Capture video from website?

[tina_raich82]

Could anybody tell me how to save a video from a website. The video cannot be saved directly or streamed (ASFRecorder). It is available on Real Player or WMP with a location like this: http://wstreaming.zdf.de/....4.asx

I hope this is the right place to post this question. Thanks for your help!

[setarip_old]

Hi!

Sounds like a website that hasn't licensed its videos for downloading...

[MTM]

Hi,
a working link would be helpful ... :p

MTM.

[ultimatebilly]

Try saving the asx-file to disk and open it with a texteditor.
URLSnooper might also help to find the correct URL of the video (or reading the source-code of the page).
For actual recording, you can use NetTransport, StreamboxVCR, or, my favourite, MPlayer with the switches -dumpstream -dumpfile myfile.wmv on the commandline...
If you try hard enough, it should be possible to record everything you can view...

[tina_raich82]

I saved the file and opened it with a text editor but I could not see any important information. Maybe I did it wrong. The URLSnooper does not work because I can’t choose a valid network adapter: There are only two available, none of them works. (I followed the instructions). Maybe it's my firewall.

The file is available for Real Player and WMP. WMP opens a new window with no address bar. Properties/Location shows the address (.asx file) like the one below but the full address is shown. When I use this address with StreamBox VCR Suite 2, only 112 bytes are transferred (indicating 100%). Depending on the version I use (1.0 beta 30, 1.0 beta 31smf+, 1.0 beta 31smf+ turbo), the ASFRecorder opens and I can save the file as .wmv file (around 40 mb). Only VLC Player can play it but there is only sound and no picture. Maybe this is becaues ASFRecorder does not work with .asx files. NetTransport delivers similar results.

Any ideas here or should I install Mplayer although this one seems a little more complicated? Thanks!

[CWR03]

Fraps works - the trial version is limited to 30 seconds and has a watermark, but it'll capture pretty much anything (to an uncompressed .avi).

[Wilbert]

If you fix the url in your post we can help you :)

[foxyshadis]

asx files don't generally contain direct http links, so you won't get urls; I believe windows media server uses a proprietary protocol in order to stream more reliably and keep snoops out, with an mms:// label. I was actually looking for something to record streams at yahoo, I just can't get the asx (flash player, grr), but as soon as I can I'll give those programs you mentioned a shot, ultimatebilly.

[Neo Neko]

Just thought it worth mentioning that along the Mplayer vein you can also use VLC to record etc. Which is rather awesome when combined with the firefox media player connectivity extension. Any request for a media file URL will either auto open in your external player of choice to save it, or construct the URL for you to cut and paste into another program. :p

[Schrade]

Use SDP (http://sdp.ppona.com/) to snatch it. Works quite well.

Edit: Dammit.. who disabled HTML.. grrr. I hate BBCode!

[Neo Neko]

I don't know where you have been posting that allows HTML in posts. But it is a bad idea. Someone with decent HTML knowledge could really cause problems simply by posting specially crafted html code. They could obscure the user interface etc. Or even spoof other users etc. All in all not a good idea. ;)

[tina_raich82]

I was able to download the file from above with SDP. Thanks Schrade! Unfortunately it did not work with some other files (music videos) which I tried to download. These messages came up (However, one file was a Real Media file – I think the program does not work in this case):

> Connecting...
> Resolving DNS IP address, please wait...
TTCP: DNS resolve failed: 11001

> Connecting...
> Resolving DNS IP address, please wait...
> TTCP: socket connect failed: 10061

WMRecorder and RMRecorder are working but there is a 2 minute time limit for recording (shareware). I used an old version of WMRecorder (8.0) which has no limitations. But both in the case of Browse Mode Recording and URL Mode Recording, the video is sometimes interrupted (jumps a few seconds forward) when I play the saved file.

I also used VLCPlayer: File/Open Networkstream but there only plays sound, no picture. I am sorry but I didn’t understand how to save a file in connection with firefox media player connectivity extension. BTW, sorry for the HTML in my post.

[Neo Neko]

I was able to download the file from above with SDP. Thanks Schrade! Unfortunately it did not work with some other files (music videos) which I tried to download. These messages came up (However, one file was a Real Media file – I think the program does not work in this case):

> Connecting...
> Resolving DNS IP address, please wait...
TTCP: DNS resolve failed: 11001

> Connecting...
> Resolving DNS IP address, please wait...
> TTCP: socket connect failed: 10061

Those appear to be network problems. In the first the provided server name failed to resolve to a real IP address. Could be a bad or misstyped URL. The second one could not connect to the specified port on the server although it did resolve to a real IP. Again could be a bad or misstyped URL. That or the links are just plain old and dead. It happens.

WMRecorder and RMRecorder are working but there is a 2 minute time limit for recording (shareware). I used an old version of WMRecorder (8.0) which has no limitations. But both in the case of Browse Mode Recording and URL Mode Recording, the video is sometimes interrupted (jumps a few seconds forward) when I play the saved file.

Assuming that the gaps etc are not in the original the only thing I can think of is that the program is trying to record in real time like a player might try to play the file discarding bad or missing chunks. That or the server uses only UDP datagrams and does not support seeking or resuming.

I also used VLCPlayer: File/Open Networkstream but there only plays sound, no picture.

That happens when either a codec or format in volved is not installed or supported. I don't think current real media formats and codecs are well supported. For reasons of IP or trade secrets. The same goes for some microsoft formats. Which is why open standards are good. :P

I am sorry but I didn’t understand how to save a file in connection with firefox media player connectivity extension. BTW, sorry for the HTML in my post.

Did you visit the extension homepage and read the instructions? http://membres.lycos.fr/sethnakht/

[tina_raich82]

@ Neo Neko: I installed Mozilla Firefox and MediaPlayerConnectivity and configured it. As you said, when I request a media file URL, an external player opens (WMP) and plays the file fine. But how can I save the file then? Sorry to bother you again.

[chemmajik]

CamStudio is a usable good program to try, unsure if its freeware or shareware that I have used that can capture anything that is in motion in any predefined or whole desktop & save to AVI... RenderSoft CamStudio do a search...