Web+Video+Download+and+Playback

=Downloading and playing back videos from the web in your classroom=

So you've seen a video on YouTube or Metacafe or Teacher Tube and you want to play it back in class. How would you go about doing that? Thanks to the CPS firewall sites such as YouTube are blocked. Despite the block you may find that there are videos there that you may want to show in class. Now we can spend countless ammounts of time discussing the merits of this particular block but for the sake of time let's be happy that it is blocked.

How to download
There are hundreds of sites, extensions and plug-ins that can be used to download videos. A simple online search of //download youtube videos// and millions of hits will come up. I've tested some of these sites and they all seem to work. But beware. Not all videos will download. Some just don't. It's not an inherit fault of you, your computer or YouTube. They just don't.

The following list I culled from this site: [|Download List] Websites:
 * [|TechCrunch]
 * [|videodownloadx.com]
 * [|javimoya.com/blog/youtube_en.php]
 * [|www.downloadandsaveyoutubevideos.info] - Contains a proxy to help you download around a firewall
 * [|www.zamzar.com] - Converts files to playable format. See below.
 * [|www.mediaconverter.org] - Converts as well

Windows Applications
 * [|Vdownloader]
 * [|Orbit Downloader]
 * [|Video Get]

Mac Applications
 * [|Get Tube]

Linux
 * [|Youtube-dl]

Playback
Playing back the videos is easier said than done. Why? Well YouTube save it's videos as Flash files or .flv videos. This works great for an embedded video player on YouTube but not so easy to do on your computer. There are three options to make this work.


 * **Download video [|codecs] for Windows Media or QuickTime.** The codecs are easy to find online but you will need the Techco in order to install them. Some codecs come with problems and may not work. Though if they do they open up a whole new world of video playback possibilities.
 * **Convert the Video**. There are dozens of programs out there that convert videos to more user friendly formats. They can be heavily resource dependent and sometimes can't convert files that have been copy protected. On the plus side some of the sites listed above will convert after downloading. These sites will charge for faster converting. Luckily there are free options see below.
 * To convert video for Windows Media Player the files need to have the .wmv or .avi. extension. For audio .mp3 or .wma work fine.
 * For Apple QuickTime .mov or .mp4 Audio: .mp3 or.acc.
 * **Install a different video player.** This is an easy solution that will playback every time, but you have to learn a new program and need install help from the Techco.

Codec
[|PlayFLV] - Installs .flv codec in to Windows Media Player.

Conversion Programs
Both these programs are freeware which means they are free to use and download. [|Super Video] - Scroll all the way down to find download. This program will also download files and convert them for playback [|MediaCoder]

Video Players
[|Wimpy] [|FLV Player]

In order to get and use these videos it will take a little of work on your part. It's not much work, it is a lot less work than going to the video store and renting something. The big plus is that whatever you download/convert can cost you nothing and you can do it all from the comfort of your own home.

One more reminder. Some of the videos you may find online are copy written. That means it maybe illegal for them to be online. It doesn't necessarily mean you can't use them or download them but be wary that they may disappear from the internet at anytime. This is a gray area. No one has ever been sued because of downloading videos in this manner.