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Why are the download options no longer categorized as in flv, WMP, MP3 etc?

  • 25 replies
  • 118 have this problem
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  • Last reply by ammo007

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Why are the download options no longer categorized as in flv, WMP, MP3 etc? All one gets from the download drop-down menu is: (480p), (240p) or (360p) for example and the name of the video of course. The way it is now, I cannot identify the type of video I am downloading as I could before. Thanks!

Why are the download options no longer categorized as in flv, WMP, MP3 etc? All one gets from the download drop-down menu is: (480p), (240p) or (360p) for example and the name of the video of course. The way it is now, I cannot identify the type of video I am downloading as I could before. Thanks!

Chosen solution

Hi Ubi.

I got it to work by enabling the last item (check box) that says "Show widget to switch FLV/MPV formats from within YouTube pages". From what I can make out from your screen shot, it looks as though you also have this enabled, so I am not sure why it is not working for you. Unfortunately, I'm not a tech person, so I don't know what else to suggest, apart from describing the steps in more detail ...

When you first play a video on You Tube, the rotating VDH icon in the Firefox menu bar only shows files in .flv format.
To access the video in MP4 format, you need to click on the small button next to the title of the video labelled ">MP4" (on the webpage itself). [This is made possible through the widget we enabled on the "Capture-YouTube" options screen.]
The page then reloads. On the reloaded page, the small MP4 button should now be labelled ">FLV". When you now access the rotating VDH icon on the Firefox menu bar, an .mp4 file should be available for download (along with .flv ones).

I really hope you can find a way of getting it to work. It is definitely possible to download in MP4 format (as we were both able to do previously).

B.

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All Replies (20)

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I think your question might be about an add-on. Can you provide more information about this function, i.e., what add-on? If you're not sure of the name, check Tools > Add-ons to identify it.

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Hi, thanks for trying to help. The add-on I'm using is the one that comes with Mozilla Firefox, i.e. the Download Helper 4.8 here is the link: http://www.downloadhelper.net/pref-help-page.php?topic=general;appearance

It is the only way I have ever downloaded anything from YouTube.

Thanks again!

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The image attached is what I see with VDH and my VDH Youtube settings.

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This is what I get and the settings are the same as yours (or so it seems)

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Hi Ubi, I notice that Helper7677 has the bottom checkbox checked in that settings dialog. Does that make any difference for you?

Also, is there any significance to the difference between "Download" and "Quick Download" in that control right above the last checkbox?

Modified by jscher2000 - Support Volunteer

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Hi jscher200, I have checked the bottom box and also changed the 'Quick Download' to just 'Download'. It is still the same. By the way: it also seems to only download flv files now. And all I see are these numbers in front of the title: (480p), (240p) or (360p) . Thanks for your suggestions, but I'm still where I was. Please can anybody help me to get my old style downloader options again? Thanks in advance.

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Ubi,

I was able to exactly duplicate your drop-down display.

Solution: On VDH Preferences screen, click General, click Behavior tab, place a check mark at "Extended download menu". Though it seems to make no difference, in the box just below that "Upon clicking on the icon:" my selection is "Display supported sites".

Also be sure that Capture > Smart Naming, "Enable Smart Naming" is checked.

Modified by Helper7677

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Hi Helper7677!

I had all the above ticked. I'm becoming pretty desperate.

Thanks for trying to help.

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Ubi,

As I said, I was able to replicate the display you were getting in the drop-down by unchecking those options, then when I rechecked them the problem was solved. I have no other suggestions.

You might try using the following support option at the VDH site; it's somewhat hidden/difficult to locate. On the VDH site ( http://www.downloadhelper.net/ )

  • scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Contact Us".
  • Then click at the end of the second bulleted item, "visit our support page".
  • On the VDH Support page, choose the fifth item, "Another Video DownloadHelper issue...", then click "Continue".
  • In the next group of items presented, click the last item, "Anything else".
  • Follow the prompts from there.
  • I have never used their support, but it appears to be e-mail support.

Good luck. If you find a resolution to the problem, please post the details back in this thread so that other users with the issue might benefit. Thanks!

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Thank you very much Helper7677!

Will do as suggested and will report back.

Thanks again!

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You are welcome, Ubi.

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Hi Helper7677!

Thanks so much for taking the trouble to try and help me.

I did what you suggested and the reply was this:

[...]Hi,

For details about changes on youtube, please check the release notes at 

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/3006/ Regards, /mig [...]

I wonder if this 'mig' is referring to this: "Since version 3.1, you can setup the extension to automatically convert the downloaded movies to your preferred video format."

But that is not my question. I wonder why the different extension names don't show up like they used to.

Never mind. I give up. I'll do what many of my friends have ended up doing: use 'Replay' or some other such software.

Thank you once again. I didn't really think that anybody at the support site were going to bother the way you did!

Best wishes

Ubi

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Ubi,

I wonder if this 'mig' is referring to this: "Since version 3.1, you can setup the extension to automatically convert the downloaded movies to your preferred video format."

No, Ubi, that has to do with converting the video, in the Conversion section of VDH.

I have attached an image of the exact same video download drop-down that you posted and it shows the file type. I am using Firefox 3.6.8 and DownloadHelper 4.8. There must be some setting in VDH that needs to be changed for you to see the same drop-down with the file type. In your image of the drop-down, it appears that the name/extension runs off the right side of the drop-down and therefore you are not seeing the file type as though the font that you are using might be larger.

Modified by Helper7677

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Do you have any other extensions that might be interfering?

Try to disable all extensions except VDH.

You can also reset all VDH prefs (dwhelper.*) on the about:config page.

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Hi again Helper7677,

I don't think the space is an issue i.e. the font being too big.

Have a look at the screen print I just did.

There would be enough space there for the types of extension.

Thanks

Ubi

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Hi cor-el,

Thanks for trying to help.

Re: [...] You can also reset all VDH prefs (dwhelper.*) on the about:config page. [...]

Maybe I'm being awfully dense, but where do I find the 'about:config page?

Thanks

Ubi

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To open about:config, type (or paste) that in the location bar and press Enter.

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Hi again!

I just realized something: even if I can't see the extension, that should still enable me to download the YouTube video in different formats. But it doesn't! I have tried downloading all that are listed on one given video, and they all download as flv files!

Can anybody make any sense of that?

Thanks once again.

Ubi

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Ubi,

Your assumptions are incorrect. Not all Youtube videos are offered in other formats; some are only offered in FLV format. Generally, only the very HD ones are offered in MP4. The format in which videos are offered are the decision of Youtube and/or the original poster of the video.

I opted to not pay for the VDH converter. There are FREE converters that will convert FLV to other formats, but they do not interface with VDH. Even the VDH converter is a 2-step process (in both manual or automatic mode). The converter that is included free with VDH will put an ugly icon/watermark on your converted video--every frame of the video. To find a free converter, just Google "free flv converter" (with the quotation marks).

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Dear Helper7677,

I have downloaded over time over 1000 videos from YouTube and I know that most of them are down-loadable in various formats. I also know that VDH has a converter which is free, but leaves that nasty watermark on it.

I have the Applian Replay Suite and that enables me to capture all kinds of videos in the format that I want.

But having said that, I like the simplicity of they way I could do it before with the VDH.

But since there doesn't seem to be a way for me to take it back to where VDH was a few weeks ago, I'll have to accept defeat and use the Applian Replay software.

Thank you all the same for all your help. It is very nice of you to have taken the time over such a simple 'problem'.

Kindest regards,

Ubi

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