Saving YouTube videos for offline viewing

Watching a YouTube video typically requires an Internet connection, but with a little preparation the videos can be saved for later offline viewing.

Before downloading any videos on YouTube, be aware that downloading some content may infringe on copyrights.

Once you are on a page with a YouTube video, copy the link in the address bar of the browser. Then open KeepVid and paste the YouTube URL into the box at the top of the page.

Click the download button to the right side of the link you just pasted. Since the page runs Java script, the browser will prompt you if you want to run the application and click “yes” or “run.”

Nick BarberWhen using KeepVid to download YouTube videos, ignore those large Download and Play Now videos—it’s the list below those that you’ll want to pay attention to.

Be careful not to click the large “download” and “play now” buttons on the page as those are advertisements.

Once the list populates below, you will typically want to download the highest resolution MP4 file. That file format will play on most computers, smartphones and tablets. Right click on the link and select “save file as” and save the file.

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Saving YouTube videos for offline viewing

Watching a YouTube video typically requires an Internet connection, but with a little preparation the videos can be saved for later offline viewing.

Before downloading any videos on YouTube, be aware that downloading some content may infringe on copyrights.

Once you are on a page with a YouTube video, copy the link in the address bar of the browser. Then open KeepVid and paste the YouTube URL into the box at the top of the page.

Click the download button to the right side of the link you just pasted. Since the page runs Java script, the browser will prompt you if you want to run the application and click “yes” or “run.”

Nick BarberWhen using KeepVid to download YouTube videos, ignore those large Download and Play Now videos—it’s the list below those that you’ll want to pay attention to.

Be careful not to click the large “download” and “play now” buttons on the page as those are advertisements.

Once the list populates below, you will typically want to download the highest resolution MP4 file. That file format will play on most computers, smartphones and tablets. Right click on the link and select “save file as” and save the file.

View the original article here

Can you record a Netflix stream for offline viewing?

Reader Thom wrote in with this question:

Is there a way to download the movies from Netflix permanently to my hard drive?

Sometimes the transmission suffers in my area and it would be advantageous to download them and then play them from my hard drive offline.

That's what I call a loaded question, Thom! But it's a good one, because I'm sure there are many people in your same boat: wanting to watch a Netflix movie, but unable to because of a slow or intermittent connection.

Unfortunately, Netflix does not allow for downloading in any way, shape, or form. I can understand why (there are copyrights to protect, after all), but it would be nice if the service offered users the option to download, say, one movie at a time for offline viewing.

Indeed, for anyone who's a frequent flyer, it would be great to be able to cache a movie in advance, as in-flight Wi-Fi doesn't allow for Netflix streaming. And surely Netflix's mobile apps could allow for a download-and-go option that would let users save a movie via Wi-Fi instead of eating into their data allowance while on the go.

No such luck. Ah, but where there's a will, there's a way. I've played with a few video-capture utilities that promise to work with "any" streaming souce, and while they don't usually name Netflix (or Amazon, HBO Go, or others) for fear of litigation, they do work. Audials Moviebox 10 is one of them.

However, most of them record the streaming content in real-time, so you have to wait for the entire movie to play before you've got your "download." And if you have an inconsistent connection, you'll have the same problems you do watching a live stream.

What's more, using such a utility definitely violates Netflix's terms of service. Whether or not the company can detect your usage of a recording tool, I don't know. But there's always the risk you might get found out and have your account terminated.

A better bet is to try something like manually lowering Netflix's streaming rate, which might help overcome the problems with your slow connection. And, failing that, consider downloading movies from services that allow it, like Amazon and iTunes. You may end up having to connect your PC to your TV if you want big-screen viewing, but sometimes you have to jump through a few hoops to get technology to work the way you need it to.

Contributing Editor Rick Broida writes about business and consumer technology. Ask for help with your PC hassles at hasslefree@pcworld.com. Sign up to have the Hassle-Free PC newsletter e-mailed to you each week.

For more than 20 years, Rick Broida has written about all manner of technology, from Amigas to business servers to PalmPilots. His credits include dozens of books, blogs, and magazines. He sleeps with an iPad under his pillow.
More by Rick Broida

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Hidden websites fall offline following arrest in Ireland

A large number of websites shielded by an anonymizing service vanished from the Internet on Saturday, an action that may be linked with an arrest of a man in Ireland.

The websites, which appeared to have been supplied connectivity by Freedom Hosting, were only reachable with a web browser configured to use the TOR (The Onion Router) network. The TOR network randomly routes Internet traffic through a worldwide network of servers that help mask identifying information such as IP addresses.

Freedom Hosting specialized in supplying connectivity for TOR-configured websites and was widely believed to be connected to a man named Eric Eoin Marques. According to the Independent, an Irish publication, Marques appeared in court on Friday in connection with a U.S. extradition request based on four charges filed in Maryland that he allegedly distributed and promoted child pornography.

The newspaper reported that an FBI agent who testified on Friday described the 28-year-old as "the largest facilitator of child porn on the planet." Marques was denied bail and is due to appear in court again on Thursday, the Independent reported. The newspaper did not, however, make a reference to Freedom Hosting.

FBI officials could not be immediately reached on Sunday. Marques' name did not turn up in a search of online U.S. federal criminal court records, although it can take several days for some documents to be filed.

The TOR Project, which oversees TOR's software development, wrote on Sunday that Freedom Hosting is no way connected to The TOR Project itself. Anyone can use TOR to create hidden websites, it said.

"Other organizations run hidden services to protect dissidents, activists, and protect the anonymity of users trying to find help for suicide prevention, domestic violence and abuse-recovery," The TOR Project wrote.

The TOR Project also wrote that it was aware that Freedom Hosting's software may have been exploited, possibly through the Firefox browser.

The project has its own web browser that can be used to visit hidden sites which is based on Firefox 17 ESR (Extended Support Release). The browser supports hidden TOR web addresses, which take a form that look like "http://idnxcnkne4qt76tg.onion/."

"From what is known so far, the breach was used to configure the server in a way that it injects some sort of JavaScript exploit in the web pages delivered to users," The TOR Project wrote. "This exploit is used to load a malware payload to infect users' computers."

Mozilla, the organization behind Firefox, is "actively investigating this information and we will provide additional information when it becomes available," wrote Michael Coates, director of security assurance, in a blog post.

It isn't clear yet how the vulnerability in the browser may be linked to the reported issues at Freedom Hosting and the involvement of law enforcement.

"There are lots of rumors and speculation as to what's happened," The TOR Project wrote. "We're reading the same news and threads you are and don't have any insider information."

Send news tips and comments to jeremy_kirk@idg.com. Follow me on Twitter: @jeremy_kirk

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