skullbochs

For a while now I’ve been wanting a way to download YouTube videos in 720p. I knew how to do it in Safari using the Activity Window, so it’s only been since I’ve switched to GNU/Linux as my main that the need has became pressing (especially since even Adobe’s proprietary Flash plugin has a hard time with HD and any video in fullscreen). So, tonight, having decided I’d download Home, I went looking for a way to download in HD.

I found a nifty little bookmarklet: Download YouTube HD. Drag that link your bookmarks bar, go to a YouTube video with HD, and click on it, and a link will be added at the bottom of the info box saying “Download as 720p HD MP4.” Right click on it, and save the video wherever.

I also found a bookmarklet for saving the high-quality (but no HD) mpeg4 version of any video: Download YouTube MP4. Similar deal: drag that to you bookmarks bar, go to a YouTube video, and click on it. This time, however, you’ll simply be asked by your browser to save the file. You don’t have to click any other links.

As I said, these are especially useful under GNU/Linux, where there are a million great desktop video players but the Adobe Flash plugin, let alone the free implementations of swf, is not that great.