Downloading online video
September 20, 2010 7:57 AM Subscribe
There is a set of three video promos running on the USA Network website. How do I download them?
The videos are in a playlist here: I looked at the source code and figured out that the individual videos are 1, 2, and 3.
That did not help, so I looked for the swf file: for example, the first file seems to be here.
I cannot seem to save this swf file or whatever format the actual file is. I am running Windows 7, and cannot afford to buy software for this. This is for non-commercial academic purposes, and I want to download them before they decide to take them offline. I am planning on emailing them, but wanted to try other options first. I checked out other similar questions, but none of those suggestions helped in this case.
The videos are in a playlist here: I looked at the source code and figured out that the individual videos are 1, 2, and 3.
That did not help, so I looked for the swf file: for example, the first file seems to be here.
I cannot seem to save this swf file or whatever format the actual file is. I am running Windows 7, and cannot afford to buy software for this. This is for non-commercial academic purposes, and I want to download them before they decide to take them offline. I am planning on emailing them, but wanted to try other options first. I checked out other similar questions, but none of those suggestions helped in this case.
Best answer: That's not the right swf file. That's the swf file for the flash ad at the top, I believe.
Anyway, you want StreamTransport. It's free and very easy to use. You simply launch it, put in the URL of the regular USA page (e.g., your 1, 2, or 3 links), and then once the video loads on the page you'll see the RTMP link in the box at the bottom of the screen. Select that, then hit download. You'll get an FLV file that can be played with, amongst other things, VLC, which is also free. I just tested it with that toolchain and it worked a treat.
posted by jedicus at 8:37 AM on September 20, 2010
Anyway, you want StreamTransport. It's free and very easy to use. You simply launch it, put in the URL of the regular USA page (e.g., your 1, 2, or 3 links), and then once the video loads on the page you'll see the RTMP link in the box at the bottom of the screen. Select that, then hit download. You'll get an FLV file that can be played with, amongst other things, VLC, which is also free. I just tested it with that toolchain and it worked a treat.
posted by jedicus at 8:37 AM on September 20, 2010
Best answer: Another vote for StreamTransport here.
You can't just download the videos with your browser because the player users the RTMP and not the standard HTTP web protocol.
You can get the filenames of the FLV videos from the embedded smil files (for example here, for your first link) but won't be able to download them without something that can handle RTMP, which StreamTransport does.
posted by yeoz at 8:53 AM on September 20, 2010
You can't just download the videos with your browser because the player users the RTMP and not the standard HTTP web protocol.
You can get the filenames of the FLV videos from the embedded smil files (for example here, for your first link) but won't be able to download them without something that can handle RTMP, which StreamTransport does.
posted by yeoz at 8:53 AM on September 20, 2010
Response by poster: StreamTransport worked perfectly, thank you so much!
posted by prenominal at 9:08 AM on September 20, 2010
posted by prenominal at 9:08 AM on September 20, 2010
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posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:31 AM on September 20, 2010