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DESCRIPTION

Flash Video Downloader is an application which allows you to easily batch download and save streaming flash videos from just about any website with streaming flash videos as long as the videos are set to autoplay (that is, they start playing when the page loads). Examples of sites are youtube.com, video.google.com, and dailymotion.com, but just about any website will work. Instead of sifting through the html code of the webpage to find the flash video, Flash Video Downloader 2 actually checks where the video is coming from and download it, which will ensure that it will still work even if the page has changed. It can even download videos that require you to login to the website and videos from websites that first play an advertisement. Flash Video Downloader 2 can also download up to 5 videos at a time in order to significantly improve the overall download time.

Features:

  • Automatically checks for the newest version
  • Downloads the video files (.flv) for you so you don't have to deal with complicated "flash video downloading websites" or firefox extensions anymore
  • Will continue working even if a flash video site changes its coding because it actually checks where the videos is instead of relying on sifting through html code
  • Downloads up to 5 videos simultaneously to significantly speed up the overall process
  • Can download videos that require you to login to the website first
  • Able to download videos that first play an advertisement before the actual video
  • Allows many videos to be downloaded in a batch process, leaving you free to go do something else while Flash Video Downloader takes care of your videos for you
  • Shows the progress of each video as well as the overall process
  • Has optional Growl Support to easily notify you of the current progress
  • Can shut down the computer and/or beep when its finished
  • It's Free!
WHAT'S NEW
Version 2.1.3:
  • Restored normal behavior to the close button in the main window; it will now hide the window when clicked
  • Corrected website URL listed in the About box to the new website URL
  • No longer prints out the flash video's actual URL to the console (this was accidently left in the program)
  • Updated Help Book
REQUIREMENTS
Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

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SCREENSHOT

Developer:Tesseract Software
Downloads:338,367
  - Version d/l:30,326
Internet:Internet Utilities
License:Free
Date:20 Jul 2009
Platform:PPC/Intel
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Flash Video Downloader User Reviews (47 posts)Write A Review
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Nov 2 2009

GREGMLR  I am using Mac OS X "Snow Leopard" 10.6.1 and have an issue that causes my mouse pointer to disappear when I'm running FVD 2.1.3. This is a sporadic incident and is resolved by closing FVD. Sometimes the my arrow will reappear own its own, only to disappear again.

I know the latest version of FVD was released months before Snow Leopard, I am mostly curious to see if anyone else is having the same issue.  
(Version 2.1.3)

praisebury
0
[ 1 Reply - Reply ]
Replies:
Nov 8 2009

SCRIVENS  Yep, same thing with 10.6.1. Very annoying as it takes a while for the cursor to be restored.  
(Version 2.1.3)

praisebury
0

Aug 27 2009
*****

VGPWNR7  I recently had to switch to an ISP that doesn't have a very good connection to the internet, so I am not albe to watch youtube videos anymore without problems.

Flash Video Downloader provided the solution that I needed. I just find a bunch of videos that I want to watch, add them to the FVD, and let it download overnight. In the morning, I have all of the videos that I wanted to watch.

I strongly recommend Flash Video Downloader to anybody who has trouble watching streaming videos (or just wants to save them for later).

I will definitely be making a donation to the author  
(Version 2.1.3)

praisebury
+2
[ Reply ]
Aug 18 2009

CHEALION  This program doesn't seem to be able to download "real" streaming files - that is .flvs that are served through a Flash Video Streaming Server over RTMP versus .flv files that are downloaded (ala YouTube, Google Video, etc.)

It simply reports that it could not find a flash video. Thankfully the vast majority of Flash video available is not streamed.  
(Version 2.1.3)

praisebury
0
[ Reply ]
Feb 4 2009

RPSX  how to you capture any streaming flv files? there are solutions on the pc, but not on mac, it seems?  
(Version 2.1.1)

praisebury
-7
[ 1 Reply - Reply ]
Replies:
Mar 8 2009

ANONYMOUS  This comment does not seem to make sense. Flash Video Downloader allows you to download streaming flash videos; that's the whole point.   
(Version 2.1.2)

praisebury
+8

Oct 3 2008

SPRINGHEELMAC  I love this program, but I'm not able to use it on 'hulu.com'. This isn't any fault of the program; I've tried numerous others with the same result. Has anyone else had any luck with this or any other program at 'hulu.com'?  
(Version 2.1)

praisebury
+1
[ 1 Reply - Reply ]
Replies:
Aug 13 2009

TESSERACT SOFTWARE  Hulu takes many precautions to prevent users from downloading its videos because they are copyrighted. If users start downloading Hulu videos, then the video suppliers (Fox, NBC, etc) will begin taking down videos from Hulu, which is something that nobody wants. I have no plans to try to get FVD2 to work with Hulu because I don't want to ruin Hulu. Besides, downloading copyrighted videos is illegal, and I will not purposefully allow FVD2 to download copyrighted videos.   
(Version 2.1.3)

praisebury
+2

Apr 15 2008
*****

MARIO MAC  I've tried many other flash video downloading programs, but this one is the best. It always works for me.

I just queue up a bunch of videos that I want to download,come back later, and its done.

The Growl support is a nice touch.

The only "bad" thing is that the name is very generic sounding (but it does make it easy to find).   
(Version 2.0.4)

praisebury
+2
[ Reply ]
Apr 11 2008

TESSERACT SOFTWARE  If you are having a problem with a specific video or website, please email me at tesseractsoftware[at]gmail.com instead of posting here - I will be able to help you a lot better if you email me and you will recieve a faster response.   
(Version 2.0.4)

praisebury
+1
[ Reply ]
Apr 9 2008

DRZOOM  it is not working here:

http://www.starwars.com/video/view/000478.html  
(Version 2.0.4)

praisebury
0
[ 1 Reply - Reply ]
Replies:
Apr 11 2008

TESSERACT SOFTWARE  The reason that website is not working is because its actually not using flash videos.

That site is using a "fancy" portal written in mostly flash and the videos are actually in flash (which is, confusingly, not the same thing as flash videos). Flash videos have a .flv extension and the videos on that site are actually videos embedded in a flash file, which is .swf

Unfortunatly, there is nothing that I can do to change that.   
(Version 2.0.4)

praisebury
0

Feb 1 2008

LYNDHURST25  Works great for me (OS 10.4.11).

Now all we need is for them to make it work with the BBC's iPlayer streaming flash videos (DRM issues?). Please....  
(Version 2.0.1)

praisebury
0
[ 2 Replies - Reply ]
Replies:
Feb 29 2008

TESSERACT SOFTWARE  I looked at BBC's iPlayer site. They only allow users from the UK to view their videos, so I can't even test if FVD2 works on their site or not. (It is against their licensing agreement and Terms of Usage stuff for users outside of the UK to view their videos so using a work-around would be a violation)

And, if they have DRM, as you suggest they might, FVD2 is not able to decrypt DRM and I'm certain that doing so would also be a violation of their Terms of Usage.

I'd rather not get into any "grey areas" of the law.  
(Version 2.0.4)

praisebury
0
Dec 24 2008

LAWRENCEDUDLEY  Try BBC iPlayer Downloader (search on Macupdate).  
(Version 2.1)

praisebury
0

Jan 24 2008

PETRSC  Whenever launched Flash Video Downloader 2.0 causes immediate shut down of my computer. MackBook Pro, OS 10.5.1.

Any ideas how to deal with this?  
(Version 2.0)

praisebury
0
[ 6 Replies - Reply ]
Replies:
Jan 24 2008

TESSERACT SOFTWARE  I have a MacBook Pro with OS 10.5.1 and I can't duplicate your issue. When it immediately shuts down, do you mean the computer all of a sudden is off, or do you mean that the OS does the shutdown procedure?

You could try downloading Flash Video Downloader 2 again and installing it again. Perhaps it somehow got corrupted.   
(Version 2.0)

praisebury
0
Jan 24 2008

PETRSC  Yes it shuts down all of a sudden. No warning just shut down. It does in both modes - battery and power. I will uninstall the current version, download it and install again. See what happens. :-)

Otherwise it's great app!  
(Version 2.0)

praisebury
0
Jan 25 2008

WOLFEATSWORLD  Exact same thing happend to me on my 24" iMac !!

Weirdest thing I ever saw! (I'm running 10.4.10)

I tried it 5 times in a row-and it did the same thing!  
(Version 2.0.1)

praisebury
0
Jan 25 2008

SCRIVENS  Go into Preferences and turn off "Shut Down When Finished" .  
(Version 2.0.1)

praisebury
+1
Jan 25 2008

TESSERACT SOFTWARE  Scrivens tip from the previous reply is for if your computer is shutting down after you finish downloading video(s). From what I understand, its shutting down when you start the application?

For now, we can try a workaround (which will also help me to figure out what is happening).

1. Open a program such as TextEdit and create a new document

2. Write some text (anything) in the document but don't save it

3. Open Flash Video Downloader 2. If it tries to shut down the computer the proper way, TextEdit should ask you if you want to save the document before you quit.

4. Click the cancel button and OS X should tell you that the shutdown was interrupted.

Does that happen? Or does it shutdown anyways?

I'm not sure what could be causing Flash Video Downloader 2 to shutdown your computer on startup, it can only do it when finishing a download, and it uses an applescript command which can be interrupted as described above.

You can use the above as a workaround, if it works. If not, please do the following

1. Open Flash Video Downloader 2 (which will shutdown the computer if you're having this issue).

2. Turn the computer back on and open the Console application ( It's in the Applications/Utilities folder)

3. Click show Log List and a list of logs will be shown on the left side of the window (it may already be there)

4. Select All Messages

5. Then go to File->Save A Copy As...

6. Save a copy of your all messages log (its a .log file) somewhere (e.g. your desktop)

7. Please attach that .log file to an email and send it to tesseractsoftware[at]gmail.com (do NOT post it in this reply on macupdate)

This will hopefully allow me to see any messages that came up from Flash Video Downloader 2, your computer, or some other application before it shuts down. It will give me more insight into what is happening right before your computer shuts down.

I hope that we can figure this out.   
(Version 2.0.1)

praisebury
+1
Jan 25 2008

PETRSC  yes, open text edit document asks to save the document. if I click CANCEL the apple info dialog appears: "the application text edit canceled the shut down". if there are no open documents like this it shuts down without asking.

I haven't tried the FVD with the "quit after download is finished" check box off. I will try and tell you if it helped.  
(Version 2.0.1)

praisebury
0

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