Has YouTube Download Policy Changed?

Vern1961

Vern1961

Vern1961

Soldato
Joined
29 Mar 2007
Posts
4,710
Location
Swindon UK
Not sure if this is the correct forum area, so mods please feel free to move. Like quite a few people I'm sure, if I spot an interesting clip on You Tube (could be a music clip or transport item) I often use a downloader to save on my PC as FLV or MP4 for future personal use only.

However for about the last week or so both the utilities I use - WinXDVD and Free YouTube To DVD (the latter not really recommended as it tries to install a load of malware) - are not picking up on the clips and returning a Download Error message. If it was just one programme I would put it down to having reached the limits of free use, but both seems to indicate YT have cracked down on this practice.

I don't really want to try another downloader as it is hard to spot which are genuine apps or which are just out to get malware on your PC. If anyone could advise, would be grateful.
 
I use freemake video downloader with no problems.

With almost all of these apps, just select custom install and choose not to install any rubbish.
 
Youtube have the tendency to change their link formats every now and again, breaking the regex/parser that the downloaders use. Depending on what browser you use, you can usually find a nice script for Greasemonkey/Tampermonkey for youtube.
 
Not sure it's got anything to do with their actual policy; they don't want you downloading stuff from YouTube and never have, otherwise they'd offer such functionality themselves.
 
TheVoice said:
Not sure it's got anything to do with their actual policy; they don't want you downloading stuff from YouTube and never have, otherwise they'd offer such functionality themselves.
Click to expand...

That's one of the many pluses Vimeo has over Youtube - you've got the option to make your videos available for download.
 
I've read on another forum that Google are now actively trying to block actual download of YT clips (as opposed to streaming) so unless the utility authors keep pace to get around the codecs or whatever it looks like this will be an on-going battle.

However a bit like the old regional coding battles with DVD's perhaps Google would be better acknowledging there *is* a demand to save clips of particular interest, perhaps for future reference, and offer some sort of reasonably priced subscription service to do this.
 
To the best of my knowledge downloading from youtube has never been permitted.

you agree not to access Content or any reason other than your personal, non-commercial use solely as intended through and permitted by the normal functionality of the Service, and solely for Streaming. "Streaming" means a contemporaneous digital transmission of the material by YouTube via the Internet to a user operated Internet enabled device in such a manner that the data is intended for real-time viewing and not intended to be downloaded (either permanently or temporarily), copied, stored, or redistributed by the user.
Click to expand...

https://www.youtube.com/static?gl=GB&template=terms
 
Vern1961 said:
for about the last week or so both the utilities I use - WinXDVD and Free YouTube To DVD (the latter not really recommended as it tries to install a load of malware) - are not picking up on the clips and returning a Download Error message. If it was just one programme I would put it down to having reached the limits of free use, but both seems to indicate YT have cracked down on this practice.
Click to expand...

Whats almost certainly happened is that Youtoob is simply changed/updated some of their protocols and thats broken the download capability of 3rd party softwares. Happens quite often in my experience. What will happen is the software companies will release an updated version of their software with the new protocols, or they should do.

KIA said:
Certain YT vids have proper DRM.
Click to expand...

YT used iirc 4 different ways of delivering content last time I looked, one was RTMPE which is encrypted but thats mostly for movie/documentary content thats been paid for, most uploaded clips and the like use plain unencrypted server links. Or they did last year or so which was the last time I looked into it.
 
Last edited:
Firefox (well palemoon) seems to work ok with http://www.flashvideodownloader.org/

Sometimes it does stop working but it gets an update a day or so later and alls good again.

Only use it for the occasional file for my mum so she can show it in a lesson at school...the firewall blocks youtube
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom