Downloading Google Videos

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Well, I've had success at this once before, but no longer. Does anyone know a good place to get the videos from google video? The one place I found gave me an .AVI that doesn't start up.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

There's a download link to the right of the video...they play in the Google video player.

[Beirut]

There's a download link to the right of the video...they play in the Google video player.

I think that just acts as a shortcut. You need a "desktop video capture program" methinks.

Now, whether it's legal to D/L Google videos is beyond me. You'd think it would be, but who knows?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I think that just acts as a shortcut. You need a "desktop video capture program" methinks.

Now, whether it's legal to D/L Google videos is beyond me. You'd think it would be, but who knows?

How do I download a video and the Google Video Player?

You can download a video and the Google Video Player to your computer at the same time. Here's how:

1. Search for a video on Google Video.
2. On the results page, click the video's title or image thumbnail. If a Download button appears, you can download the video and the Google Video Player to your computer.
3. Click Download. If you're using Windows, you'll be prompted to install the Google Video Player if you don't already have it.
4. Run the GoogleVideoPlayerSetup.exe application to complete the installation.
5. When the installation is complete, the video you've selected will download automatically.

For your convenience, you'll only need to download the Google Video Player once. The next time you download a video, you'll see a dialog box; simply click Run or Open to begin the download. You'll be able to view all videos you download from Google Video through the Google Video Player.

Now there are some videos that you have to pay for where it doesn't give you the option to download. It didn't look like Alexander was asking about those though.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Nope - I was referring to the free ones. The file you download is a ".gvp" file which is 1kb - even for a 12 minute video. My understanding of it is the video player you download (GAH! Downloading another .exe! GAH!) uses the gvp file to figure out which vid to access on the internet.

[RANT]I haven't tried it out, because I'm sick of downloading video players for everything on the internet. Every moron with popular content has to have some fifth-party software with dubious titles needed to play whatever interesting media they have...[/RANT]

Back on track, I'm after complete free content only. As to the legality of that, I don't really know.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Well, the google video player is pretty nice. And it only tries to run the gvp files.

The Crystal Player that I mention in the freeware thread will run the gvp files as well as .mov, .wmp, .mpeg and whatever else you have.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

What file size are your gvp's?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

What file size are your gvp's?

hmm, they are in the MB's. Now that I think about it, you have to have the google video player for the first time you watch the video. It downloads the complete file while you watching.

I'm not clear on what your objection to installing the google video player is though.

[Beirut]

I'm sorry, I thought you needed a special program to capture and store those videos on your machine.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Does the extension change to .gvi?

I might get it if that's how it works...

My objection is that I have enough dubious .exe's on my PC that I use once to get or use a single file and then I never use again. Which will probably be what happens with this vid...

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Yeah, it changes to .gvi

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Ah. Well, then I'll give it a go. Thanks!

[Crazed Rabbit]

I don't like it because it's just another way google has of controlling access to content. Google earth? Very nice, but you have to be connected to the internet.

Same thing, it appears, with google video player. They can't just let you download a quicktime or microsoft media version, they make you download their player, which requires internet access, it appears.

And I don't like it.

Crazed Rabbit

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Nah, you don't need internet access to play the files.

I imagine google earth would take up quite a bit of room if you had all the information on your computer, and you'd have to update it all the time.

I don't care about it.

[orangat]

Well, I've had success at this once before, but no longer. Does anyone know a good place to get the videos from google video? The one place I found gave me an .AVI that doesn't start up.

I assume you are talking about flash videos from youtube/google etc which can't be downloaded using the 'save as' function.

I use several userscripts to download those videos. But the easiest way would be to cut and paste it to keepvid.com to download it.

Then get a flv player and you should be set.