Version reviewed:
v1.0.6 or v3.0
- The developer's website lists it as v1.0.6 but the program itself claims to be v3.0. Since the last time dotTech reviewed Save Tube Video, a month ago, it was v1.0 the chances are more likely it is v1.0.6 rather than v3.0.
System Requirements:
Windows 2000, XP, Vista
Price:
$7.95 but you can get it for free for a limited time at Giveawayoftheday.com!
Software description:
SaveTubeVideo is the program that saves videos from any sites, like youtube or metacafe. This solution uses a unique system of video recognition on sites, and allows you to download video in any format.
The main advantages of the program include: easy navigation, modern system of video tracking, download resume support, video formats converter, quick search right from the browser’s window, and also a unique system of disk burning right from the browser’s window.
Improvements of the version 3.0:
The main algorithm of video recognition has been improved. Due to that fact the program now recognizes videos on more than 90% sites.
Ashraf's note:
Save Tube Video actually has a freeware version of the software. As far as I know, the only two difference sbetween the freeware version and the paid version is the paid version has the ability to burn videos to CD/DVD and to save videos as AVI while the freeware version does not.
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Table of Contents
Quick Pros and Cons
The Good
|
The Bad
|
Rating (out of 10)
Ease of Use
Point and click.
|
10 |
Performance
"Redevelopment" of "link recognition algorithm" killed the program - it no longer detects any videos from any website. The only reason this rating isn't a 0 is because my script doesn't allow me to give zeros.
|
1 |
Usefulness
It doesn't work. It can't any use at all.
|
1 |
Price
$7.95 is a very, very, very reasonable price. However, as it stands the program doesn't work, so $7.95 is $7.95 too much for this program.
|
1 |
Final Score |
1 |
Bad Behavior
During installation users will be prompted to do a "Full Installation" or "Custom Installation":
If users select "Full Installation" Save Tube Video will try to make GoogleFeed the default search engine/homepage for Internet Explorer:
If users select "Custom Installation" they can tell Save Tube Video to not make GoogleFeed the default search engine/homepage for Internet Explorer:
However, it seems like in this new version of Save Tube Video if you have Internet Explorer 8.0:
- Save Tube Video tries to change your default search engine to Google-Feed.net every time you open IE8, regardless of if you selected not to make Google-Feed.net during installation. You can tell IE8 to block all further requests to avoid this.
- Every time you open a new tab in IE8, the cursor is automatically put in the custom Google search box in Save Tube Video's toolbar.
Quick Verdict
Full Review
Save Tube Video is a (yet another) streaming video downloader. It works as a plugin/addon and works only with Firefox and Internet Explorer.
Save Tube Video should be a familiar name to all GOTD because it was just given out last month as v1.0. Since November, the developer has made multiple updates to the program. Here is the changelog as per the developer's website:
Version 1.0.1
- We added popup window which reminds you that the page you`ve just opened contains stream video and proposes to download it on your PC
- In case of Internet connection is interrupted, the program will continue to download files from the point it was stopped as soon as connection is on
Version 1.0.2
- Savetube video can be integrated in Firefox 3.5 now
Version 1.0.3
- Savetubevideo proposes you to save online videos in any folder of your PC you choose
- Downloading from file archives was improved
- [Other change also occurred but not the type of change I want to talk about on dotTech... if you get what I mean.]
Version 1.0.4
- Integration of the program into Internet Explorer for Windows Vista was improved
- Integration into Fireworks for Windows Vista improved
- Now the program supports multiply downloading, which means that you can download as much videos as you want at a time
- Savetubevideo supports downloading any stream videos for Mozilla Fireworks
Version 1.0.5
- Downloading restrictions of some file names from YouTube were fixed
- Now you can contact our support team (see Settings and “About” button) if any problems concerning program occurred
- Now you can download stream videos of any size-no restrictions at all
- New advanced version allows you to burn your favorite videos
- Plugin for Firefox was improved
Version 1.0.6
- Bugs concerning multistream download fixed
- Link recognition support to many formats (including HD) added
- Pop-up window informing about download finish added
- Algorithm of link recognition has been redeveloped (now it uses WinPCap library)
- Files with restriction on one-stream download now can be downloaded
Note how the developer's website lists v1.0.6 as the latest version. Yet when you download and install the program, it claims to be v3.0. Huge disparity there - I am not sure what is up with that.
The "biggest" change from v1.0 -> v1.0.6/v3.0 is is "algorithm of link recognition has been redeveloped (now it uses WinPCap library)". (If you don't have WinPCap, WinPCap will be installed during the installation of Save Tube Video.) The developer claims with this new algorithm, "the program now recognizes videos on more than 90% sites." However, I found this new change actually broke the program. I tried using Save Tube Video in Firefox 3.5.5 and Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7 and in Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP. Every time I try to download a video, I get this error:
I tried Save Tube Video on YouTube, Google Video, and Veoh (the three websites that Save Tube Video worked with last time I reviewed it). The error occurs on all the websites. Yes, I have WinPCap installed on Windows 7 and Windows XP.
This review was conducted on a laptop running Windows 7 Professional and Windows XP Professional 32-bit. The specs of the laptop are as follows: 3GB of RAM, a Radeon HD 2600 512MB graphics card, and an Intel T8300 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor.
Free Alternatives
VideoCacheView looks into your browser cache and allows you to "grab" the (FLV) videos stored there. VideoCacheView supports Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome and Opera.
WebVideoCap monitors and sniffs your network traffic looking for Flash (FLV, MP4, and SWF) and WMV video traffic and RTSP/MMS streams. When it finds such traffic/stream it automatically saves the video onto your computer.
The major differences between this network traffic monitoring and browser cache approach are the following:
- The network traffic monitoring approach allows WebVideoCap to be browser independent.
- With the network traffic monitoring approach, you need to download the video again as opposed to just grabbing it from a browser cache where you need not download it twice.
- With the network traffic monitoring approach, you can grab RM and WMV videos also.
Tubemaster++ is an open source, freeware, easy-to-use, streaming media downloader (FLV, MP4, MOV, and MP3). Similar to URL Snooper and WebVideoCap, TubeMaster++ works by monitoring network traffic via different types of protocols (and therefore is browser and website independent also). The difference, however, is TubeMaster++ has a (more) user friendly interface and has a built in video/audio converter so you can convert the FLV, MP4, or MP3 or any other desirable format.
Very similar program to WebVideoCap with minor differences.
RealPlayer has a plugin that allows you to download streaming video. Very easy to use and handy; however you must install RealPlayer to use it.
Ashampoo Clipfinder HD takes the similar traditional approach to download videos like VDC. Clipfinder HD works with:
- YouTube.com
- iFilm.com (aka Spike.com)
- Veoh.com
- Dailymotion.com
- Video.Google.com
- Livevideo.com
- Blip.tv
- Video.Yahoo.com
- Metacafe.com
- Vids.MySpace.com
- Sevenload.de
- MyVideo.de
- VideU.de
- ClipFish.de
- Vimeo.com
Download Helper is a Firefox addon that makes downloading and converting videos very, very easy.
Liam K
First :P
I don’t see why so many programmers find it necessary to waste time and money making a software that’s been done before. I mean, how many different copies of a utility do we need?
Sandeep
@Ashraf: I have got Internet Download Manager who does this job for me.
Anyways Thanks Ashraf
MikeR
@ Liam:
I don’t see why so many programmers find it necessary to waste time and money making a software that’s been done before.
I guess they’re hoping to find users who aren’t savvy enough — the first stage of which seems increasingly to be getting some product placement on GOTD which, after yesterday’s rubbish and now this, is turning into Garbage of The Day.
A pity, because a helluva lot of hard work went into developing GOTD.
Adrian
I find that this works for me. I’m using Firefox PORTABLE 3.5 on Windows XP SP2.
I downloaded two videos, one from Youtube and the other from Google Video
Jabtano
I’m not sure what is going on at GOTD but as of late there has been more rubbish programs than good ones. I don’t mind trying and buying ones that work well and are useful.but they tend to be long and few between.
Thomas
Hmm : I wonder if someone could graph the scores Ashraf has been giving and see if there is a trend …
binaryweasel
Hiya, Ashraf
From *SaveTubeVideo 3.0* install_script.iss
[Installer from vendor's site,albeit ;)]
00000DC9 00000DC9 0 Name: “homepage”; Description: “Make google feed your default home page”;
As I understand it,
.iss scripts give silent and automatic instructions.
I got moderated out of GOTD on the *Extra Video Compose : Install_script.iss* IE hijacker.
I found no way to opt out of it and made my 1st and only GOTD comment….. only to me moderated out.
I wish GOTD would be a little more careful.
HTH
Alexz
Yeah, Internet Download Manager is really a nice software that does this and other things at its best. It costs around $ 25 and has a great free alternative – Free Download Manager.
Summer
I use Orbit. Its integrates into Firefox (but doesnt have to be) and seems to work better than download helper did, and its free also.
ton
Thank you for the Free Alternatives Ashraf. To Sandeep and Summer Thank you for the suggestions.
Jenny
Usually I open Opera’s cache (opera:cache) then ctrl|F to find in page, then type in “videoplayback” and if you still have the same youtube window open it finds the clip you just played. If it’s one of their HD clips it will be MP4, if it’s a regular clip it will be flv. Then right-click and save…. I hate having to re-download stuff I know is already there.
If it is some other site I search for either flv or mp4.
Oh, and playback with gom player
smokexx
I no longer use video download helper as often as before because now I just love the flashgot + DTA/DAP/Orbit/FDM combo. Although the file naming in DTA could sometimes be a bit of a drag.
binaryweasel
Some alt. methods to get vids.
Smartsniff by Nirsoft ( under 64kb ) portable & powerful
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/smsniff.html
My personal preference is Wireshark & Wget
Youtubers: just change http://www.youtube.com/... to http://www.kickyoutube.com/…. in
address bar…still worked last time I tried.
HTH
Ozzie
Greetings all! And thanks again for another comprehensive review, Ashraf! I now use the Firefox add-on NetVideoHunter. It’s great. Simple to use. Sits at the bottom bar and indicates if there is anything to download. If you want it, simply click on the blue icon and its done. Worth checking out, folks!
Rob
It is now FREE on the SaveTubeVideo web site.
I imaged my partition, and then installed it.
It appeared to install ok, and had it’s own Toolbar.
It lost all my open Tabs from previous FF session.
It did NOT detect the ‘impossible to download TV episode’ that I have spent a looooooong time trying to download (with over a dozen different programs and extensions).
I have restored my partition, to wipe any record of the installation from the known universe.
Rob
Ho Ozzie,
Tried your NetVideoHunter but no luck.
Whilst there (in FF Extensions), I downloaded DownloadHelper
It has 1/2 million weekly downloads (of the extension).
Still no luck.
Mutter, mutter
Skye-hook
Hate the way it hijacked my browser! I just now found a way to fix it! Drove me nuts all this time.