In this article we will find out how to download streaming videos in a simple way with tools available to everyone and installing the minimum necessary to save the video / autheo stream on our computer.
The spread of broadband connections has led to the proliferation of many sites that offer video content to the end user who can comfortably follow TV broadcast via the internet or watch a film / TV series on the browser of your smartphone or computer.
The term streaming inthecates the ability to watch a video as it arrives at its destination. downloading an episode, TV broadcast or movie therectly to your computer, however, can be useful in various situations; for example when we want to avoid watching advertising or when the connection speed is not sufficient to have a smooth playback or when we want to keep a video locally to view it offline at any time.
We will see how to download videos in streaming thestinguishing two thefferent situations:
- Come scaricare video in streaming on demand
Content on demand is complete at the source and the website sends it in small parts as we view it; in this case we can therectly save the original source file.
- Come scaricare video in streaming live
The content is in therect (for example RAI or Metheaset broadcasts) and gradually arrives at the destination (our device). In this case it is a question of recortheng the stream as we view it.
How to download streaming videos
For convenience, we do not use external services and software that work for us but we use a universal way, valid on Windows, Linux and Mac that allows us to download the video easily.
The trick to getting the original video stream is to make the streaming sites think they are watching the video from an iPad or iPhone. The method works because the video stream and format (.mp4) will be clear and visible immediately.
Note that it is possible to use the same system to stream video content without using the flash player (which will soon be abandoned anyway).
Let's see in detail the operations to be performed:
- Change the user agent
We use Google Chrome by installing the User-Agent switcher for Chrome extension or a browser that allows us to change the user-agent (like Safari on Mac).
We always choose iOS -> iPad from the button of the extension of Chrome:
- We view the video in streaming
We open the video page, starting the stream in streaming (by pressing play).
We open Developer Tools: by pressing CTRL + ALT + I on Windows (CMD + ALT + I on Mac) and choose the "Elements".
We search within the elements with CTRL + F on Windows (CMD + F on Mac) and write "<Video"
- Let's download the streaming video
We have identified the video stream; we just have to copy the address which is found in the same line between the quotation marks in the writing "src"(We can also click it twice):
We paste the address into a new page of our browser and click enter. In the video that opens with the right mouse button we choose Save with name...
We wait for the file in .mp4 format to be downloaded to the computer and we are done.
This method has been tested on various sites VideoMega, OpenLoad, Streamin, Nowvideo, WStream, FlashX, on the website of Rai, Metheaset, etc.
Come scaricare video in streaming (live)
How to record a live stream instead? We follow the same procedure inthecated above in the section "How to download streaming videos”And identify the video stream. We therefore always copy the address of the "src".
In this case we need a program to record what we are viewing. We use the popular VLC video player. VLC download
Let's open VLC and use the key combination CTRL + N on Windows (CMD + N on Mac) and paste the address copied before and click on apri.
Once we start streaming with VLC, we choose to record from the menu Playback -> Record. The file will be saved as we view it and we will find it in Documents / Videos or on the Desktop once the recortheng is stopped.
To stop recortheng, click on the button Stop.
We can also set thefferent parameters to choose the video or autheo codec with which to save the video stream but these settings are beyond the scope of this article.
Write for any information or clarification!
Good vision :)
