Downloading FLV from other sites?

[whoisquilty]

There is an FLV file on a site other than YouTube that I want to download and edit. Any ideas on how to do this?

[dnix71]

I posted this on another forum.

This is an updated "how to" save embedded Flash files from your browser in OS X.

Unplug extension https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2254/ doesn't always work because websites are getting better at hiding the source of the embedded Flash.

You'll need Firefox 2: http://download.mozilla.org/?product=firefox-2.0.0.1&os=osx&lang=en-US

Flashblock plugin: http://downloads.mozdev.org/flashblock/flashblock-1.5.1.xpi

and iSquint http://domain1086246.sites.fasthosts.com/iSquint1.5.dmg
if you want to convert your flv file into an mp4 for a dvd or iPod.

Each user of Firefox has two browser cache files with names that end in ".default" They are in the users>Library>Caches>Firefox>Profiles folder.
You can empty the browser cache from Firefox>Preferences>Privacy>PrivateData>Settings> check Cache in the list then ClearNow.

When you look inside the two cache folders listed above after clearing the cache this way, one will only have four files "_CACHE_001 _CACHE_002_ _CACHE_003_ and _CACHE_MAP_." Make an alias to this folder and place the alias on your desktop.

Make a new folder on the desktop next to it. Call it something like Flash Folder.

When you see a movie you want to save, if Unplug won't get it for you, bookmark the page, go to url about:blank and then clear your cache.
Go back to the bookmarked page and play the video. Flashblock is installed so if you go to a site with multiple flash objects on the page, you will only enable the one you want to save. The next step will explain why.

On the video that is playing, Control Click and under settings let Flash use 'unlimited" hard drive space. Let the video play almost to the end and then open the Cache alias folder>Edit>SelectAll>'Apple C', then open the Flash Folder and 'Apple V'.

Go to Finder>File>Find and add the Flash Folder to the search list and ONLY check it for the search of files whose Size is Greater Than 1000 kb.

The file shown will be your video. Rename it something that makes sense to you and give it the extension .flv

That file can be dropped into iSquint for conversion.

[albloom]

Try the freebie SafariStand, from:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/26421

Among its other features: point to the video after it has
loaded and command-click it. It'll download that FLV.

[dnix71]

According to Version Tracker, SafariStand only works in Tiger and YouTube. Firefox has lots of plugins for video saving but they depend on being able to read the referral url to track back to the source host.

Many news sites hide their source files for copyright and security reasons. They may not own/host the file and aren't allowed to openly point to it. When you ask for it, their server in turn asks for it and reroutes it to you. The trick is to save it while it's playing.

Firefox hd caches flvs if you let it. It's easier to start with a clear cache because then the largest file after playing the video is the file you want. Firefox gives their cache files random letter/number names, so you can't just read the name of a cache file to know what it is.

[albloom]

I won't argue with the Tiger-ness of SafariStand, but only
YouTube? I just now splat-clicked videos from break,
dailymotion, ifilm, and metacafe. They downloaded fine.

[whoisquilty]

When I download the file, it is a .swf file. Any ideas of converting this to a Quicktime movie?

[dnix71]

iSquint or ffmpegX. If it only plays properly in the Real Player, then I don't know. I have a swf of "Mr. Taliban" that wouldn't convert properly with anything. You asked about flv files. Those convert in iSquint.

[whoisquilty]

All right. Thanks.

[albloom]

When I download the file, it is a .swf file. Any ideas of converting this to a Quicktime movie?

Is this a test? An .swf is not a video file. It is a Shockwave Flash Object that points
to the video file itself. According to Adobe, the "object" is used by Internet Explorer,
a browser not of wide use in the Mac community since MicroSoft gave up on it a few
years ago.

No, an .swf is no more likely to be converted to QuckTime than an .sfil, for about
the same reason. They're pointers. Look at the file size. Four to eight kb? Bodaciously
small for a movie.

[dnix71]

I dislike swf files. Sometimes they will play in Firefox after loading a browser plugin and refreshing. Sometimes I can use Unplug to get the source. But true swf's, especially games, won't convert to avi's easily.

The Mr. Taliban swf I managed to save would play correcly in the Real Player, but ffmpegX, which uses Real codecs, would say it had no video. VLC would play audio only, also. Quicktime and QT Amateur would play it correctly. QT Amateur would export poor quality video without audio, and no watermark, which meant it wasn't using the Flip4Mac codecs (I have the free version).

[terryj]

hmm, a different point of view, if you'll allow me...

What I'm doing is if it is just a clip I'd rather not be tied
to my browser to watch, I'll use Firefox and the Videodownloader
plugin, which has worked excellent with Youtube, iFilm,
and a few others I visit (still using FIREFOX 1.5.07).

If it is a clip I need to reference in my vidcast I produce,
which means it'll end up in an FCP timeline, then
I'll visit the site directly, pull up the page with the video
and "hijack" it to QT movie with iShowU.
I can control the video and audio encoding settings,
as well as sizing/resizing of the video (4:3, 16:9, ltrbx)
and it captures in real time.
Once done, just drag and drop into FCP and its good to use.

my 02¢....

[pixel zombie]

use the "activity" trick in safari...

[Lee Andrew]

Do you mean you want to edit the flv files you download from youtube.I think many people have the same question as you asked.If you have a premiere. you can dowmload a plugin from http://www.flash-video-mx.com/flv_importer/.

With it you can import flv into Premiere and edit it alongewith otherviedeo files.