I decided to update my list of tools for downloading youtube movies because I’ve discovered some new favorite tools and others no longer work.
1. The low-tech way. Load the movie, close the laptop (but not the window) and bring the computer to school. If you’re not comfortable with technology, this is the way for you.
2. Zamzar.com This is always dependable though not quite instantaneous. It requires little work on your part. If you’re only downloading one or two movies, this is a great way to get movies. This will also work from school if you already have the youtube address. I explained how to use Zamzar here.
3. Browser plugins. If you’re going to download a lot of movies then I use Download Helper for Firefox or Download Youtube for Safari. These place a button on your toolbar or the page itself to allow you to download youtube movies. These are great if you’re going to download a lot of movies but they’ll only work from home (or a location where youtube is not blocked).
These are really helpful tips. Since I’m not teaching yet, I hadn’t thought about YouTube being blocked. Also, as a Mac user I will be sure to check out Tube TV. It’s so important for teachers to find ways to incorporate video into lessons, and, as you pointed out in your first tip, there’s usually an uncomplicated, low-tech way to accomplish this!
After watching your messages about ‘fair use’ and modeling appropriate use of copyright materials, via ‘Steal this Powerpoint’, I’m wondering how you reconcile use of secondary downloaders that violates the YouTube Terms of Service agreement. (See http://www.youtube.com/t/terms Section 5B)
@Rodd,
Excellent question (and thank you for watching my preso). Fair use is a right that teachers have to assert. Generally copyright holders do not like fair use, nor do they willingly offer it. I would maintain that using videos posted to youtube in a classroom setting for educational purposes is an approved practice under fair use guidelines even as it violates youtube’s terms of service. If you have other thoughts, I’d love to pursue this conversation further.
Thanks for these tips. There are always ways to get around the youtube block at school. I know that my students always know how to get around the facebook and youtube censors at school. When in doubt, ask them!
Dirpy is another wonderful way to pull media from YouTube and it is nearly instantaneous. Go to dirpy.com, plug in the address you want and away we go. The only issue is you can only download in .flv or .mp4, so finding a player that will play your clip is sometimes challenging. If the school’s blocker is anything like mine, it will display the address of the link you’re not allowed to see, just copy that and plug it into dirpy for downloading, or you can use dirpy to search youtube for a specific clip. Perfect for last minute video needs.
Hi my name is Carrie Tucker and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. This semester I am in EDM 310 with Dr. Strange. Recently we just finished a podcast project and that was my first time uploading and posting a video to YouTube. I really found your tips useful and look forward to working more with YouTube after reading these tips. I am excited about being able to use this as another educational tool as a student and an aspiring teacher. I do believe that videos will enhance the ways of learning very much. Thanks for providing some different ways to incorporate this!
Hi Mr. Needleman, My name is Cody Coleman and I am in Dr. Strange’s EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama. I am glad that you have put these helpful tips up for downloading youtube videos. Just as you stated, in my high school many websites such as this were blocked from use and so there would be no way for a teacher to get to it. These tips make it easy to be able to download the movie and have it ready for your class. I believe these will be very useful tools for me as a teacher and i intend to use them! Thanks.
I always believed youtube to be a useful tool. I definitely understand why it is blocked. One of my fellow teachers told me about teachertube.com. Although it doesn’t have all the video that youtube does, it is still a good resource. The Zamzar info will def help. Thanks!
Thank you for the tidbits on other ways to download youtube videos. I wish the schools didn’t block youtube because a lot of teachers are using it for educational purposes is more now than ever. I am in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class at South Alabama and again thank you for the information.
Mr. Needleman,
Thank you for the very helpful post. I am always downloading movies from Youtube and I know these tools will come in very handy. Also I am in Dr. Strange’s EDM310 class and I have been reading and commenting on your blog. If you would like to read about what I am writing about you blog please feel free to click the link. Thank you again for your great tools and ideas.
Brittany’s Blog
Mr. Needleman,
I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 class at The University of South Alabama.
The tips that you left were very useful and I am sure that I will be able to use them in the future. I think that youtube is a great resource for teachers and hope to be able to use it in the future with my students. Thank you for the very useful information!
If you would like you can check out My Blog.
OK sounds good, so far I’ve just downloaded the film in the classroom and been able to show it to my students straight away. It would be good to save them though and share them without the need of the wireless internet.
Hi Matt,
I always enjoy your blog! I too have searched for years to find easy ways to download YouTube videos. Here’s my contributions:
RealPlayer downloads YouTube videos really easily. The software is free.
There is an interesting web site called SafeShare.tv http://www.safeshare.tv/. Paste the YouTube URL into the box and this site generates another URL that is not YouTube related. Best of all, the site strips away all extraneous and potentially offensive content from around the video. This site even has very simple editing features.
-Alix Peshette