There are tons of YouTube video-grabbing downloads out there, but relatively few also convert those FLV files for later viewing on a mobile phone, iPhone or other flavour of mobile device.
Since we don't like using two apps when we can use one, here's a hand-picked collection of apps containing the packaged set.
CinemaForge (Credit: CNET Networks
1. Out of all the downloader/converters we've tried, nothing felt more honest than CinemaForge, with its homegrown UFO-shaped interface. The freeware app lays down a simple 6-step downloading and conversion trajectory that includes finding a video's "real" URL, as opposed to the "mangled" (shortened) link displayed on most sites.
The conversion is quick and accompanied by an optional report, and it's easy to choose from multiple file types and drop videos into a preferred file path. Skip that step, if you prefer, because CinemaForge also lets you publish your newly acquired video to the Web, although if that's your goal, dropping the video's embed code onto a personal profile or Web site is a more straightforward option.
Free FLV Converter (Credit: CNET Networks)
2. With tabs for searching, downloading and converting video, Free FLV Converter is a fairly beefy app. Unlike most competitors, it finds videos through search rather than by a pasted URL. Other apps download videos from Google, DailyMotion and MetaCafe in addition to YouTube, but this rarity also serves up content from several adult sites. Parents better keep an eye on this one.
Free FLV Converter saves the video locally as an FLV file and requires a second step to convert the video to one of five other formats. The two-step process barely qualifies the app for this roundup, but you can do it without closing the app. Free FLV Converter also gets a cheery thumbs up for the in-app preview and PSP conversion option, and an emphatic thumbs down for dragging on board the Dealio toolbar. What's the dealio with that bundling? Though irritating, Dealio is removed easily enough.
YouTube Downloader
3. YouTube Downloader is another freebie with a two-part conversion process that saves a Flash video just so you can dig it up again and convert it.
Of course, you can convert all other previously downloaded videos, too.
Paste the video URL into the app to save the stream and when that's done, select "convert video" to make any FLV compatible with iPods, iPhones, mobile phones, PSPs, and then some.
The choice to add manual parameters catches other formats that YouTube Downloader didn't optimise for.
My Video Downloader (Credit: CNET Networks)
4. With My Video Downloader (US$29.99), what you pay for is breadth -- apparent compatibility with over 50 video-streaming sites. Paste the URL into the big blue app to kick off downloading.
Be forewarned: the trial exacts some personal data (name, gender, e-mail, and ZIP code) before granting access, but converts to Zune video and DVD formats from among the 10 optional formats.
5. For the same price, Alive YouTube Video Converter (US$29.95) offers a wealth of device-specific conversions from a drab XP-inspired interface. This is ideal for you Archos, Sansa and Zen mavericks. Alive YouTube Video Converter does a fine conversion job, but pins you in the trial by processing only 60 percent of the video.
Alive YouTube Video Converter (Credit: CNET Networks)
Other video-grabbing software:
*Free YouTube to iPod Converter 2.8 makes videos iPod-ready.
*Orbit Downloader accelerates download speeds and manages files.
*Ook? Video Ook! is a popular Firefox plug-in.
*TubeSucker seeks out YouTube downloads.
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steveking
05/03/2008 07:49 PM
YouTubeRobot.com today announces YouTube Robot 2.0, a tool that enables you to download video from YouTube.com onto your PC, convert it to various formats to watch it when you are on the road on mobile devices like mobile phone, iPod, iPhone, Pocket PC, PSP, or Zune. Product page: www.youtuberobot.com Direct download link: www.youtuberobot.com/download/utuberobot.exe Company web-site: www.youtuberobot.com E-mail: support@youtuberobot.com
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steveking
22/07/2008 01:34 PM
YouTubeRobot.com today announces YouTube Robot 2.0, a tool that enables you to download video from YouTube.com onto your PC, convert it to various formats to watch it when you are on the road on mobile devices like mobile phone, iPod, iPhone, Pocket PC, PSP, or Zune. YouTube Robot allows you to search for videos using keywords or browse video by category, author, channel, language, tags, etc. When you find something noteworthy, you can preview the video right in YouTube Robot and then download it onto the hard disk drive. The speed, at which you will be downloading, is very high: up to 5 times faster than other software when you download a single file and up to 4 times faster when you download multiple files at a time. Manual download is not the only option with YouTube Robot. You may as well schedule the download and conversion tasks to be executed automatically, even when you are not around. Downloading is followed by conversion to the format of your choice and uploading videos to a mobile device (if needed). For example, you can plug in iPod, select the video, go to bed, and when you wake up next morning, your iPod will be ready to play new YouTube videos. Product page: ww w.youtuberobot.com
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