How to Download Google Video

November 5 by | 86 comments | Lifehack, Technology | Tags: ,

Okay, it is just not fun to play video online with slow Internet connection – to have smooth video playback, the best way it is still downloading the whole clip locally and playback. However Google Video does not provide a link for one to download. The movie is played by Google Video Player, which is Online Flash FLV player.

New Method: The easiest method now to download google video is to use online video download service to expose the real URL.

Old Method:
Good news is that Felipe Cepriano over at FelipeCN has found a quick way to download Google Video. The key is to unescape the parameter of the Google Player URL by using a javascript function. In simple instruction:

  • Go to Google Video and find a video.
  • View the page source code and search for the keyword ‘googleplayer‘
  • Copy and paste the videoUrl parameter (all of the characters after the keyword ‘videoUrl=’)
  • Press Ctrl-L to go to URL location bar. Type Javascript:unescape(”videoUrl”) where videoUrl should be the last parameter you have copied into the clipboard.
  • It should output the actual URL on the broswer, copy and paste that URL onto your browser location bar again to download the FLV movie.
  • Play it with a FLV Player.

Download Google Videos

  • naizak

    ThanX..

  • ahmad

    Hi,
    You forgot to put one more step to run the file and I’m going to write that for you :)

    After downloading the FLV movie file, you have to change the files’ extension to “.FLV” Then you are able to run and play the file by “FLV Player”

  • Pingback: Quirky Outtakes

  • Pingback: tonetheman links » Blog Archive »

  • Web Surfer

    All this seems like a real waste of time. You configure your browser once and resolve the problem quicker thereafter.

    Setup
    1) Surf with Firefox.
    3) Install Adblock plugin
    3) Set the file formats to prompt you how to handle them in the file settings:

    Tools>> Options >> Downloads >> View and edit Actions (button)>> Select file type(s) as necessary >> Change Action (button)..Select “download to my computer”

    Thereafter
    1) You surf to a Google page, Adblock puts a tab above the video.
    2)Click the tab.
    3) Cut the url address for the video, shockwave file or whatever
    4) Cancel the adblock window
    5) Paste the url you cut into the url field of the browser & press enter
    6) Firefox allows you to then save it. (You can have it got to your desktop or have firefox prompt you as to the folder)

    That may seen longer, but it isn’t. It gives you instant visibility to the url of many obscured files. You just have to be careful that you don’t block the movie with adblock. That’s why you cut and then cancel the adblock confirmation window.

    MOTAR the imperious

  • Pingback: eb1og » Blog Archive » แอบจิ๊ก Google Video

  • Pingback: eb1og » Blog Archive » แอบจิ๊ก Google Video

  • erroneousBollock

    If you have Firefox, the most simple, most flexible way is the following greasemonkey user script.

    It adds a “download video” link to the right hand side description of each video page.

    (Just click on the link, then click install)
    http://userscripts.org/scripts/source/2084.user.js

  • el amigo informatico

    i try the greasemonkey script but dont works for me :(

  • Pingback: linkorama » Técnicas para bajar videos de Google

  • Pingback: Project :: penkiblog » Blog Archive » 1225

  • http://www.dandavis.com dan

    Use this boomarklet:

    javascript:void(location.href=unescape(prompt(“google videoUrl”,”")))

  • Pingback: the house of dan » download vids from google videos

  • Pingback: Links » Blog Archive » lifehack.org » Blog Archive » How to Download Google Video

  • WalterG

    Why doing so complicated to get the URL of a Google-video for download??
    If they are short, watch them and afterwards copy them from your local temporary internet files, by me overhere: “C:\Documents and Settings\yourusername\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files”
    I’ve made a desktop link for fast access to copy items if they are forbidden from an Explorer screen.

  • http://j0nzj.deviantart.com j0nzj

    The VLC media player also can play this videos.

  • http://vmist.net DigitalJaguar

    Because the “Temporary Internet Files” folder will delete files after a set time.
    If you are using the
    “Javascript:unescape(”videoUrl”)”
    Explained in this blog, there are a few woes that come if you try to run it using IE.
    Probably was replaced by the blog program but what you really need to do is replace ” ” ” with ” ‘ ” single quote.
    “Javascript:unescape(‘videoUrl’)”

  • Pingback: links for 2006-01-01 at Uncalm

  • Pingback: luxoro dot org

  • Pingback: Convert Flash Video (.flv) to AVI (.avi) or MPEG (.mpg) - lifehack.org

  • Pingback: Doc Ott’s Life Hack Blog » Blog Archive » How to Download Google Videos and then convert them

  • Pingback: Google do the right thing at detronizator.org

  • http://spongeblog.blog-city.com Jay

    Hi, i found your blog while Googling for a way to download Google videos, because they really clamped down and I can’t any more. Luckily I downloaded a video before the crackdown, but it won’t import properly in Windows Movie Maker! (It’s been converted from flv to AVI.) I don’t understand. It plays for a few seconds, then freezes. I am desperatley trying to edit this video : (

  • Unknown

    I’m trying to use the Adblock plugin and I can bring up the url for the video (videourl=) but what exacly do I copy? I have no clue when the url stops becasue theres a lot of jibberish on that section. I’ve tried copying certain parts of the videourl but all i get is the page could not be found. What am I doing wrong. Could someone do an example with screenshots? Thanks

  • Lakerman

    Ok, quick question here about the google videos. I actually went and bought one of the videos off Google (NBA game). I have three files that were downloaded about 1 gb each. Ok, so now that I have these three files (in .gvi format), is there any way I can convert these to a format I can put on my ipod? Sorry if this is a newb question, but it’s been driving me crazy. Thanks for any help you have.

  • Big D

    I’ve got the same problem as Lakerman. I’ve got these copywright protected gvi movies downloaded from Google and I’d like to convert them to avi. Has anyone cracked that code yet. BTW Google will only let you download copy protected content in the gvi format. Also I tried the downloadgooglevideo.cjb.net and it kept giving me an eror msg. I asume it’s because it’s copy protected pay content.
    If anyone can help let me know!

  • http://www.dengjie.com Danger
  • rickky

    hello iwanted to know that how to download videos from youtube.com??
    thanks

  • http://www.dengjie.com Danger
  • Raptor007

    If you use Firefox on Mac OS X, it just downloads as an AVI instead. :)

  • Coolie-O

    Danger, (or anyone here)

    After downloading from youtube, i get a get_video file with no extensions… what do i do now?

  • Pingback: rakhesh shows … » How to Download Google Video

  • The Laughing Man

    >>After downloading from youtube, i get a get_video file with no extensions… what do i do now?

    It’s a container format.

    Either you can rename it to the video format or to an FLV and use Flash decrypter to export the contained media.

  • Epsilon

    Vdownloader is a program that can download videos from Youtube and Google Video and save them as AVI or MPG files with just one click, without complicated scripts :-)

    It can be downloaded here:

    http://www.enriquepuertas.com/wp-content/files/vdownloader.zip

  • http://keepvid.com/ david s

    another easier and faster way to download google video is copy the url and paste it at this site: http://keepvid.com/

    you get the download links immediately!

    gracias :)

  • Kaushal

    First of all thanks to whoever wrote “How to Download Google Video”… on the basis of that I wrote the steps of downloading esp for Firefox

    How to download Google Videos using Firefox
    ===========================================
    1) open any google video page
    2) go to tools -> page info -> media
    3) select the link showing ‘Embed’ type
    4) from its associated Address field, copy everything after ‘videoUrl=’
    5) now in the address bar, type ‘javascript:unescape(“”)’ and paste that copied thing in between the double quotes.
    6) on pressing enter, you will get a link on the page
    7) copy that link and paste it in the address bar, so Firefox will prompt you to downlod that… so download that file
    8) now that file can be viewed using FLV player

  • divinebastard

    Grab the flv files in your cache folder hihi…

  • http://youtube cagalli

    I still can’t understand how to download the youtube video…
    So,can anyone give me a another or more clear information? please…….

  • Pingback: mogrify » Blog Archive » download google video with a bookmarklet

  • Pingback: Yi-Feng Tzeng の Blog » Blog Archive » How to download Google Video

  • Marcos

    so simple to convert: just use VirtualDub and make sure Direct Stream Copy is selected (on the Video menu)

  • pissed off

    you are all phucked, none of these work

  • Pingback: » Download Google Videos As AVI Files

  • hermon

    cool thanks for this

  • http://ruliweb.com Sangcheol

    thank you~!!!

  • yunmyum boobies

    athos you are the man! thanks a lot dude

  • Cyrus

    Athos that is a great script! Thank you!

  • http://www.flash-video-mx.com/flash_to_video_web/ flash to video

    use Moyea Flash to Video Converter to Convert google video(flv) to avi.

    Get it at http://www.flash-video-mx.com/flash_to_video_web/

  • Stig

    Thank you Athos, I diddn´t know I could understand so much Hungarian. The js-code
    worked smoothley thou.

  • http://1024k.de/bookmarklets/video-bookmarklets.html Video Bookmarklets & Greasemonkey Scripts

    I found another site that offers scripts to download Google Video clips:

    http://1024k.de/bookmarklets/video-bookmarklets.html

    The scripts (bookmarklets and greasemonkey scripts) support Google Video as well as some other sites.

  • http://tna.dedos.net tnarik

    you can also try Ook? Video Ook!, a Firefox extension which finds the titles of the videos and use them (and the appropiate file extension) to generate the file name.

  • Thao Storm

    Hi all!
    Another site to get links from Youtube. Google,… is http://keepvid.com
    It’s useful!

  • Pingback: (Zhang Ling’s Blog) » Blog Archive » ˵.flvƵ

  • http://hvaonline.net Cyber9uy

    I got another way to get Google video. Just take it easy by adding format .FLV into Internet Download Manager. You know, it will be automatic to download.

    Let’s try it. Hopefully it’s useful.

  • CommerceLess

    Forget about commercial gvi to avi converters! All Bulls..t!

    Naevius^^ and GVideoFix v2.0 are big programs for such a small task like removing the header information from the AVI files (more precisely a list of type “goog”). Naevius with 37.6 Mb and 20$ isn´t even worth thinking about, GVideoFix 2 – ok, 4.19MB and donation-ware.

    A very nice and small tool converts it for free. Daelin´s free GVI2AVI http://www.kultiras.net/programs/Gvi2Avi.zip does the job perfect. Just 96 KByte and voila. .NET Framework (2.x) necessary.

  • Phsyco_kid

    Just download the iPod version from google video. It will give you an mpeg4/mpg4/mp4 (same thing) video. If you do not have something that can play mpeg4, then you need help. (However, the video is set for lower resolution than normal to fit an iPod screen)

    The a modified version of the greasemonkey script or the adblock settings should work for youtube.

  • Godmy

    I dont know it was published before me…
    but actual Google video player is saving video itself , you can even choose a directory .. and downloaded gvi files convert with VirtualDub as Direct Stream Copy

  • http://www.mczone.ru Game portal downloads

    Thanks a lot!
    http://www.mczone.ru

  • http://zztools.blogspot.com ZZTech

    And once you have the converted files you can make DVD – which is useful because television screens produce quality pictures.
    The steps required are described here:
    http://zztools.blogspot.com/ under ‘How to make a DVD from a set of mpg files’

  • http://www.downloadgooglevideos.cjb.net GVD
  • rob

    http://www.clibnabber.com is another site for downloading videos and it has a very nice user interface

  • Pingback: mayvelous » Downloading Google Video » Me, Myself and Mayvelous

  • http://stastny.info Happy

    Hi everybody, please check following How-to about downloading video files from google directly without any special software installation. How-to is here http://stastny.info

  • http://stastny.info Happy

    OOps, sorry, guideline Google Video Direct Download is located here http://stastny.info/default.php?mpart=googlevideodownload&mplng=en

  • aimei

    One of my favorites on Internet is all kinds of fantastic videos, and I enjoy them so much… For there are TON of to search, to be more effective and amused, I’m here sincerely recommend you to visit http://www.LeechVideo.com.
    We’ll share free and marvelous video downloads with you here – check back frequently as more are being added on a regular basis all of time.

  • aimei

    Download videos from Youtube, Google, Metacafe, iFilm, Dailymotion… and other 60+ video sites ! And all embedded objects on a webpage (LeechVideo.com offers all kinds of online Video format,wmv,flv,etc.) ! Directly & quickly!

  • http://ngen2007.blogspot.com/ Alexander

    http://stage6.divx.com/members/267/videos/1026762

    here is my way of downloading google videos

  • http://mainpost.org Larry

    Great Site! I was looking for this since, since, I don’t know when….
    At last, everything worked

  • fuck face

    ur site iz shit.

  • Pingback: Vie de Malchance

  • http://www.isulongseophil.com/ ituloy angsulong

    thanks there. i was actually searching google how to download its video.

  • http://www.e-infanta.com Philip

    Thanks for the tools….

  • http://gianluca82.altervista.org Gianluca Ghettini

    Hi everybody!
    Let me show my program to download and decode google videos!
    It’s a small and simple program (no installation required nor other complicated procedures) that performs downloading and decoding of any google videos you want!
    You may ask… “decoding function? what’s it?” Yeah, google video files comes in a special encoded form that prevent playing it with standard commercial player…
    So my program let you see google videos with ANY player, not only FLV Player, thanks to the decoding function.

    You can find it easily in my own website at http://gianluca82.altervista.org

    Feel free to try it!
    Thanks!

  • http://gianluca82.altervista.org Gianluca Ghettini

    Oh, my program’s name is “freegv” (free google video) !!!
    Here the link to download the zipped archive:
    http://gianluca82.altervista.org/freegv/FreeGV.zip

    byez

  • nps

    hi thanks for this.i am searching www for this tool top to bottom. could any one suggest how to make it support download speed enhancer software like down load express. actually through videoDl.org, download express cannot create more threads that means slow down loads may be 2 to 3 hours for 100mb.

  • http://boxprices.com Gerard Kennedy

    I’ve taken a quick look at your postings, which are very interesting. Lots of material and ideas! Congrats on being so focused!

    The advice given in your blog is fantastic and very complimentary to my site, check it out http://boxprices.com
    ———–
    Gerard Kennedy

  • http://www.sitesim.com Cyriac

    i personally liked it.unlike yotube grabber,which some times doesnt do the job for me,i think this thing rockzzzz

    guys if you want to use free proxy service,just go to http://www.sitesim.com

  • http://work-at-homes.blogspot.com Work At Homes

    Thanks for the tip. Looks like everyone got their own little favourite way to do it.

  • http://myspace.com/sebbyzone Sebastian

    Alright,
    I did my part, and read the entire article and probably half of the following comments, but im still not having any luck.

    I’m trying to download a series of short films from the sundance channel’s website call ‘the art of seduction’

    they can be found here: http://www.sundancechannel.com/seduction

    usually, in theser situations, ive written a handy little script in notepad that allows me to find the embeded file and download it directly. such is not the case here.

    any words of advice?

  • http://www.allseocontest.com ituloy angsulong

    I am finding ways to download the videos from youtube and google and it keeps me annoyed becuase of those buffering that makes the video not playing continously, thanks for this tutorial.

  • http://www.onmeco.de texterstellung

    Oh thank you for this article.
    If I want an avi File, there is no way to make this File directly?

  • Pingback: luxoro dot org

  • Pingback: Eric

  • Pingback: Life after People - Apocalypsen-Dokumentation online - Nerdcore

  • Pingback: How to download YouTube, Google Video & other videos

  • Pingback: Google Video stopt, download je filmpjes - Studio Foppe, Wijchen