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Get Download Links to High Quality YouTube Vids
Posted by Gina Trapani at 8:00 AM on March 7, 2008
Firefox with Greasemonkey only: The YouTube H.264 user script adds a link to view and download the higher-quality version of YouTube videos in page. You already know how to hack YouTube URLs to access a higher resolution and audio quality version of a clip, and this script makes downloading the HQ version easy. (See the difference between regular and HQ videos.) Be warned: This script can take time to render the links (sometimes it hangs indefinitely), and the HQ version isn't available for all videos. Once the kinks get ironed out, I'll add it to the Better YouTube extension. The YouTube H.264 user script is a free download that works with Firefox and the Greasemonkey extension.
Tags: digital video | downloads | featured greasemonkey user script | firefox | firefox extensions | greasemonkey | user scripts | youtube
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Aanidaani
Posted 10:39 AM 7/3/08
I like the idea of this script, but so far it hasn't work. It just says that it is searching for a HQ version and never finds anything. If the authors improve it, it could be useful, but right now it doesn't seem to work that well.
Aanidaani
YachiraG
Posted 11:37 AM 7/3/08
"...sometimes it hangs indefinitely" Great, just what I'm looking for in an app. Uh, no thanks.
YachiraG
divergentdave
Posted 2:35 PM 7/3/08
I took a look at the source code of the script, and it looks like it could use some work. The long load time is probably caused by a large string of code being written into a tag (rather than being run in another function) and a busy spin that loops every 10ms. I'm currently working on rewriting the script, and will post it here when I am finished.
divergentdave
lina_zav
Posted 10:04 PM 7/3/08
While waiting for a better working rewrite of this a temporary solution to download these videos, and just about any online streaming video, is to install the Firebug add-on, then start the stream, then look for a direct link to it (look under All > Net > videoplayback ), copy link location, then make it to an active link (for example, go to yubnug.org and type "save nnnnn" where nnnnn is the copied link location, wait for the generated link, right click and save to desktop with a .flv extension. Sounds complex but takes 15 seconds once you get the hang of it.
lina_zav
mskadu
Posted 10:24 PM 8/3/08
s/so/for ;-)
mskadu
mskadu
Posted 10:24 PM 8/3/08
I am not much of a Greasemonkey fan. I think bookmarklets are perfect so things like this. Here's mine:
[mytechieself.blogspot.com]
mskadu