CNET Editors' review
There's a ton of great content on YouTube and other video Web sites, but if you're not connected to the Internet, it's inaccessible. Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox is a browser extension that makes it easy to download a wide variety of different types of videos so that you can view them no matter where you are.
The add-on installs easily and appears as an icon to the left of Firefox's address bar. The icon is grayed out when Sothink Web Video Downloader doesn't detect a downloadable video, but it becomes colored and animated when it does. Downloading a video is as easy as clicking the button, selecting the destination location, and clicking OK. The extension then opens a new Web page that shows a progress bar depicting how much of the file has been downloaded. We downloaded several videos in different formats and didn't encounter problems with any of them. Although the FLV format, which is found on YouTube and other Flash-based video sites, is probably the most common format that users will encounter, the extension can also handle MOV, AVI, WMV, and a few other file types. Sothink Web Video Downloader also comes with an optional FLV player, a nice touch since most media players can't play FLV files. Overall, Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox didn't do anything that we haven't seen many times from other browser extensions and applications, but it works just fine for what it is.
Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox installs and uninstalls without issues. We recommend this extension to all users.
Publisher's Description
From SourceTec Software:
As a free video download tool, Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox is simple for you to fast capture video, fetch video, download video and save video from internet. You can use it to download different formats of Web videos, including flv, swf, wmv, asf, avi, mov, rm, rmvb. It is surely easy to download Youtube video, Google video, MSN video and more under all Windows, Linux and Mac OS. It can also download streaming video, download embedded Flash videos, and download FLV and all Flash SWF with one-click. Provide built-in Flash video player for preview and a free FLV Player to play downloaded video offline conveniently. More amazing features: More amazing features list below: Capture Video and Download Video 1. Auto-detect Web videos or Flash SWF movies 2. Capture videos, download videos and save videos fast from YouTube, other video sites and blogs. 3. Capture Flash SWF contents with one-click 4. Download the various video formats including flv, wmv, asf, avi, mov, rm, rmvb 5. Get the actual URLs from online Web videos and Flash SWF movies Transfer latest hot video information 1. Enable to synchronize the new videos with the video downloaded page 2. Offer latest hot video information at any moment Well-suited Video Preview and Play Solution 1. The built-in Flash Video Player for instant video preview 2. A free FLV player play downloaded FLV video offline(only under Windows) 3. A 100% free FLV Player is also provided to watch the downloaded FLV video offline conveniently. Easy-to-Use 1. Clean, user-friendly, easy-to-use and super light 2. Work as a simple Firefox extension (add-on) 3. Support adding or removing the downloader icon and reposition the icon in Firefox 4. Fast speed to complete video downloading process 5. Easy to pause and resume video download 6. Display the number of captured videos in the toolbar 7. Keep history of downloaded and captured video and Flash files automatically.
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All versions:
3.6 starsout of 26 votes
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Current version:
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"Works OK but won't uninstall"
Version: Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox 6.6
Pros
It works but nothing special IMO.
Cons
Impossible to remove once I decided it wasn't any better than other software doing the same thing.
I much prefer to use Opera and can download via their utility straight off (for example)the YouTube page, plus I can simply choose to convert from MP4 to MP3 if I wish.Summary
Well, having searched the net for an uninstall solution, I can't find one that works (not even from Sothink themselves) and despite many being happy with Sothink, others have the same uninstall problem and are unhappy.
I wouldn't recommend it because the uninstallation problem is unacceptable. -
"I would not be without this program."
Version: Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox 6.2
Pros
Watch videos when you want and store those videos you think may be removed from the web.
Cons
The newest version of Firefox does not let the program icon install to the header of the browser window.
Summary
I would not be without this program.
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"Still fine"
Version: Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox 6.2
Pros
Actually I had not downloaded version 6.2 yet (have done so now), only v. 6.1.
So am assuming that 6.2 works as well as 6.1Cons
Hardly any I know of yet
Summary
This is pretty direct and quite easy to transact according to my usage.
Nothing more to add--have not used it very much since 2 weeks back when I placed a second review!
Updated on Jul 25, 2011 -
"AS pretty good downloader"
Version: Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox 6.1
Pros
Seems to do well enough for typical pop sites
Cons
Does not seem able to download C-Span programs or Charlie Rose interviews (serious discussion programs)
Summary
Don't know if this works any better than Firefox's "Download Helper."
upgrading my earlier review:
Updated on Jun 30, 2011
have found that Sothink video downloader actually works better and more powerfully than I first experienced -
"Junk not worth considering"
Version: Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox 6.1
Pros
Nothing good about it
Cons
redirector, acts like a trojan, brings Firefox to its knees.
Summary
Don't do it!
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"It did not do any thing."
Version: Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox 6.1
Pros
It started up.
Cons
It wanted to install a bunch of crap on my computer, and after I installed it and when I ran it, it recorded nothing.
Summary
Find something else.
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"Great program"
Version: Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox 5.7
Pros
Everything that I have downloaded has come through perfectly without a hitch.
Cons
None for me at least. A word of caution thou. With the DVD Maker they put a splash screen in front of your movie advertising their professional version. It lasts about 10 seconds. Not a big deal for me.
Summary
I use their downloader, than their converter and then their DVD maker and it all went as smooth as silk. Plus I am using a 7 year old computer with XP and the latest Firefox version. The downloads are quick and the other programs are easy to follow and fast.
For free software and for my purposes I am extremely pleased with what they offer. -
"Unreliable sniffer, popup frenzy, no filters"
Version: Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox 5.7
Pros
downloaded files popping up playing what you just captured, stable-- somewhat
Cons
Catching junk flash content, Notifications popup in a frenzy that bury your intrested content Most of the popups cannot even be closed and re-appear,scrambling extensions, looooooong file names that are being captured..
Summary
Need filters to catch only video that ur interested in, Clean up notifications, better trigger mechanism (these issues spans on ALL browsers!)
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"The software works well but has 2 major flaws"
Version: Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox 5.7
Pros
The software worked EXACTLY as stated and I had absolutely no problems using it. Very simple and very intuitive.
Cons
The first major con is that the software crashed every few days even when not being used. It was just random. The second major con is that when I uninstalled it the software did not uninstall. It complete the process but was still there.
Summary
Works well if you don't mind random crashes and never want to uninstall it.
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"Not Fit For Purpose"
Version: Sothink Web Video Downloader for Firefox 5.7
Pros
None whatsoever
Cons
This product does not finish downloads properly. It leaves a temp file full of the video data and a small file with the correct name and format separately even though it states that the download is complete. Nothing it downloads plays. Waste of time.
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