How do I share videos with friends?

February 1, 2008 1:03 PM

How do I get YouTube to computer to DVD to TV?

I have actually been able to copy three youtube videos to my computer in the flv format. I want to play them to a group on TV via a DVD. iTunes will burn a DVD, how to get flv to iTunes? This needs to be easy and hopefully free. These videos are legal to copy for personal use.

posted by Northwest to Computers & Internet (13 answers total)

You'll need to convert the FLV to MPEG. This thread talks about it a little.
posted by jquinby at 1:11 PM on February 1, 2008

I know this isn't quite what you asked, but I love surfing YouTube on my AppleTV - on my television of course.

Works like a charm and it can be a howl just clicking around. Somehow, it's more fun than sitting in front of the computer.

Now, going to buy an AppleTV just for this is probably not what you had in mind - but it is easier than copying to DVD etc etc.
posted by iTristan at 1:14 PM on February 1, 2008

Many DVD players handle divx/xvid these days, you could convert to one of those instead.

Under linux or MacOS, you can use ffmpeg to convert between formats. I'm not sure if theres a windows port.
posted by jjb at 1:31 PM on February 1, 2008

On my mac G4, I have used Quicktime Pro to convert movies to different formats. Perian is a free plugin for QT that lets me open .flv files. Once opened they can be exported to mpegs or mp4s for iTunes, or many other formats. I don't have AppleTV, (that'd be sweet!), but I've used Roxio's Toast to burn CDs and DVDs that can be played on any DVD player.

Hope this helps!
posted by H Carl at 1:48 PM on February 1, 2008

Under linux or MacOS, you can use ffmpeg to convert between formats. I'm not sure if theres a windows port.

There is.
posted by Nelsormensch at 1:50 PM on February 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

In Windows, you can use VLC (VideoLAN) to convert FLVs to whatever you want.
posted by anaelith at 3:11 PM on February 1, 2008

Many DVD burner programs will burn AVI onto a TV-viewable DVD. There are many freeware FLV-to-AVI converters..
posted by vanoakenfold at 4:53 PM on February 1, 2008

I cannot express the ease of Super enough.

You open it, drop in ANY multimedia file, and choose your outsource.

Say there is a youtube video of a song you want.
Use Orbit, get the .FLV. Drag it into Super, then encode it out to .MP3.

Easy.

Oh, and SUPER is free.
posted by M Edward at 8:45 PM on February 1, 2008

Orbit
posted by M Edward at 8:46 PM on February 1, 2008

Many laptops have TV output these days. Most, in fact. You might not need to convert the files at all.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:01 PM on February 1, 2008

M Edward, the Super website you linked to sure looks creepy: layout like a hard-pitch scam site (and such strong advertising language for a free product!), weird royalty-free images in the header, the message about needing to enable javascript (and disable blocking htttp_referrer) to initiate the download. Really not spyware or adware or the like?
posted by nobody at 7:16 AM on February 2, 2008

I have Lavasoft Adaware, AVG Spyware, and Spybot S&D along with AVG anti-virus. I never got anything bad from that site, just google Super download and you get a ton of alternate sites, that one is just the first.

And the program itself is really amatuerish looking, but it works and I haven't had any problems. Been using it for 6 months or so.
posted by M Edward at 11:12 AM on February 2, 2008

Nero will burn flv's direct if burnt as a data CD.
posted by Dr.Pill at 5:20 PM on February 2, 2008