{rw_text}Software reviewed in this article:

Save Tube Video

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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• “Redevelopment” of “link recognition algorithm” (uses WinPCap now) killed the program – it no longer detects any videos from any website.
• Browser dependent – only works with Internet Explorer and Firefox.
• Need to keep the (annoying) toolbar – no way to isolate just the necessary buttons.
• 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.
  • 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.

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{rw_score}
{for=”Ease of Use” value=”10″}Point and click.
{/for}
{for=”Performance” value=”1″}”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.
{/for}
{for=”Usefulness” value=”1″}It doesn’t work. It can’t any use at all.
{/for}
{for=”Price” value=”1″}$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.
{/for}
{for=”Arbitrary Equalizer” value=”1″}This category reflects an arbitrary number that does not specifically stand for anything. Rather this number is used to reflect my overall rating/verdict of the program in which I considered all the features and free alternatives.
{/for}
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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.

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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.

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{rw_verdict2}While I did not like the last version of Save Tube Video – because it did not support very many video websites – the last version at least worked with some websites. This new version of Save Tube Video is broken – it does not work with any websites; thumbs down. My recommendation for today depends on what you want. If you already have RealPlayer installed, use the RealPlayer plugin (enable it if you have it disabled). If you like the grab-video-from-cache approach, grab VideoCacheView. If you like how Save Tube Video works from within your browser and you use Firefox, grab Download Helper. Otherwise, TubeMaster++ is the way to go.
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