The Download Blog

YouTube Downloader works pretty well, given how basic the interface is. It has two main features: to download FLV files from YouTube, and to convert them to most major formats. If there's a YouTube URL in your clipboard, it will automatically paste it for you when you click on the dialog box. From there, just hit OK and the downloading will commence. One more left-click is all it takes to load the file in the converter, which supports iPhone, iPod, PSP, cell phone, AVI, MP3, WMV, and Xvid. Surprisingly, there's also a basic video editor for cropping videos by time stamp. You can also cut out the sound when converting.

This is one of the lightest editors around, but the simplistic interface belies its functionality and it performs exactly as advertised. I'd like to see support in future editions for hunting down missing codecs, and version 2.1.5 and earlier won't work because of embed code changes on YouTube itself. Still, the YouTube Downloader is proof that not only is video-making accessible to everyone, so is video downloading and editing.

For a piece of freeware in a category that's rife with scams and junk, FLVPlayer4Free stands out as a solid, reasonable program that does what it says, offers a bunch of options in the deal, and does it all without any annoying predatory advertising.

The program starts off with eight skins, most of which provide significantly different looks beyond just a new coat of paint. The options menu, which is only right-click accessible, provides hot-key and menu access to several useful choices. These include fixed resizing to double the original size or full-screen viewing, maintaining the aspect ration, smoothing, nearly 20 languages, and rollover hints. It also has a built-in screencapper.

The app is not without its flaws, though. When installing, users must opt out of downloading a video-format converter made by the same publisher and the URL downloader doesn't work with YouTube. Still, the player is light on resources and generally performs as promised.

YouTube is a household name, but most handheld gear doesn't support it. The Flash video grabber and converter YouTube Downloader makes taking your YouTube with you a cinch. Seth Rosenblatt shows you how in this First Look video.

Lightweight and effective, Free FLV Converter is a great way to convert video files from Flash formats into something more versatile. Specializing in formats meant for portable devices, Free FLV Converter also supports AVI and can download embedded SWF or FLV vids directly from the Internet when you punch in the URL.

The app can also perform local searches for vids as well as convert to FLV. Hitting either conversion tab will automatically open a file browser so you can choose your victim. From there, a conversion window opens, and you can change the basics such as settings, including output format, quality, and destination directory, as well as more advanced options like the codec, the aspect ratio, and the frame rate. Tap convert at the bottom of the window when you're ready, and the Free FLV Converter works smoothly and without interfering with other programs.

Free FLV Converter does have one annoyance: When you install it, be sure to opt out of the Dealio toolbar. It's no more than a minor drawback, though, and doesn't cause problems later on. Seeing as how the app ran smoothly in the background, it's definitely a must-use piece of freeware.

Although it's not bursting at the seams with features and customizations, FLV Player should appeal to users who need a lightweight tool for watching Flash-formatted videos. The freeware program can also stream content directly off the Internet. CNET Download.com Editor Seth Rosenblatt takes it for a spin in this First Look video.

Programs that grab videos from Web sites like YouTube aren't a dime a dozen--they're a dime for 200 dozen. Most of them aren't that good, either, which makes Ashampoo's freeware ClipFinder such a breath of fresh air in the video-grabbing game.

... Read more

Free FLV Player

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Sometimes, you just don't need the whole enchilada. Freeware video players like The KMPlayer, GOM Player, VLC Player, and others are excellent at what they do and are generally lightweight, but they look like top-heavy refrigerators compared with these nimble and zippy yet similarly named Flash players. But are Free FLV Player, FLV Player, Riva FLV Player, and BitComet FLV Player all the same, or does one pull ahead of the pack?

... Read more

There are tons of YouTube video-grabbing downloads out there, but relatively few also convert those FLV files for later viewing on a cell phone, iPhone, or other flavor of mobile device. Since we don't like using two apps when we can use one, here's a hand-picked collection of apps containing the packaged set.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

1. Out of all the downloader/converters I tried, nothing felt more honest than CinemaForge, with its homegrown UFO-shaped interface. The freeware app lays down a simple 6-step downloading and conversion trajectory that includes finding a video's "real" URL, as opposed to the "mangled" (shortened) link displayed on most sites. The conversion is quick and accompanied by an optional report, and it's easy to choose from multiple file types and drop videos into a preferred file path. Skip that step, if you prefer, because CinemaForge also lets you publish your newly acquired video to the Web, although if that's your goal, dropping the video's embed code onto a personal profile or Web site is a more straightforward option.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

2. With tabs for searching, downloading, and converting video, Free FLV Converter is a fairly beefy app. Unlike most competitors, it finds videos through search rather than by a pasted URL. Other apps download videos from Google, DailyMotion, and MetaCafe in addition to YouTube, but this rarity also serves up content from several adult sites. Parents better keep an eye on this one.

Free FLV Converter saves the video locally as an FLV file, and requires a second step to convert the video to one of five other formats. The two-step process barely qualifies the app for this roundup, but you can do it without closing the app. Free FLV Converter also gets a cheery thumbs up for the in-app preview and PSP conversion option, and an emphatic thumbs down for dragging on board the Dealio toolbar. What's the dealio with that bundling? Though irritating, Dealio is removed easily enough.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

3. YouTube Downloader is another freebie with a two-part conversion process that saves a Flash video just so you can dig it up again and convert it. Of course, you can convert all other previously downloaded videos, too. Paste the video URL into the app to save the stream, and when that's done, select "convert video" to make any FLV compatible with iPods, iPhones, cell phones, PSPs, and then some. The choice to add manual parameters catches other formats that YouTube Downloader didn't optimize for.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

4. With My Video Downloader ($29.99), what you pay for is breadth--apparent compatibility with over 50 video-streaming sites. Paste the URL into the big blue app to kick off downloading. Be forewarned: the trial exacts some personal data (name, gender, e-mail, and ZIP code) before granting access, but converts to Zune video and DVD formats from among the 10 optional formats.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

5. For the same price, Alive YouTube Video Converter ($29.95) offers a wealth of device-specific conversions from a drab XP-inspired interface. This is ideal for you Archos, Sansa, and Zen mavericks. Alive YouTube Video Converter does a fine conversion job, but pins you in the trial by processing only 60 percent of the video.

Other video-grabbing software:
*Free YouTube to iPod Converter 2.8 makes videos iPod-ready.
*Orbit Downloader accelerates download speeds and manages files.
*Ook? Video Ook! is a popular Firefox plug-in.
*TubeSucker seeks out YouTube downloads.

Two of the most effective tools I've found for keeping videos embedded in Web pages are the Free FLV Converter and RealPlayer. Yes, that RealPlayer.

... Read more