CNET Editors' review
DownloadStudio is an attractively designed application with a number of thoughtful touches that both intermediate and advanced users will appreciate. Unfortunately, when it came to actually downloading files, we ran into some problems.
DownloadStudio impressed us most with its plentiful tips, Help information, and its plethora of customization options. Novices may still have trouble navigating all the terminology and options, but this isn't really a program designed for the new user.
The program opens by default to a Quick Start view that provides links to frequently used download actions and tools. In this view, actions such as Download File will start a simple wizard interface with plenty of descriptive information. An Expert mode provides additional fields and, like the wizard, offers a Help button that takes you to the relevant Topic. Browser integration allows you to grab files while surfing, and an optional "drop target" lets you drag files from the Web.
In addition to downloading files, you can explore sites directly to find downloads and subscribe to RSS feeds. For each feature, DownloadStudio offers many options. One great thing is the capability to specify settings, such as bandwidth limit, for each download, rather than for only all downloads as a whole. You can save a group of settings as a Download Template.
We were able to download individual files, including a 140MB .mov file and several smaller files, successfully. But when we tried to download two large (greater than 300MB) files simultaneously, we received the dreaded Not Responding parenthetical. In further trials, the application slowed or hung on multiple occasions, including during multiple-file downloads.
DownloadStudio looks and feels like a top-notch application, but, sadly, it didn't live up to our expectations. There's a short 15-day trial, though, for users to take this downloader for a test drive on their own to see if their results are better. As it is, we suggest power downloaders wait for the issues to be resolved before investing in DownloadStudio.
Publisher's Description
From Conceiva:
DownloadStudio is an ultra-fast download manager and download accelerator that gets everything on the web. It contains over 12 specialized downloading tools including: file downloader; flash video downloader; file range downloader; web site downloader; streaming media downloader; RSS feed, blog and podcast downloader; audio and video recorder; URL sniffer; site explorer; RSS feed reader; file browser and organizer; and easy-to-use Quick Start. DownloadStudio's easy-to-use tools let you download any type of content from the web - programs, games, flash video, photos, music, movies, flash, podcasts, RSS feeds, blogs, documents, complete Web sites.
DownloadStudio can download files from all popular file hosting sites such as RapidShare, FileSonic, Hotfile, YouSendIt, FileFront and more. Both free and premium accounts supported.
DownloadStudio can download flash video from all popular video sites such as YouTube, Google Video, MySpace, Dailymotion, Megavideo, Metacafe.
DownloadStudio works with the latest versions of all popular web browsers - Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Flock, Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla and Netscape.
What's new in this version: Version 7.0.5 includes Firefox 6, 7 and 8 support. Spanish language support. New Off Peak Download window. Download templates for Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, TwitPic and Photobucket. SHA1 hash check support. Improved YouTube video downloading.
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All versions:
4.1 starsout of 132 votes
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Current version:
4.5 starsout of 2 votes
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My rating:
Write review
Results 1-2 of 2
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"Very slick application but not always stable"
Version: DownloadStudio 7.0.5
Pros
Very slick application with many useful features that allows downloading a single file or a range of files or an entire website or just portions of a website. Haven't found any features that were missing.
Cons
On my 32-bit desktop the application tended to crash after downloading between 800 and 900 files. On my 64-bit laptop, application did much better.
Summary
Very good program, but still some stability issues.
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"Great program"
Version: DownloadStudio 7.0.5
Pros
Does what it says.
Cons
I had no problems. Works as it's supposed to.
Summary
The best download program around.
Results 1-2 of 2
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