20+ ways to download YouTube and other online video web-sites

Downloading online video from YouTube and other web-sites is becoming a routine task for many internet users. Now just about any video content can be found on the web and if you want to download a copy for your personal use, here is a comprehensive guide which covers most options.

Most of the currently available downloaders just rip the video directly from the web-site in flash video format (.FLV). You can play flash video files using specialized FLV players or by installing K-lite codec pack which will add .FLV support to your default media player.

If you only occasionally download video from most popular web-sites like YouTube or Dailymotion a basic downloader should well suit your needs. If you are a power use or intend to download from web-sites unsupported by basic solution, you should consider purchasing advanced software. The latter will be able download from a large variety of video web-sites and perform additional tasks, like converting downloaded videos.

The list goes like this: I. Basic online downloaders; II. Advanced Windows software downloaders; III. MacOS solutions

I. Basic online downloaders

Downloader9 – A typical straightforward web downloader that can save video from YouTube, Metacafe, DailyMotion or Myspace by generating a download link to a .FLV file. The service is very basic, so you will have to rename the file and find a way to play it yourself.

KeepVid – Another simple and free solution where you have to paste the URL of the video to get a download link. You can download the video either in .FLV or .MP4 format which makes the service handy to use.

Vixy – This is a more advanced service which can rip YouTube videos in: AVI, MP4, MOV, 3GP and MP3. The extra formats will be handy for PC and portable device users. Also, this service has relatively few advertisements keeping things clean and simple.

Easy YouTube Video Downloader – A very good plug-in for a flexible browser Firefox. This plug-in adds the download button next to the video, supports HD and is also capable of converting videos to a number for formats.

iDesktop.tv – This one is a “shareware” resource which downloads YouTube to the following formats: MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV, EXE, 3PG, 3PG2, ZIP. The number of downloads per day is limited, so if you want many downloads or support for extra formats (.MP3) you will have to pay up.

VideoDownloadX – A web-site that has been around for quite some time, is completely free, however extremely ad-cluttered. The service is basic so there are no extra file formats, no video player and no automatic file renaming to .FLV.

SaveTube – Yet another basic service for downloading videos. Again free but short on features. Ads are all over the place so watch out. It could serve as a nice web video ripping alternative if everything else fails.

VideoGetting – Freeware service that supports a handful of additional file formats (WMV, AVI, MPG, MPEG, MP3, MP4, MOV, 3GP). It is somewhat “adwarish” though, so be careful to avoid those ads and other click traps.

II. Advanced Windows software downloaders

RipTiger Online Video Downloader – This is a top paid program that successfully handled everything we threw at it. It easily downloads video from popular video sharing web-sites. It will also work with just about any video web-site including resources with closed video content – Hulu, NBC, USANetwork, etc. RipTiger has a handful of features including conversion to essential formats AVI, MP4, 3GP. It even rips the audio from videos in MP3 format. The software can copy videos to iPod / iPhone which is a neat additional feature. If you are a power user or want access to some extra content make sure to check this one out.

Orbit Downloader – Orbit Downloader is a leading free program that supports many popular web-sites like YouTube, and streaming services imeem, Pandora, Myspace. It may be difficult to use for average user. The number of supported web-sites is significantly lower comparing to the previous program. Check it out, it might just suit your needs.

Vixy – If you liked the Vixy online service we convered above, you must also like their software for Windows and MacOS. It does pretty much the same thing, except you can easily use it from your desktop.

VDownloder – This app targets a typical list of most popular web video giants but also supports many adult web-sites. You can searcy for interesting content from within the program and then save it to one of the formats from the impressive array of available ones AVI, 3GP, VCD, MPG, iPod/iPhone, PSP, SVCD, FLV and MP3.

Videoslurp – Aside from a great name this software has a “search for content right inside the program” feature. It covers a bunch of popular video sits. Nothing special, however it gets the job done.

Desktop YouTube Downloader – This one is a paid 15$ software, a free trial, and a bunch of features you can’t find in free alternatives. The program supports a nice of web video sites. It has a built in FLV player. The conversion feature covers formats compatible with PC, iPod/iPhone, phones, etc. You can also extract music from video to either WAV or MP3.

III. Mac OS solutions

TubeSock – This is a cross-platform solution that downloads YouTube videos and also plays them internally. The downloaded videos can be converted to formats compatible with PC, iPod/iPhone and Sony PSP. The service also offers a script for Firefox and Safari which catches the videos and adds them to download queue. The cost of it all is 15$. The trial is pretty much useless if you need things done.

Vixy – If you liked the Vixy online service we convered above, you must also like their software for Windows and MacOS. It does pretty much the same thing, except you can easily use it from your desktop.

TubeTV – This is a free program that has tools for finding and downloading online video. If you want to convert it you will have to install and additional codec library.

It is literally impossible to cover all the ways to download video from the internet. However, this list should cover most popular options for your needs. Feel free to post your favorite downloading service in the comments. Also, let us know if we terribly let some truly amazing service slip by us.