Capture The Net

Downloading Videos you find on You Tube

2007-02-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

youTube is a tremendously popular site that houses something like a ga-jillion videos. they're web videos that you can watch in real time, so you don't have to download them first to see if they're something you like or not. it's all pretty sweet.

if you have dial-up, forget it. you really should have a high speed connection to start browsing youTube.

here's the rub, after you've seen a super-cool video, you realize that if you want to see it again, you have to log back in and find it again. you can't view them offline, or save them to a disk, or your iPod, or whatever.

well, you can, but exactly how to do it isn't obvious. the old right-click and choose save thing doesn't work!

Solution:
with the help of Record You Tube you can download these videos onto your computer in a couple of easy steps.

Ready?
1. Click on my link to Record You Tube to open that website in a new window. If your pop-up blocker gets in the way, try holding down the shift key when you click on the link.

2. Click on my link to YouTube to open that website in a new window. Same thing about the pop-up blocker.

3. Find a Video you like on YouTube. then copy the video's URL. you can find it in the author's box, on the right. check the pic:

4. paste that URL into the box at RecordYouTube.com that is aptly titled "Enter Video URL". Hit the "Get Video" button and you'll see a "Download Your Video" link appear.

5. Yes, it is this simple. hit the "download your video" link to download your video.

Here's the biggie

When you name your video - Make Double-Dog Sure to end it with ".flv" (no quotes). That's what tells your computer that it is a .flv file that plays in a .flv player.

if you don't add .flv to the end of the name, it'll sit there on your computer, and your poor computer won't know what it is, or how to play it. that would make it worthless. so, when you save that file, make sure to end the file name in .flv !!

i'll be putting up a video of me saving a youtube video in the near future so you can watch the whole process. it might take 30 seconds.

OK - Now I've Downloaded the Skateboarding Dog Video - How Do I Play It?!?

you downloaded a .flv file from YouTube, so you'll need a .flv player to play it. Bummer is, there probably isn't one on your computer.

the good news - you can download one from Wimpy for free. that's what i did at least. works like a charm.

so that's it:
> download the videos with the help of RecordYouTube.com
> watch them on your free Wimpy .flv player.

Taking a picture of your computer screen

2007-01-31T08:39:00.000-08:00

this post goes out to my friend Lonnie, who wanted to know how you take a "screenshot".

The Quick of it:
> hit the print screen key
> "paste" it into a graphics program
> save your image
- you're done.

Explained:
1. if you're using a windows-based computer, hit the Prt Scr/Sys Rq key, and you've just taken a picture of whatever is on your screen.

the what key you ask?

this one . . .

you've probably never used it before, the only thing i use it for is screen captures. go ahead, hit it.

now, you have picture of your screen stored on your clipboard.

2. you can't see the clipboard, it's just a spot in your computer's memory. you have to get it out of there and onto something else to actually save the image for the future.

so, paste it into a graphics program. there's one on your computer called "Paint".
(click the start button, then go All Programs/Accessories/Paint).

once you have the Paint program open, you can paste your image into it by either right-clicking your mouse and choosing "paste" from the list that appears, or clicking edit from the menu at the top of the Paint screen, then choosing paste.

what i do for pasting all the time is hold down the Ctrl key (lower left of the keyboard), and push the letter V. it's a shortcut. i love it.

3. SAVE. you'll have to give your picture a name, and then select what type of file to save it as.

i recommend you save it as a .jpg, or a .gif - those are the two most common types of images and the internet is littered with them.

Some Tips:
> you can paste your screenshots right into Microsoft Word or Wordpad if you'd like.

> if you hold down the "Alt" key when you take the screenshot, it will just capture the "active window", not the whole screen. that's super-handy because a lot of the time you really only want what's in the window, and now you can get just that part of the screen.

The Opening Post . . .

2007-01-30T19:02:00.000-08:00

i've been telling my wife and friends i was going to set this blog up for weeks now. tonight, is apparently the night. i finally went through all of the virtual paperwork to get this in place!

what i'll be doing here is basically sharing tips (and perhaps getting a few) on how to capture files, convert files, save files. all geeky stuff, except that by "files" i mean stuff like youTube videos, photos and images from the net, and practical stuff.

it's mostly a clearing house so i can do one walk-through and share it with whichever friend asked "how can i . . .?", and anyone else that wanders onto the page.

but, being real-world stuff, i have to say that it'll be from the perspective of a fellow that:
> uses a windows-based computer
> has his own Zune
> has a wife who has her own iPod (with the video capability)
> has a daughter that uses iTunes
> has band mates who burn DVD's, watch too much youTube, and haunt myspace

so, if you have an iPod, or a Zune, or a DVD player, or watch youTube, or . . . you get the idea, there can easily be something that can help you catch/convert/store/transport something you want to watch/listen to etc.