect the videos in the web page you are browsing, and let you download them with just one click."

http://www.soft82.com/download/Windows/Avant_Browser includes md5 checksum/hash/digest, and links to older releases (builds / installation packages)

maker: Avant Force official homepage ; Soft82.com lists their apps/products

including "Avant Browser Ultimate Portable 2014 Build 2"

another mirror:

http://avant-browser-lite.en.softonic.com

Official download page mentions that the main basic release/edition/branch/version uses I.E.'s Trident engine, but the "Ultimate" edition actually uses 3: Trident, Gecko (Mozilla Firefox), and Blink! (Chromium). hmm, is that a good approach?


Avant Downloader

Off-shot (app)? (separate from the web browser?)

http://www.avantbrowser.com/Downloader.aspx?uil=en-us

also features the Video Sniffer

"Inspired by FlashGot, not only does Avant Downloader come with full-featured built-in Download Manager / Accelerator, but also it gives users options to utilized other downloaders designed for IE/Firefox: BitComet, Internet Download Manager, Download Accelerator Plus, Download Master, FlashGet, Free Download Manager, Get Right, GigaGet, HiDownload, InstantGet, Internet Download Accelerator, Mass Downloader, Net Ants, NetTransport, Orbit Downloader, Star Downloader, Thunder Downloader, WellGet, WestByte etc."

see "Download Managers"

command-line

Free open-source software:

This software does not require Adobe flash to be running in the browser. It is command line, which offers all of the benefits of cmdln, as opposed to GUI, including piping, scripting, etc. These are especially useful with GNU/Linux distros (open-source operating systems, Unix-like). The following programs can be found in your distros software repositories.

quvi

quvi

documentation

man page (manual, or online documentation reference, includes description of each switch)

on man-online.org

more resources

homepage on SourceForge includes a library libQuvi

on Arch wiki

available for Debian Wheezy (current stable release/branch of the Debian GNU/Linux distro)

cclive

cclive

available for Debian Wheezy (current stable release/branch of the Debian GNU/Linux distro)

Does cclive depend upon quvi to run? "clive Doesn't work with new quvi" bug report for ArchLinux package.


yt-downloader

"yt-downloader" is a Python script by Ricardo Garcia Gonzalez. It works for videos on YouTube and many other websites, as well.

official page on GitHub, download it.

is available in the Sid branch of Debian (and not the current Stable, Wheezy, nor testing: Jessie) (I guess, because it is so new "(2013.12.04-1)".)

guide to running on Windows.

not HTTP

If the video content is being transmitted over the HTTP protocol, one of the above browser extensions is likely to succeed in identifying (and allowing to save/capture) the video content (file). For the most part, those web browser extensions will only work if the Adobe Flash plugin is installed and the video is ?streaming? (playing) through it. This means that playback has started and has been triggered by clicking the play button on the .swf flash animation.

Additionally, FVD and Download Flash and Video will work for YouTube video postings even when no Adobe FlashPlugin is present. 

RTMP

Real-Time Media Protocol video that uses Adobe Flash technology sends the video content, not over HTTP, but instead over another port, using wikipedia:Real Time Messaging Protocol. (N.B. Don't confuse RTMP with RTSP which is a Real Media technology.).

rtmpdump

There is an open-source software package called rtmpdump, which is actually a suite of several software apps (tools/utilities) including the namesake, as well as rtmpsuck.

Hint: search for (query:) rtmpsuck iptables. (another hint) Then run Rtmpdump (executable/program/utility/app/command).
windows build

"RTMPDump Windows Builds" (first posting on a thread on a discussion board (forum)) by Zeranoe » Thu Feb 28, 2013 5:57 am

Windows

For the Microsoft Windows platform: /RTMP#Stream Transport.

more Windows software from all-streaming-media.com

See Also

Enhance Firefox Printing (and Print on ArchWiki)

Firefox Add-ons on Arch wiki.

Related

wikipedia: Streaming media#Protocols

In WikiPedia's article on "HDS", under its heading, <h1>"Technology"</h1>, there is mention of "HTTP Dynamic Streaming, Adobe's HTTP Live Streaming", yet there is no article to link to, yet.