Download & Play Youtube Videos

How to play Youtube Videos

Youtube videos are in a special video format with the extension FLV. Windows Media Player will not play this type of video. Before you download any videos, you will need to install a video player that plays FLV videos. Here are basic players and codecs:

• Irfanview (with plugins) - www.irfanview.com
• FLV Player - www.martijndevisser.com
• K_Lite_Codec (basic) - www.Free-codecs.com

How to Download Youtube Videos

1. Firefox Addons

If you install the Firefox web browser (see PDQ Downloads) with the "Download Helper" you can download Youtube videos easily.

2. Bookmark Method

This method uses a Bookmarklet - bookmark that is a javascript tool. To create one that downloads Youtube videos (FLV format):

Right-click on the button below and save as a Favorite or Bookmark (or whatever you browser calls it). Simply click on the bookmark when you are viewing a Youtube page with a video you would like to save for offline viewing. A popup windows will appear with optional choices for the download and a button to begin.

Right-click & Bookmark this link...   Download FLV Video on this page

3. Manual Download Method

View the PAGE SOURCE (CTRL+U) and search for: /watch_fullscreen?. Copy everything between video_id= and &title to the basic URL http://www.youtube.com/get_video?video_id=. For example:

SOURCE:
/watch_fullscreen?fs=1&sourceid=yw&video_id=UyyAf45bCRE&l ... 53ArnDrbagYm24&title=Crazy Cats
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOWNLOAD URL:
http://www.youtube.com/get_video?video_id=UyyAf45bCRE&l ... 53ArnDrbagYm24

Copy this code and paste it into the URL bar of your web browser.

Firefox keyboard shortcuts:

1. CTRL+U to open the page source code window.
2. CTRL+F to start a text search for video_id=.
3. Move the cursor to the next character AFTER this phrase.
4. Hightlight all the text up to (but not including) &title by holding down the SHIFT key and press (or hold) the Right Arrow.
5. CTRL+C copies the text. Close the source code window to return to the Youtube page.
6. CTRL+L moves the cursor to the URL box at the top.
7. CTRL+V pastes the text into the URL box. Press the ENTER key. This will start the download.
8. Rename the downloaded file using the extension FLV. i.e. Artist - SongTitle.FLV