Youtube - Real Player problems.....

SteganStegan Posts: 5,039
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Youtube seem to be blocking download of content. Instead of FLV a large percentage of their clips are now MP4 which won't play on Real Player and can't be converted on RP for some unknown reason - unless of course you now have to pay for the privilige. Thinking of using another player such as VLC. Any ideas, suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.

Comments

  • SteganStegan Posts: 5,039
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    Anybody? Apparently not............
  • tghe-retfordtghe-retford Posts: 26,449
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    I think we're shocked to see someone still using Real Player... :D

    VLC is the way I'd go, that plays anything. You can even copy and past the URL from a YouTube page and have it play within VLC, which is what I have to do as Google decided to remove the pop-out player from the website. :mad:
  • jenziejenzie Posts: 20,821
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    they aren't blocking anything, more like making more content in MP4!
  • call100call100 Posts: 7,264
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    a second for VLC...
  • FIFA1966FIFA1966 Posts: 1,101
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    Stegan wrote: »
    Youtube seem to be blocking download of content. Instead of FLV a large percentage of their clips are now MP4 which won't play on Real Player and can't be converted on RP for some unknown reason - unless of course you now have to pay for the privilige. Thinking of using another player such as VLC. Any ideas, suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.



    Forget Real Player.

    Use keepvid.com, which will allow you to download in any format.
  • The_OneThe_One Posts: 2,402
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    This works perfectly, and is totally free:
    http://www.clipconverter.cc/

    I think it only works with youtube though.
  • DaedrothDaedroth Posts: 3,065
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    Either KeepVid or use Firefox with a DownloadHelper extension.
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,301
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    Daedroth wrote: »
    Either KeepVid or use Firefox with a DownloadHelper extension.

    So that's the last Real Player customer gone.

    There's also W8 apps for that in case the OP has it.
  • SteganStegan Posts: 5,039
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    Thanks to everyone who replied - it was very much appreciated.Yes, I was beginning to get the idea that using Real Player was being a little bit behind the times!

    Funnily enough,I downloaded KeepVid last night, which is working well so far. VLC was also very popular based on a google search. The helpful comments here just confirm those suggestions. Thanks again.
  • thenetworkbabethenetworkbabe Posts: 45,572
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    Stegan wrote: »
    Thanks to everyone who replied - it was very much appreciated.Yes, I was beginning to get the idea that using Real Player was being a little bit behind the times!

    Funnily enough,I downloaded KeepVid last night, which is working well so far. VLC was also very popular based on a google search. The helpful comments here just confirm those suggestions. Thanks again.

    Realplayer has advantages the alternatives don't - apart from not working. The problem seems to be thats there seems to be different types of Mp4 youtubes, and what works in combination depends on what combination of browser you have (is it IE8 or 9/10 for example) and what update of flashplayer you have and what version of what downloader you have. Its possible that whatever you have of any of those can fail o work with some update of the others. Even wierder some problems like the vanishing thumbnails to the right of the youtube screen seemed to be there one day and has since gone - with no updates made to anything. Its either something changing and changing again at youtubes end, or something blocking the pictures enroute,
  • DaedrothDaedroth Posts: 3,065
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    Realplayer has advantages the alternatives don't
    No it doesn't. There's nothing Real Player can do that other software can't do either better or faster.
  • thenetworkbabethenetworkbabe Posts: 45,572
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    Daedroth wrote: »
    No it doesn't. There's nothing Real Player can do that other software can't do either better or faster.

    Some might. Many downloaders come with adverts. Many require you to copy and paste addresses before they will download them. They don't come with a convenient button to press once on any youtube you open. Some of the ones that do come with download buttons, download slower. Others give you no indication what they are downloading - instead of allowing you to view what is downloading, and how its doing.Some stop your youtube playing while recording it. And some fail to download the same, or download fewer, video types than realplayer. I've recently gone hunting for a downloader for firefox, while I wait for realplayer to play catch up with youtube on IE, and found all those problems.
  • Tal'shiarTal'shiar Posts: 2,290
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    Some might. Many downloaders come with adverts. Many require you to copy and paste addresses before they will download them. They don't come with a convenient button to press once on any youtube you open. Some of the ones that do come with download buttons, download slower. Others give you no indication what they are downloading - instead of allowing you to view what is downloading, and how its doing.Some stop your youtube playing while recording it. And some fail to download the same, or download fewer, video types than realplayer. I've recently gone hunting for a downloader for firefox, while I wait for realplayer to play catch up with youtube on IE, and found all those problems.

    ChromeYoutube Downloader has a simple download button on the youtube page, and allows you to download any video in a few different formats instantly and as fast as your connection will allow. Thats for Chrome though, Firefox actually has even better options (such as automatically downloading any video you like or add to a certain playlist in any format you like, to any folder you want on your pc, but I am no fan of firefox personally so I have been using chrome for a while)

    Real player, I didnt even think people still used that pile of junkware. Its like being told someone is using yahoo music manager, or that they use limewire.
  • SJ_MentalSJ_Mental Posts: 16,138
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    If in doubt I use VLC for anything I want to watch.
  • DaedrothDaedroth Posts: 3,065
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    Some might. Many downloaders come with adverts. Many require you to copy and paste addresses before they will download them. They don't come with a convenient button to press once on any youtube you open. Some of the ones that do come with download buttons, download slower. Others give you no indication what they are downloading - instead of allowing you to view what is downloading, and how its doing.Some stop your youtube playing while recording it. And some fail to download the same, or download fewer, video types than realplayer. I've recently gone hunting for a downloader for firefox, while I wait for realplayer to play catch up with youtube on IE, and found all those problems.
    VideoDownloadHelper, VideoDownloader and DownloadThemAll! are three good add-ons for Firefox, and can be used to get videos from YouTube easily by the click of a button. No doubt Chrome also has similar add-ons.
  • SteganStegan Posts: 5,039
    Forum Member
    Some might. Many downloaders come with adverts. Many require you to copy and paste addresses before they will download them. They don't come with a convenient button to press once on any youtube you open. Some of the ones that do come with download buttons, download slower. Others give you no indication what they are downloading - instead of allowing you to view what is downloading, and how its doing.Some stop your youtube playing while recording it. And some fail to download the same, or download fewer, video types than realplayer. I've recently gone hunting for a downloader for firefox, while I wait for realplayer to play catch up with youtube on IE, and found all those problems.

    The above RP feature highlighted was one of my main reasons for continuing to use Real Player. It met my needs, but it had recently also become unstable and diificult to use along with the sudden increase in the use of Mp4 which RP refused to play.

    I now use KeepVid to download a particular Youtube clip. I then play it using VLC player. I initially downloaded what I thought was Keep Vid, but it turned out to be iLivid which I was advised to remove from my PC, and just use KeepVid when needed without downloading it.
  • thenetworkbabethenetworkbabe Posts: 45,572
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    Daedroth wrote: »
    VideoDownloadHelper, VideoDownloader and DownloadThemAll! are three good add-ons for Firefox, and can be used to get videos from YouTube easily by the click of a button. No doubt Chrome also has similar add-ons.

    Thanks for that. I put Firefox on with Easy You Tube downloader which worked - until sometime after 7 today - when its button vanished from all youtubes on 2 machines.Worked fine just before 7, now dead. As its 2 machines, I can't see as its my end that has a problem. I just had a look at the first on your list, and videodownloadhelper seems to be chasing changes to the youtube format that are happening every couple of days at times. They say you need the new version 4.9 21 to play the latest formats - when Mozilla approve it. That was 2 weeks ago, but 21 is still not available and the previous 2 versions have been taken off download. ....... i looked at some other downloaders where reviewers said there were similar issues - and tried one from the top of mozilla's list which turned out to have annoying adverts for mature ladies on it. I then tried I click You Tube video downloader 2.1.1 - which still seems to be working.

    Meanwhile realplayer, after 2 months of saying they are trying to make their system work with youtube changes, last said that they may be putting a new version out mid August. By when youtube may have made it not work again. http://www.real.com/resources/download-mp4-video lasy post.

    When it iooks like a war to drive out downloading - thats probably what it is. At the moment it seems entirely random what will work with any particular youtube on any day, at any hour.
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