YouTube’s recent redesign broke many of the popular YouTube video downloading utilities and web-apps. But, fear not, there is always a solution. My personal favourite is the ‘Download YouTube Videos as MP4‘ UserScript (or UserJs for Opera users).
This lightweight solution works on all major browsers; some like Firefox require a third party plugin, while others don’t. Scroll down to view installation instructions for Firefox, Opera and Chrome.
The ‘Download YouTube Videos as MP4’ script supports pretty much all high quality video formats offered by YouTube, i.e. formats other than 3GP and low quality FLV. Here is the full list:
MP4 360p (480×270, 480×360) – all videos are available in this format.
MP4 720p (1280×720) – HD format, available for a small number of videos
MP4 1080p (1920×1080) – HD format, available for a small number of videos
FLV 240p (320×240), FLV 360p (320×240, 400×226, 640×360) or FLV 480p (640×480, 854×480) – highest quality FLV video available
Once the script has been properly installed, you should see a ‘Download’ button on every YouTube video page. Just click on this button and select the video format you wish to download. Your video would be downloaded directly from YouTube’s servers.
The best thing about this script is that it is lightweight and perfectly integrated into the YouTube UI. Moreover, it is also regularly updated. So, stop paying or jumping through hoops to download YouTube Videos and allow ‘Download YouTube Videos as MP4’ UserScript/UserJs do it for you.
How to Install YouTube Video Downloader in Firefox
Download Greasemonkey add-on and restart your browser.
Browse to the UserScript’s page and hit the Install button.
How to Install YouTube Video Downloader in Opera
Open this page. This should display your default User JavaScript folder. If no directory is specified i.e. the field is blank, chose any folder on your computer as the userjs folder.
Save the UserScript (click on ‘Install’ to open it) into the previously selected folder and restart Opera.
How to Install YouTube Video Downloader in Chrome
Click on the ‘Install’ button.
When Chrome prompts you, allow the script to be installed (as an extension).
Safari and Internet Explorer users will need to install GreaseKit and IE7Pro respectively.
you can this one also,. http://uploading.com/files/9697367c/YouTube%2BVideo%2BDownloader%2B2.5.4/
hey
[…] videos (HD/SD) from YouTube ridiculously simple. You can find more information about this script here. It works in Opera, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Internet […]
good
I’ve downloaded it and it looked well until i tried to download videos from youtube, instead of downloading them it just opens them in a new tab
Which browser are you using? What is happening is that you have incorrect MIME settings, i.e. your browser is configured to play MP4 (or FLV) videos using some plugin like QuickTime Player plugin. You can copy paste the URL from the address bar to the download manager, or if you are using Opera, simply paste it to the Quick Download box.
for chrome users. where is this install button exactly?!
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/25105
On the Top klick the Green “Install” Button 😉
i’m using chrome but can’t locate the “install” button referred to in the instructions. can anyone assist?
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That’s a pretty cool script no doubt about that but right now I am using DownloadHelper, it’s pretty much awesome, can download 99% of flash videos on the internet 😀
Till then,
Jean
Absolutely amazing script! That’s cool and it should help lots of people out there!
I use download helper for mozilla. I thınk its the best. You can download every flv, swf, mp4 or the others flash or videos. Its not problem.
@used tires: What settings do you need for Downloadhelper when you want to download mp4 files on firefox? What about other browsers? I think I changed something that the script doesn’t work well…
do not want to run on latest opera, what should I do,
@e-mail lookup, there is no “settings” that you need… all you need is just to install the addon and you are good to go.
Till then,
Jean
[…] I found useful:i) Fastest Tube – YouTube Downloader: This extension is very similar to the “Download YouTube Videos as MP4” script for Firefox, Opera, Chrome and Safari. It simply adds a download button to YouTube video […]
it works on Chrome…………………Thanks a lot.
where the hell is the download link??? I do not see it anywhere. I am using chrome.
thanks!!
I have Opera and I simply don’t understand these instructions:
Open this page. This should display your default User JavaScript folder. If no directory is specified i.e. the field is blank, chose any folder on your computer as the userjs folder.
Save the UserScript (click on ‘Install’ to open it) into the previously selected folder and restart Opera.
i Checked my user javascript folder. it was blank.
I clicked on ‘install’ and a bunch of ‘computer language'(jibberish to me) appeared. I had no idea how to save that into the random folder i had just created (i created a random folder on my computer. is that right?) I tried to read the instructions to install userjs files but it kept going to an error screen.
Lil help? I won’t be able to understand technical computer language, so please dumb it down. Thanks a lot!
I never realized there was an issue with this but I don’t download much off the web anyway.
where abouts on the page is the download link
Great hammer of Thor, that is powerfully heulpfl!