The eternal problem of saving videos from YouTube...

[Elhombresombra]

Hi folks, here I am with the "usual" problem of saving videos from YouTube...

I searched a lot, really a lot, for some utility that allows me to download and save a video from Youtube.

I am looking for something with the following three features:

1) it must be stand-alonde (not a plugin/add-on for some browser)
2) it must be free from adware/malware/anything-ware
3) if the video is offered in more than one resolution, it must give me the option of choosing the resolution to download, including HD if available.

In order to find something that was really free from adware/greyware, I looked especially at open-source applications, but to my great disappointment, I couldn't find anything that was really reliable. Even utilities like "4k video downloader" or "ClipGrab", for all of them somebody found an "undesirable" presence that needed much work to get rid of.

Apart from the obvious consideration that everybody seems to be eager to plant something in other people's computers I am left with the problem of finding a really safe application, which WORKS...

Do you have any hint?...

[Mr.Delusional]

Masstube or the website clipconverter. Masstube can download from age restricted videos clipconverter can't.

https://www.videohelp.com/software/MassTube
http://www.clipconverter.cc/

[Elhombresombra]

Thank you so much! I am not interested in age-restricted pages, what I want is just to have the possibility to choose the resolution, and NOT planting any malware/adware/anythingware in my system!

[Hoser Rob]

There's a good reason that stream downloading is an eternal problem. They don't want you to do it so they keep changing protocols. Expecting one simple easy tool to do it reliably forever is not going to work.

[Elhombresombra]

I suspected that ("...they don't want you to do it...") even though I can't understand the reason why. As I see it, it's just dumb to prevent people to watch again a certain video if the internet connection becomes unavailable, it can happen for a hundred reasons. No download, no offline-usable caching... why? And, about the last thing you said: what about a reconfigurable tool, which can be adapted/reprogrammed as the bad guys change the protocols?...

[KarMa]

What I use, but requires you to mux the a/v together. I use mkvmerge.
http://www.h3xed.com/blogmedia/youtube-info.php

[Elhombresombra]

What I use, but requires you to mux the a/v together. I use mkvmerge.
http://www.h3xed.com/blogmedia/youtube-info.php

Ahm... ...seems it requires a "magna cum laude" to understand how it works...

[Elhombresombra]

Masstube or the website clipconverter. Masstube can download from age restricted videos clipconverter can't.

https://www.videohelp.com/software/MassTube
http://www.clipconverter.cc/

I was reading the page to MassTube that you linked... even with this one, there is somebody complaining that some unwanted "extra" is installed along with the program... did you know? What do you think about that?

[KarMa]

Copy and paste the URL of the youtube video you want and press enter. It should pop up a new page and just pick put the resolution and audio you want, and save both of them by right clicking on the URL link and "save as" or "save link as" depending on your browser. This is the best method if you want those harder to download 1080p videos which youtube does not provide with audio, so you have to mux in the audio yourself with MKVmerge.

In your case (a novice), it's best to stick with downloading the videos labeled mp4 and the audio labeled mp4.

[Elhombresombra]

Copy and paste the URL of the youtube video you want and press enter. It should pop up a new page and just pick put the resolution and audio you want, and save both of them by right clicking on the URL link and "save as" or "save link as" depending on your browser. This is the best method if you want those harder to download 1080p videos which youtube does not provide with audio, so you have to mux in the audio yourself with MKVmerge.

In your case (a novice), it's best to stick with downloading the videos labeled mp4 and the audio labeled mp4.

It doesn't work... the only thing it saves is a .TXT file of 0 bytes. Thank you very much anyway KarMa.
I think that I will continue looking for an application which is really adware-free, as not even MassTube seems to be free from "uninvited presences"...

[KarMa]

It doesn't work... the only thing it saves is a .TXT file of 0 bytes.

I've noticed that happen too, mostly with music videos and other apparently protected content. Youtube seems to have a way to protect content and makes it much more difficult, if even possible, to download.

This is a video that also only downloads an empty .txt file


Notice the jumble of random numbers for this protected video, some kind of hash number. Anyway I can't download it with this site. Non-protected content should be no problem.

[miked76]

Try ChrisPC Free VideoTube Downloader. While installing one offer is presented, just click Decline to it and you'll be fine:
http://downloadvideo.how/video-downloader/youtube-com-download-videos-tv-series.html

[shaema]

I have been using Freemake videodownloader for quite sometime.

It does come with many unwanted extras but you can avoid that by selecting Customised Install and not Express Install. You then copy and paste your video URL and if successful it gives you available resolutions to select from.

[bobit]

you have to use something to download it
you sound like your frightened to use anything
might get a poxy virus
use your pc thats what its for
or bin it

youtube-dl.exe
and command prompt

youtube-dl.exe -f best youtube-url

-f to download
thats small case


this is caps

-F
youtube-dl.exe -F youtube-url

gives all the formats available for the video
so you can choose what format you want to download
use best for the best format

[vhelp]

I guess I had high-jack the topic. Sorry about that. I removed the post.

ditto for youtube-dl.

[Hoser Rob]

What I do these days for yt dl'ing is a CLI program called youtube-dl. That's in Linux but there is a Windows version. Haven't tried it because I don't have any Windows partitions anymore. But it's always worked so far. And it's pretty simple unless you're terrified of CLI programs.

[Elhombresombra]

What I do these days for yt dl'ing is a CLI program called youtube-dl. That's in Linux but there is a Windows version. Haven't tried it because I don't have any Windows partitions anymore. But it's always worked so far. And it's pretty simple unless you're terrified of CLI programs.

It seems that it's not so easy to use... seems you need to install an interpreter before, in order to use it

"It requires the Python interpreter (2.6, 2.7, or 3.3+)"

[Vidd]

It seems that it's not so easy to use... seems you need to install an interpreter before, in order to use it

"It requires the Python interpreter (2.6, 2.7, or 3.3+)"

Download the youtube-dl Windows exe. There is no need to install the Python interpreter if you use the exe.

[Anonymous84347344]

We also provide a Windows executable that includes Python.

Use this link to download the latest version.

https://yt-dl.org/latest/youtube-dl.exe

[Anonymous84347344]

[...] it must give me the option of choosing the resolution to download, including HD if available. [...]

youtube-dl -F "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLprVF6d7Ug"
[youtube] sLprVF6d7Ug: Downloading webpage
[youtube] sLprVF6d7Ug: Downloading video info webpage
[youtube] sLprVF6d7Ug: Extracting video information
[youtube] sLprVF6d7Ug: Downloading DASH manifest
[youtube] sLprVF6d7Ug: Downloading DASH manifest
[info] Available formats for sLprVF6d7Ug:
format code  extension  resolution note
249          webm       audio only DASH audio   60k , opus @ 50k, 793.42KiB
250          webm       audio only DASH audio   88k , opus @ 70k, 1.03MiB
171          webm       audio only DASH audio  126k , vorbis@128k (44100Hz), 1.79MiB
140          m4a        audio only DASH audio  127k , m4a_dash container, aac  @128k (44100Hz), 1.94MiB
251          webm       audio only DASH audio  168k , opus @160k, 2.03MiB
278          webm       256x144    DASH video  100k , webm container, vp9, 12fps, video only, 1.12MiB
160          mp4        256x144    DASH video  109k , avc1.42c00c, 12fps, video only, 1.54MiB
242          webm       426x240    DASH video  201k , vp9, 24fps, video only, 1.70MiB
133          mp4        426x240    DASH video  293k , avc1.4d4015, 24fps, video only, 3.57MiB
243          webm       640x360    DASH video  376k , vp9, 24fps, video only, 3.27MiB
134          mp4        640x360    DASH video  603k , avc1.4d401e, 24fps, video only, 4.36MiB
244          webm       854x480    DASH video  701k , vp9, 24fps, video only, 5.74MiB
135          mp4        854x480    DASH video 1103k , avc1.4d401e, 24fps, video only, 9.47MiB
247          webm       1280x720   DASH video 1419k , vp9, 24fps, video only, 11.78MiB
136          mp4        1280x720   DASH video 2202k , avc1.4d401f, 24fps, video only, 18.39MiB
248          webm       1920x1080  DASH video 2493k , vp9, 24fps, video only, 21.40MiB
137          mp4        1920x1080  DASH video 4134k , avc1.640028, 24fps, video only, 35.32MiB
271          webm       2560x1440  DASH video 8430k , vp9, 24fps, video only, 56.21MiB
264          mp4        2560x1440  DASH video 9966k , avc1.640032, 24fps, video only, 81.94MiB
313          webm       3840x2160  DASH video 18298k , vp9, 24fps, video only, 153.27MiB
266          mp4        3840x2160  DASH video 19548k , h264, 24fps, video only, 158.92MiB
138          mp4        7680x4320  DASH video 26163k , avc1.640033, 24fps, video only, 315.97MiB
272          webm       7680x4320  DASH video 59785k , vp9, 24fps, video only, 397.69MiB
17           3gp        176x144    small ,  mp4a.40.2, mp4v.20.3
36           3gp        320x240    small ,  mp4a.40.2, mp4v.20.3
5            flv        400x240    small
43           webm       640x360    medium ,  vorbis, vp8.0
18           mp4        640x360    medium ,  mp4a.40.2, avc1.42001E
22           mp4        1280x720   hd720 ,  mp4a.40.2, avc1.64001F (best)

[bobit]

It seems that it's not so easy to use... seems you need to install an interpreter before, in order to use it

just download the youtube-dl.exe

no need for Python

stop making problems

[Elhombresombra]

It doesn't run! On launch, it returns an error that, translated to English, would look like:

"Impossible to start the specified application. Incorrect application configuration." (if launched by clicking on youtube.dl.exe)

or

"Impossible to execute the specified program" (if launched from the DOS prompt)

I use Windows XP Home Edition SP3.
I even tried launching it in compatibility mode with Windows 2000, to no avail.

What's wrong??...

[bobit]

because you dont read

open command prompt
drag youtube-dl.exe in there

then press space bar on keyboard once

then type

-f best youtube-url

then press enter on keyboard

example how it would look

youtube-dl.exe -f best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtTfd6tISfw

no need to type the bit in red cuz you dragged it in there already

and it works with Windows XP Home Edition SP3

[Cauptain]

Easy way: Firefox + Flashgot Extension = "Click & Go"






Link (Flashgot): https://addons.mozilla.org/pt-br/firefox/addon/flashgot/



Claudio

[Elhombresombra]

because you dont read

open command prompt
drag youtube-dl.exe in there

then press space bar on keyboard once

then type

-f best youtube-url

then press enter on keyboard

example how it would look

youtube-dl.exe -f best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtTfd6tISfw

no need to type the bit in red cuz you dragged it in there already

and it works with Windows XP Home Edition SP3

I did read what you wrote, and typed exactly what you said, but the error "Impossible to execute" is still there.

[Elhombresombra]

Okay, after much searching and asking, I eventually discovered the reason why youtube-dl refused to work on my system.

It's true that "youtube-dl.exe" for Windows does not need Python to work, because it has the Pithon libraries embedded (and that's why it is 6 MB vs only 1 MB of the original "youtube-dl" that needs Python).

But nobody mentioned that even "youtube-dl.exe" for Windows is not completely stand-alone, because it needs "Visual C++" installed in order to work...

[bobit]

I use Windows XP Home Edition SP3

so do i


and youtube-dl works for me

[Markfx]

I use this Firefox add-on:
http://www.cys-audiovideodownloader.com/

I realize it is not a standalone solution.

[glowx]

YouTube Center is the best down-loader & so much more that I ever found.

No longer up-to-date, but still very useful.

Install the Developer version for Firefox here:

https://github.com/YePpHa/YouTubeCenter/wiki/Developer-Version

[Hoser Rob]

Okay, after much searching and asking, I eventually discovered the reason why youtube-dl refused to work on my system.

It's true that "youtube-dl.exe" for Windows does not need Python to work, because it has the Pithon libraries embedded (and that's why it is 6 MB vs only 1 MB of the original "youtube-dl" that needs Python).

But nobody mentioned that even "youtube-dl.exe" for Windows is not completely stand-alone, because it needs "Visual C++" installed in order to work...

Well, that's not the first Windows program I've seen that requires visual C++ to run, and didn't say so in the docs. Perhaps the others already had it installed beforehand?

This isn't an issue in linux (at least ubuntu/mint and similar) if you install from the repos or from a .deb file. It'll automatically install dependencies. I've never used youtube-dl in WIndows.

BTW unlike many such apps, youtube-dl is frequently updated, which is a very good sign. I haven't had any problems with it but YMMV.