Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 5: With an online program
• Method 2 of 5: With extensions for your browser
• Method 3 of 5: Downloading SWF files
• Method 4 of 5: Copy SWF files from the browser cache
• Method 5 of 5: Download an RTMP stream

Have you ever watched a Flash animation on the Internet or played a Flash game that you would have liked to play offline? Nowadays there are a number of different ways that movies can be viewed online, thus requiring different methods to download them. Follow this guide to download almost any type of streaming video.

To step

Method 1 of 5: With an online program

1. Find a video download website. One of the most popular is KeepVid, which works with YouTube, Vimeo, and a number of other video sites.
   • Downloading videos from these streaming sites is likely a violation of the site's terms of use. Distributing copyrighted material is illegal.
2. Enter the URL of the video. Copy the full URL (web address) of the video you want to download. Paste the web address into KeepVid's address field. After doing this, click the Download button next to the address field.
   • Do not click the big green Download button below the text field. This is advertising that immediately opens multiple pop-ups.
3. Select the file format. After the video is loaded into KeepVid, you will get several links that allow you to download the video in different formats. MP4 can be played on most computers and mobile devices, support for FLV is somewhat more limited.
   • You also get a number of options for the quality of the videos. You can download the videos in high quality (1080p, 720p) or slightly lower quality (480p, 360p). Make a decision based on disk space or quality requirements.
4. Download the video. When you have chosen the format and quality of the video, you can right-click on the link and choose Save As… You can also rename the file and choose where you want the file to be saved on your computer.

Method 2 of 5: With extensions for your browser

1. Install an add-on for your browser. Firefox is the most popular browser for extensions and you can download it for free from the Mozilla website. One of the extensions with the highest rating is the free DownloadHelper.
   • DownloadHelper will automatically detect media files on a web page and give you the option to download them.
2. Go to the video you want to download. When the video starts playing, the DownloadHelper icon (top right of the window) will start spinning, with a small arrow next to it. Click on the arrow for a number of download options.
3. Select the file format. If you click on the arrow, you will see several download formats. MP4 can be played on most devices, FLV is less common.
   • You also get a number of options for the quality of the videos. You can download the videos in high quality (1080p, 720p) or slightly lower quality (480p, 360p). Make a decision based on disk space or quality requirements.
4. Wait for the download to finish. Once you have selected quality and format, the download can begin. You can track the progress in the Download window of Firefox. You can view these by going to the Firefox menu and selecting Downloads.

Method 3 of 5: Downloading SWF files

1. Open the video site in Firefox. Find the Flash video you want to watch. Firefox is the easiest browser when it comes to downloading a Flash file from a website.
   • This method does not work on YouTube, Vimeo and other video sites. This is only suitable for Flash videos on sites such as Newgrounds.
2. Load the video. Once the video has loaded into Firefox, right click on the page. Select “View Page Info” from the right click menu. This will open a window with detailed information about the website you are visiting. At the top you will see a few icons that show different aspects of the site.
   • If you right-click on the movie itself, the Page info option will not be shown. You have to click anywhere on the page where there is no video or link.
3. Click on the movie icon. This gives an overview of all multimedia objects of the site, such as graphic buttons and banners. You will also find the .SWF of the movie here. Click on Type to sort by type.
4. Find the Flash file. The movie is in .SWF format on the site and is listed as Object (in the column Type). The name of the file is often the same as the title of the video on the website. Select it from the list and click Save As ... Give the file a suitable name and save it.
5. Play the movie. Once you have downloaded the flash movie, you can open it in any browser that has Flash installed. When you try to open the file for the first time, Windows may indicate that you need a special program. If your browser is not listed as a preferred program, search for the browser on your program. Most programs are located in the Program Files folder on your hard drive. Search for the name of software vendor such as Google, Mozilla, etc.

Method 4 of 5: Copy SWF files from the browser cache

1. Open Internet Explorer, or use the search option on your computer to find the location of the Temporary Internet Files (if you are using a different browser). To find Internet Explorer's Temporary Internet Files, go to the Tools menu and select Internet Options. In the General tab, select Settings and then View files.
2. Right click and sort the files by web address. Find the web address of the website where you found the Flash video. There may be a prefix in front of the address such as farm.addictinggames.com.
3. Look for files with a SWF extension. This is the output of Flash files and these can be movies, games or even commercials. Look for a file with a name that matches the video you are trying to download. Right-click on the file and copy it to a suitable location on your computer.
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4. You may not be able to play the file immediately. If you find that this is unsuccessful, open your Internet browser and folder so you can see them both. Now drag the video file to your browser window. Now it should play properly.

Method 5 of 5: Download an RTMP stream

1. Install a media download program. RTMP (Real Time Messaging Protocol) is a method of streaming online video that is much more difficult to download than a standard YouTube video. If you find that you cannot download video content using KeepVid or DownloadHelper, chances are it is an RTMP stream. You need special software to download these videos.
   • Orbit Downloader and Replay Media Catcher are two popular programs for storing RTMP streams. Unfortunately, neither of them are free, but they both offer a trial version. Limitations of the trial versions are that Orbit Downloader only downloads the first 50% of a movie and that with Replay Media Catcher the download is very slow.
2. Start the program. These programs should be running before going to the website where the video to be downloaded is located. Keep the program window open and then start your browser. Find and play the video you want to stream. The video should now appear in the download program, after which the download will start automatically.