How to capture a bit of streaming video?

June 28, 2015 7:15 AM

I want to record about ten seconds from this video on the web for personal use, and I don't want to buy software to do it.

I downloaded a free piece of software (can't remember the name now) but it only recorded audio, not video, AND it had some crap in it that put my PC in potential danger.

I also took a video of the video with my video camera but there are lines on it.

Is there any easy and non-threatening way to do this?

thank you!

posted by DMelanogaster to Computers & Internet (11 answers total)

If you're in Windows, and already downloaded it, you can crop it out using HandBrake. Just load the video, select time span (you might have to change from "chapters" to "seconds"), hit convert.

If you didn't, StreamTransport (warning: might ask to install toolbars) usually does a good job to picking up what chrome/firefox plugins don't. Load the page in the program, and the video source should pop up in the box below.
posted by lmfsilva at 7:36 AM on June 28, 2015

If you haven't downloaded the video, you could screencap it with CamStudio (will just screencap it), or Expression Encoder (includes editing/cropping software).
posted by quinndexter at 9:29 AM on June 28, 2015

Response by poster: How could I have downloaded it? No idea how to do that. Might be easiest way.

Thank you for software suggestions. Now will look up a new verb: "screencap." Oh, I see. CamStudio is the malicious one I got yesterday and then got rid of. I couldn't figure out how to make it capture video. I just got audio. Plus it tried to install evil things on my computer.

As for the others: they seem to be for editing a downloaded video (I don't have a download) or uploaded an edited video project to the web (I don't have a video project yet).

CamStudio does the function I want performed. But I can't get it to perform that function.
posted by DMelanogaster at 9:40 AM on June 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

There are various addons for Firefox that should be able to grab the video for you. (It's been a long time since I used one, so can't really recommend any one in particular.)
But downloading ~18mins worth of video just to grab 10secs seems a bit overkilly. What's the end-use here? If it's to be part of a 'this is your life' hi-res, big-screen montage, then... ok. If it's just to make an animated .gif or something, I'd just go with CamStudio for a screencap.
posted by quinndexter at 10:01 AM on June 28, 2015

Expression encoder includes screen-capture ability, and is directly from microsoft, so no nasties.
posted by quinndexter at 10:04 AM on June 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

You can try Open Broadcaster Software, a free screen recording program. You can set it to just record the portion of a window you select, video and audio included. Fairly easy to use.
posted by Nedroid at 11:22 AM on June 28, 2015

In case it's helpful, here's a link to view the video without all the rest of the junk on the page:

http://cdn.livestream.com/embed/vassarcollege?layout=4&startPlayback=300&clip=flv_a1b1693f-2bad-4313-887f-56d640ec3a6d

Sometimes it's possible to download the actual video file from a streaming page. However in this case, the file itself is hidden somewhere hard to guess and served via a crappy Flash player module.

You could try a web-based screen capture tool. I've used Screenr before.
posted by reeddavid at 11:42 AM on June 28, 2015

Response by poster: I captured it using Expression Encoder. Took hours. Had to download other stuff to make it work. Couldn't adjust the window to fit the web window ("white screen problem" that I couldn't fix). But I got it.

However I may try again with reeddavid's helpful link! thanks to everyone!
posted by DMelanogaster at 12:47 PM on June 28, 2015

On second thought, is there any way you could ask them for a higher quality version of the recording? They have it as a file somewhere. The quality of that video is really, really terrible.
posted by reeddavid at 3:41 PM on June 28, 2015

Response by poster: I don't feel comfortable asking for anything. This'll be okay. thanks!
posted by DMelanogaster at 4:31 PM on June 28, 2015

In the future, I'd use Snagit for Chrome - it's a free screencap program. Run it from the app, not the extension - I've found it saves better that way. Then it uploads it to your personal YouTube or Google Drive account.
posted by guster4lovers at 7:02 PM on June 28, 2015 [1 favorite]