Watching videos in slow motion; Downloading

[Query]

This site

  http://www.youtubeslow.com

lets you slow down ANY youtube video - just type the youtube link into the box, and click on the controls below. Wonderful!

I found two other options at

  http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-watch-youtube-videos-in-slow-motion/

  They point out that the normal (HTML5) player has similar speed options - but without sound.

  Better still, they point out that the Chrome browser has playback speed options in the settings menu. Wow - it even works with sound!

  (I've only checked the speed option out on a PC running Windows 7.)

For security, I stay away from Chrome on my main PC, because once installed, a several tasks are always running, which might be spyware or malware, and which also slow down the system and take up resources. But it is now very popular, and, with sound, this is a VERY cool feature. I think most of you will find it a FABULOUS way to watch skating videos.

(I think it can also be done using Windows Media player - but haven't tried.)

-----------------

This site

  http://www.wikihow.com/Download-YouTube-Videos

discusses downloading Youtube videos into your computer.

Unfortunately, most of these don't work anymore.

I got one involving the VLC player to work, but it was hard work.

[Query]

Like I said, downloading using VLC (in conjunction with your browser) is a lot of work, but here goes.

On Microsoft WIndows

1. Start your browser (example used Firefox), Open the Youtube video (or other video), e.g.,

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N629GYqBP-I

in your browser.

2. Pause the video.

3. Click on the address bar, and use Ctrl-C to copy the video link name into the Windows clipboard

4. Exit your browser, or kill the browser tab or window.

5. Open VLC (Installed from http://www.videolan.org/vlc)

6. Media -> Open Network Stream -> use Ctrl-V to paste the link name

7. Hit the enter key -> Play -> Pause -> Ctrl-J

8. If the window with "Current Media Information" doesn't show, minimize the main VLC window, and it will.

9. Right-click on location bar -> Select All -> Ctrl-C. This copies the (temporary?) link name to the clip board, e.g.,

    https://r1---sn-p5qlsns6.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?source=youtube&upn=P-iPnWoUOto&signature=49B046DD169956E4F0742CD9C9331764DFFA5B57.087347BB967C07A38496828E7DDAB8DF7D20E287&nh=IgpwcjAxLmlhZDI2KgkxMjcuMC4wLjE&lmt=1426152732459175&ratebypass=yes&expire=1460600011&ipbits=0&mime=video%2Fmp4&requiressl=yes&itag=22&ms=au&initcwndbps=977500&mv=m&dur=41.099&mt=1460578248&id=o-ACbY37zVg1UKdwkRPYgU9N7N38iqQeSsupUcYrhKlkqL&fexp=9406124%2C9408206%2C9408499%2C9412859%2C9416126%2C9416891%2C9416985%2C9420452%2C9421560%2C9422596%2C9425065%2C9426927%2C9427902%2C9428013%2C9428398%2C9428605%2C9429294%2C9429379%2C9429610%2C9429739%2C9431685%2C9432057%2C9432366%2C9432390%2C9432579%2C9432683%2C9433110%2C9434022%2C9434392&sparams=dur%2Cid%2Cinitcwndbps%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Citag%2Clmt%2Cmime%2Cmm%2Cmn%2Cms%2Cmv%2Cnh%2Cpl%2Cratebypass%2Crequiressl%2Csource%2Cupn%2Cexpire&pl=21&mn=sn-p5qlsns6&ip=69.143.233.28&mm=31&key=yt6&sver=3

10. Open your browser, click on the address bar, Ctrl-V, Hit Enter to start the video

11. Pause the video.

12. Exit VLC.

13. Right Click on the Video in your browser -> Save Video As -> type in a file name -> Enter

14. A progress icon may show on the top bar.

15. The Video will go into your downloads folder.

NOTE: Youtube keeps finding new ways to make downloading software fail. So this may only work temporally.
Also, this may not pick up the maximum video quality, which is bad!

[riley876]

I use Firefox with the "YouTube Video And Audio Downloader" addon:  https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-video-and-audio-dow/?src=api

It simply adds a download link to each Youtube page.  Easy enough to just save the video somewhere and open it manually in VLC.   VLC has a setting to enable "advanced controls",  one of which is the frame-by-frame advance button.

[Query]

I use Firefox with the "YouTube Video And Audio Downloader" addon:  https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-video-and-audio-dow/?src=api

It simply adds a download link to each Youtube page.  Easy enough to just save the video somewhere and open it manually in VLC.

I wonder how long the download will continue to work with Youtube, before they find a way to kill it. For now, it's just wonderful, and much better than the screen grabbers I've used to sort of do this job in the past.

Thanks! Works perfectly on Youtube videos. Not only that, but if I change the quality setting (using the Gear menu - I like highest quality), I can reload the video at the chosen quality.

Too bad it doesn't work on other websites. What do you use there?

VLC has a setting to enable "advanced controls",  one of which is the frame-by-frame advance button.

I notice that VLC also has slower speed modes than the things I mentioned, and that includes sound too - though not at the slowest speeds. Excellent!

[riley876]

I wonder how long the download will continue to work with Youtube, before they find a way to kill it. For now, it's just wonderful, and much better than the screen grabbers I've used to sort of do this job in the past.

It has already stopped working a few times, but each time the developers have done what had to be done to get it working again.   Always within a few days so far.    It's certainly within google's power to permanently knock it on the head though,  but they haven't done that after a decade+, so clearly it's not on their priority list.

Too bad it doesn't work on other websites. What do you use there?

VideoDownloadHelper  https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/

[Query]

VideoDownloadHelper  https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/

Worked today for me on Youtube, but not on a couple other sites (like Comcast.net, and a few sites that rabbittv.com links to). But thanks.

Maybe screen capture software is the only long-term solution, but it can't work as well, since it has to re-sample and re-code the info.

[Nate]

Chrome does not run Spyware or Adware on your PC.


Just get Kinovea and use that, if you don't have access to Dartfish or any commercial software that is similar.  If you don't want to pay, Kinovea should be the default go-to for anyone doing Video Analysis and Telestration.  It's free, and it's all you need.  However, it's Windows-Only.


If you ONLY want to play back at variable speeds and step through frame by frame, then you don't need any additional software.  Windows Media Player (Windows) and QuickTime (OS X) will do this out of the box.


VLC is unnecessary, and typically used by people who need support for containers and CODECs that the base OS doesn't support (i.e. Ogg Vorbis/Theora for people who only store their Music/Videos in F/OSS Formats using F/OSS CODECs).


The Variable Speed Playback in YouTube works on all browsers.