Downloading+YouTube+Videos

There are a multitude of ways to download YouTube videos if you already have access. The easiest way is probably to download and install [|RealPlayer]. Traditionally, this has been a clunky, outdated way to stream video and music over the web. The player itself is well-known for being slow and bloated with unnecessary add-ons. All in all, I would not recommend it for it's intended use. However, the newest version comes with a little added browser feature that allows you to automatically download most videos. When you move your mouse over a video from YouTube, MetaCafe, and others, you'll get a little button like so: Now, I shamelessly stole this image from [|LyteByte] where you can get a little more information on how to use it. The most complicated part is where to find the videos once they're downloaded and how to play them. Where? On a PC, it's My Documents/My Videos/ and then follow your nose. To play them, you can use [|VLC player], which is also free. Unlike RealPlayer, I can't recommend VLC highly enough. There's very little in the way of audio and video that it can't play, and it's got a tiny little footprint on your machine. Just drag the flv file that you got from RealPlayer into VLC, and it should start playing like a charm.

Don't want to install something on the computer? Or are you stuck at school where you can't access YouTube to be able to get the download option? Use [|KeepVid]. Now, this will require you to have a link to the actual video. Ideally you would find this link on YouTube at home and email it to yourself, but that's not always an option. Say you make reference to Reading Rainbow in class and no one knows what you're talking about. A quick [|Google search] gets you a YouTube link ( [|www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6j8EiWIVZs]), which you can then copy and paste into KeepVid.

You will often have two options for download (Remember to Right-Click and Save As!) Higher Quality MP4's, and then the FLV that we talked about earlier. VLC should play both, but you may need [|iTunes and Quicktime]to be able to take full advantage of the MP4.

media type="youtube" key="c6j8EiWIVZs&hl=en&fs=1" height="344" width="425" Remember, though, that you have to be careful of copyright. If you want to use something quickly in class, and it's very brief, than you don't have to get permission for it. If you plan for it, however, or you make it an integral part of your lesson plan, then you have to ask permission (unless, of course, it's in the public domain or it's open source).