Which format to begin with for YouTube downloads?

[Daniel_B.]

Hello All!

I am completely new to DVD creation. I have agreed to help a friend of mine who is now traveling in south America to collect and edit his YouTube travel videos, and put them into a DVD format for friends and family. Right out the door I have to make a choice about the format in which to download these clips. I am using YouTube Downloader 5.0 with Google Chrome. This gives me the following options:
MP4 HD 720p
FLV 480p
MP4 360p

Without knowing what the original format is on the YT machines (mp4 I think?), which is the best option for my start? Which will give me the least loss in the final product?

The MP4 HDD seems like the most obvious, but is it specifically for HD format only? Can I burn a DVD in this format and would it be readable for those without HD technology such as their television?

FLV seems like the next best thing in terms of information density, but I have heard that these loose a lot when converted into DVD format.

Could you rank these for me in terms of quality of final product and universal use-ability?

Thanks for your patience!

Daniel

[davexnet]

Download the 720p and convert it to DVD using something like AVStoDVD.
None of those formats are DVD ready

[manono]

Yes, the 720p versions, and if you can get the original files from the guy, before YouTube got its grubby paws on them and ruined them, so much the better.

[Daniel_B.]

Thank you both for your help! Well, it turns out that for some reason the MP4 HD at 720p is not always available as an option. I don't know why. Would the FLV download at 480p be the next best, considering eventual conversion to DVD? Thanks

[manono]

720p is only available for download if the original uploader uploaded 720p or better. To answer the question, yes, begin with the highest resolution version you can get.