How in the Tech

Download and Archive Youtube HD Videos

By Adam Myers ⋅ February 25, 2009 ⋅ Tags: Multimedia

Youtube is one of those sites that sucks you and your time in. How many times have you received a Youtube link from a friend via email? You start by viewing the latest piano playing cat and many clicks and minutes later you are watching a political diatribe about issues you really don’t care about. Everything finds it’s way to Youtube and while most of it, while funny or intelligent or creative, isn’t worth saving, you likely will come across a few gems. It’s only more likely that content worth saving will be found now that Youtube supports high-definition video uploads. Unfortunately, outside of favorite-ing the video, Youtube doesn’t make it easy to save the file on you local computer.

Youtube Downloader HD aims to change all that. Having an offline copy of the video can be quite handy, especially if you are without a network connection or the video gets removed, either by the owner or from a copyright violation. There are dozens of applications similar in nature to Youtube Downloader HD but what sets this one apart is, as the name implies, the ability to select the HD version of the video. Additionally, you may also download a version suitable for playing on your iPod. Here’s how it works.

1. Download and install the free software from the website.
2. As you go about your Youtube viewing, when you come across a video worth saving make a note of the address location in your browser bar.



3. Launch Youtube Downloader HD and paste the address URL from step 2 in the Video URL field within the application.

   

4. Select your desired resolution and file format from the radio boxes – here I’ve selected the HD version of the Watchman trailer – as well as your Save to location on your computer.
5. Finally, click Start and the download of your video will commence. A progress bar will give you a rough approximation of the time left.



6. After a few minutes the operation will be completed and you will be notified of success.

That’s all there is to it. Youtube Downloader HD is simple and straightforward; it does one thing with minimal options, but does it well. Check it out!