# Downloading from YouTube being blocked? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 20, 2010, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726 "2010-04-20T08:43:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/1 "2010-04-20T08:43:48Z")
Until recently, I have been able, through various sites and/or freeware downloads, been able to download videos from YouTube to save on my PC as FLV or MP4 files for local playback. In the last week or so, none of these seem to be working anymore. Has anyone experienced this? Has YouTube blocked some access point that was previously available? Grim ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/2 "2010-04-20T08:50:11Z")
It’s likely that Youtube found a way to stop it, considering I’m pretty sure it amounts to pirating. I’ll admit I have used programs to get songs from youtube (couldn’t find anywhere else to get the parody song Go Cops). ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/3 "2010-04-20T10:05:19Z")
I just downloaded one five minutes ago I had no problem. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/4 "2010-04-20T10:07:12Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > I just downloaded one five minutes ago I had no problem. Using which service? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/5 "2010-04-20T10:32:18Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > It’s likely that Youtube found a way to stop it, considering I’m pretty sure it amounts to pirating. > > I’ll admit I have used programs to get songs from youtube (couldn’t find anywhere else to get the parody song Go Cops). That’s extremely silly. You’re going to be downloading the entire video one way or the other anyways. Not saying they don’t think it is, but they’re wrong. > [@grimpixie](#): > > Using which service? Don’t know what he used, but [keepvid.com](http://keepvid.com) just worked for me. It does require you to allow a java applet to run, though. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/6 "2010-04-20T11:45:48Z")
Youtube recent got a facelift, and the changes to the DOM structure have broken a lot of the plugins and sites - I expect it will only be a matter of time until they all get updated. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/7 "2010-04-20T12:51:23Z")
I downloaded a whole bunch of stuff yesterday afternoon using the Firefox Download Helper. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/8 "2010-04-20T13:04:25Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I downloaded a whole bunch of stuff yesterday afternoon using the Firefox Download Helper. Me too. I download stuff almost daily and haven’t noticed any problems recently. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/9 "2010-04-20T14:18:13Z")
> [@fubbleskag](#): > > Youtube recent got a facelift, and the changes to the DOM structure have broken a lot of the plugins and sites - I expect it will only be a matter of time until they all get updated. Already done it seems, a reload of the extensions I had used for Firefox sorted it all out. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/10 "2010-04-20T19:14:33Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Me too. I download stuff almost daily and haven’t noticed any problems recently. Hmmm - I’m able to download fine from home, so maybe it is something at work that has changed. Can’t think what it would be though… Thanks for the help everyone. Grim ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/11 "2010-04-20T19:56:11Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > It’s likely that Youtube found a way to stop it, considering I’m pretty sure it amounts to pirating. Yeah, well most of Youtube amounts to pirating. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/12 "2010-04-21T00:44:27Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > Yeah, well most of Youtube amounts to pirating. I read recently that YouTube is now selling ads on the pirated videos and sending a cut to the copyright owners, which has convinced some of the copyright owners to leave the pirated videos alone. But not all. I saw a version of the Mahna Mahna Muppets video in which one of the music licensors had requested that their audio be removed. So the whole thing was silent. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/13 "2010-04-21T00:46:31Z")
I use RealPlayer to download and a couple of days ago, with the facelift, I wasn’t able until I updated it. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/14 "2010-04-21T06:22:26Z")
Looks like I needed to do an update to my Java to get it working… ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/15 "2010-04-22T04:26:09Z")
I was trying to download a few with keepvid a few weeks ago without success. Then I discovered jdownloader (mainly used to automate downloads from sites like rapidshare, megaupload, etc.) will do it. ---
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/16 "2010-04-23T01:01:37Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > But not all. I saw a version of the Mahna Mahna Muppets video in which one of the music licensors had requested that their audio be removed. So the whole thing was silent. The shadow priest version (from WoW)? Anyhow, I’m a huge fan of [Downloadhelper](http://www.downloadhelper.net/) for saving videos. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/17 "2010-04-23T01:16:08Z")
I installed Firefox Download Helper. I’m having trouble getting the higher res youtubes. A few vids offer the HQ22 mp4 hi res. Most of them only show HQ18 mp4 in download helper. A few only show flv. Is this normal? Does it have something to do with how the original file was uploaded? HQ22 mp4 is 720p and looks fantastic. It’s frustrating that most vids aren’t offering it. The material I’m getting is from an amateur singing covers of hits. youtube is the only source. This lady hasn’t recorded anything professionally. > [@DCnDC](#): > > I downloaded a whole bunch of stuff yesterday afternoon using the Firefox Download Helper. ---
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/18 "2010-04-23T01:45:19Z")
Yeah, I’m pretty sure it depends on what the user uploaded. I don’t see HQ22 very often. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downloading-from-youtube-being-blocked/536726/19 "2010-04-23T21:35:23Z")
I discovered today there’s an option under advanced Search to get HD only. Sometimes there’s multiple uploads of the same thing. Makes sense to watch in HD if possible.