YouTube playback after download issues

[VideoBeginner]

I downloaded a piece of software called Flash Favorite that made it easy for me to download what I assume are the video files from YouTube to my harddrive. The problem is that now that I have them, I cannot play them.

The streaming files play just fine on the website with DX8 installed, and since the program that I downloaded told me to give the files an .FLV extension after download and this associates the files with Macromedia Flash Player 8 (standalone) that I have installed, I assumed I would be able to play the files through it. I was wrong. I click, it opens, and nothing happens. Attempting to play them through other players fails.

I have Windows Media Player, VLC, and VirtualDubMod installed, but I don't know much about codecs to be told a list of 100 steps to do in order to possibly get videos to start playing using those.

What are your suggestions? Is it possible I am not downloading the real steaming files even though they are the correct size?

[Dark Shikari]

.FLV files should play fine in VLC. The CCCP playback pack includes an FLV splitter, so that'll add support to MPC/similar.

Try something simpler, like DownloadHelper, to grab the videos, maybe?

[VideoBeginner]

One thing that I should have pointed out is that in the past whenever I tried playing .FLV files using VLC, the audio would play but the video would never show. However, at least I was getting audio because I got absolutely nothing with the other programs that I tried.

Going through my collection just now, though, some are now playing audio and video while others are loading and playing the first 1/2 seconds of audio while showing the length of the video and then jumping to the end.

So it probably is something quirky related to the download itself. Maybe some of them I downloaded differently, I don't know, but the ones that I am certain I downloaded using the aforementioned program seem to be working now.

Sorry for the trouble.

[zilog jones]

I use Media Player Classic and ffdshow for playing FLVs, and some Firefox plugin for downloading them (forget which one, not at home right now so can't check).

Also, you can download YouTube videos in (sometimes better quality) MP4 now - see this thread (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=135897) for more info.

[VideoBeginner]

zilog jones, I tried that tric with a few videos (assuming you mean only the addition at the end of the URL of each vid).

So far I have not noticed anything. Filesize is exactly the same size, so I assume they are the exact same files. Are you sure that doesn't just work for playing back through the built in player that YouTube uses?

[mgh]

with ie use orbit downloader-use the grab feature-the mp4 file will be shown as videodownload without any extension-change to yourchoice.mp4 and download. with firefox, use orbit or use the video downoad helper, it will give option to download video.mp4.

[zilog jones]

zilog jones, I tried that tric with a few videos (assuming you mean only the addition at the end of the URL of each vid).

So far I have not noticed anything. Filesize is exactly the same size, so I assume they are the exact same files.

I've tried a few, and although the file size were similar they weren't exactly the same for me. Can't really see much difference in the video quality if they're 320x240, but some are larger. 128kb/s AAC-LC stereo audio is the best part IMO.