OK I figured it out
For anyone else interested:
How to download a YouTube video
For Windows XP
and Internet Explorer or Mozilla
Once you get the hang of this, it will become easy. Please don’t be intimidated by the fact that these instructions are long. I have tried to explain them in great detail in the hope that they will answer anybody’s questions.
For what it’s worth, they can be stated in two sentences (thanks Steve):
“By altering the URL you can have the file download to the directory of your choice without playing by changing "watch.php?v=" to "get_video.php?video_id=" and hit the enter key. You still have to add the .flv (flash video) and change the name to whatever you want.”
Steve is exactly right. But since some of us just need a little more coaching, here is some more coaching. These expanded instructions address four areas.
1. A folder dedicated strictly to BBM files to make it easy to access them later. (If you already have this in place: great, you can skip this section.)
2. Downloading and installing Flash Video “VLC” software. Do this only once, and your videos will play immediately when you click them forever after. (If you already have this in place; great; you can skip this section.)
3. Altering the URL command line in YouTube to make it download onto your hard drive
4. Playing the video(s) from your hard drive later. If you already know how to double click with Windows Explorer, you can skip this section also.
Section 1 - a folder dedicated to BBM
I strongly recommend creating a “BBM” folder to place these videos in, since it’s likely you’re going to harvest many of them. Use Windows Explorer to make this folder.
Click Start, then point to All Programs. The program list will appear.
Slide the cursor up to Accessories. When the Accessories list shows up, slide it down to Windows Explorer. Doubleclick it.
When the My Documents folder opens (it is the default), slide the cursor to My Videos in the right hand panel and doubleclick it. The My Videos folder will open.
Put the cursor in the My Videos folder (point to an empty section on the right side of screen). Right click the mouse. A dialog box will open: place the cursor on New and hold it there.
Another dialog box will open. Run the cursor up to Folder and left singleclick it.
The two dialog boxes will disappear, and a fresh folder will appear at the bottom of the list of files and folders. It will say “New Folder” and be highlighted in blue. The blue means you can instantly type in a different name. Type: BBM <enter>
You’ve just made a folder dedicated to Brokeback Mountain videos. Whenever the Task Master dialog box asks you where to put a new BBM video file that you’re about to download, use its Browse feature to select this folder.
Section 2 - Download and Install Flash Video software
You will need a flash video player to play a video file that you download from YouTube. The VLC Player does a great job. It’s free, and you can download it at
www.videolan.org/vlc/Initially, it asks you what operating system you have (click Windows). Then it asks you where you want to download it from (there are no US sites). Just click the first one you come to (probably in France).
Just follow the prompting, and accept all the defaults.
When your Task Manager tells you that it has Finished downloading, click the Task Manager’s “Launch File” (on the top line). That will install the VLC player. The VLC player will run automatically after that, whenever you doubleclick a video file that ends in .flv
Section 3 - Transfer YouTube video file to your hard drive
When you click a video in YouTube, the video’s link replaces whatever address is currently in the address line (the URL) with an address that identifies the specific video you just clicked. You may not realize it, but that new URL line also contains a command that tells YouTube to play that file on your screen.
But if you’re trying to download the file, playing it on the screen isn’t what you want to do. You need to modify the URL to replace the “play it on the screen” command with the “save it to the hard drive” command. It isn’t difficult, but you must get the spelling right.
Here’s a typical URL address line that plays the video on the screen:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=utlVl9dic 4&search=brokeback
Just to let you know, the stuff to the right of the first equal sign is YouTube’s identification code for the video. You will change it to something familiar when the file gets sent to your hard drive. (You will be given that opportunity shortly.) But it is absolutely needed by youtube in its original form in order to send you the correct file. Just be careful not to change its spelling it when you’re editing the command.
Anyhow, that’s typically what jumps into the URL line when you click the video link. The watch?v part is the command to play it on the screen. The video will instantly begin to play, as the file streams into your computer. (You may find that very distracting. If you do, simply click the Pause button below the picture. It will stop the noise.)
You’re going to need this next command, and now’s the time to get it. Just highlight the next line below and press Ctrl C. (That puts it on your clipboard.)
get_video.php?video_id
Next, use your mouse pointer to highlight the watch?v command in the URL address. Press Ctrl V. (That replaces the watch?v with the clipboard contents.) This technique is definitely recommended, because it eliminates mistyping the characters.
Now if you want to type it instead of using cut and paste, type it carefully, because it must be exactly as shown. Don’t hit <ENTER> until you’re absolutely sure it’s correct. If there’s a mistake, repair it. The entire URL should now look like this:
www.youtube.com/get_video.php?video_id=utlVl9dic 4&search=brokeback
At any rate, when you’re certain that the URL line is correct, press <ENTER>
You will get a popup box that asks you what you want to do with the file: select “Save it to disc”, then click OK
You will get another popup box that asks you what name to give the file, and what folder to place it in. Hopefully, the folder it offers will be your BBM folder, but if it is not, move around the folder structure and select it..
At the bottom of the box, type in the name that you want to give the video (for example, Josh Groban Brokeback Mountain.flv). Be sure to give it the .flv suffix. (that’s what triggers the Flash Video software). Now press <ENTER>, and the rest of the download will be automatic.
Section 4 - Playing the videos anytime
Once these video files are on your own hard drive, you can access them whenever you like without using the Internet. It’s perfectly alright to be online when you run these videos, but it just isn’t necessary.
Use Windows Explorer (see Section 1), to access the My Videos/BBM folder.
Point to the video you want to watch, then doubleclick it. The VLC Flash Video player will start up, and your video will run on it.
If you have a favorite video that you know you will play often, make a shortcut and put it on your Desktop. It can always be deleted when you get tired of it (highlight it then hit Delete). Deleting a shortcut does NOT delete the video file, only the icon on your desktop. It just means that you will have to use Windows Explorer to launch it next time.
To make a shortcut:
Point to the name of the video in My Videos/BBM. Right click once.
A box pops up. Point to Create Shortcut and left click it once. A new, duplicate file name pops up, but it begins with “Shortcut to ...”. Drag it onto your desktop.
(If you can’t see the Desktop because Windows Explorer fills your screen, click the Restore Down icon in the top right corner (center icon) to reduce its size. Any other windows that obscure the desktop can also be “Restored Down”. Eventually you’ll be able to see the Desktop and drag the Shortcut icon to it.
Thanks for responding