There are many ways to download streaming video’s from YouTube or other similar video services.You can easily download any streaming video’s to your desktop within your browser. Here you go with my preferred method to download the streaming video in Firefox is using Firefox add on Video downloadhelper. Install this add-on and restart your Firefox browser you will get an icon for video downloadhelper. If no streaming content is available in the browser it will remains like deactivated. ( see screenshot )
Now load a page with streaming video. Once it detect streaming contents in the webpage it automatically gets activated and the icon starts revolving. If you click the video downloadhelper icon it will show the list of streaming contents available and you can save it to your desktop.
Best thing with Video downloadhelper is once you viewed the video (fully streamed ) you can download it instantaneously.It won’t download the content again from the server.You can customize video downloadhelper to easily download the HD video’s from YouTube. Modify the preference of Video download helper like the screenshot below.

You can also do some basic video conversion with video downloadhelper.But its limited and you need to register and it requires an external application to do this.But it do very well in with downloading videos.If you need the downloaded video’s only for viewing purpose you can use flvplayer or install K-lite codec to play flv files in almost any player.
If you need more help for this add-on you can get it here. And do comment here if you want to share something.
informative post !!
thanks a lot !!
I had Video Downloadhelper installed and had to delete it: it made everything I DL’d have a ” at the end of the file name. So if a friend emailed me a bunch of pictures they’d be FileName.Jpg” and I’d have to rename the file before it would open. I got the NetVideoHunter extension for FireFox instead and it’s a lot better – not only does it not mess up other downloads but it captures ANY Flash video, not just the sites that Video Downloadhelper supports. You are spot-on with the K-Lite Codec Pack though….I love that one!
Doesn’t download from every site, only most of them. Get your title right please.