Copying Flash to Hard Drive

[ImnoGuru]

Hello and thank you for looking at my thread.

I have tried to copy flash video to my hard drive and several options are available to do it apparently.
I am using Firefox mainly and the computer has Windows XP Pro SP3 with plenty of drive space available and 1.5 gig ram.
I tried using "Tools" "Page Info" "Media" Select the required file (swf) and then "Save as" in the bottom right hand corner.
Sometimes this has worked. Mostly though it has not. 

I am a member of a website that has video tutorials that I want to save to my computer so I can view them at my leisure and have tried this method but they dont save any video or audio?
I get the complete screen, title and the time displayed of how long the video is... but no video or audio.

Can some one please tell me what it is I am doing wrong, or tell me an alternative way of saving these tutorials?

Thank you. ImnoGuru.

[truenorth]

See if this will help you= http://www.nirsoft.net/articles/copy_flash_flv_temp_file.html
truenorth

[ImnoGuru]

Thanks truenorth for your post. I will try that method today and see where that takes me.

I did a bit of research on the subject in the meantime and followed another method that led me through "Tools+Page info+Media". Find the swf file, open new window and type "about:cache" in the location bar.
That window came up with " The cache is disabled"

This may be a clue as to what I need to do to take a copy of this video.

Setting up a camera in front of the screen and letting the video play, while recording the video in that manner has been my best solution to date. Its very fuzzy and distorted from the screen refreshing. Not exactly optimal.

[ImnoGuru]

Thanks for your post truenorth.

Wow that worked a treat. Sensational. 

I have spent hours and hours searching and downloading programs that say they are going to do just that, and you come up with this gem. Fantastic. Works great.

Now I feel I will be able to get the value of the system I have paid for. I've been caught out with this company before... well, not caught out so much... but they changed to a different website and renamed it, so all the old content was deleted and the new format didnt include the old material.

Now I can copy it with this, save it to view later, and your program is easy to understand and use.

Thanks heaps.

[truenorth]

Your very welcome. Glad to hear it is doing what you wanted. Wish i could say it was "my program" i would probably be a lot richer in pocket. All i did was research for you and found the one you are now able to benefit from.  truenorth

[ImnoGuru]

truenorth, I searched and googled till I ended up with carpal tunnel injuries trying to find one that worked well.
I ended up with 12 of them. And they all have to be learned, just to test whether they work or not. I only got to the 5th one before I asked for some help here.
It was driving me nuts.

The one you recommended worked first time, no great read me file. Just download open and operate. Worked a treat.
See its all in the way you search for stuff, but youve gotta know what it is your looking for first.
I'll remember you in my will.

Thanks again truenorth.

[ImnoGuru]

Just a quick update on copying those flash video's truenorth.

That program you showed me has worked a treat.
It has to be the easiest one I have seen yet. Cant thank you enough. 
So far I have about 26 out of about 170 or more video's. 

And every video has a link to somewhere else to learn what they are talking about. So I'll just have to concentrate on downloading them first I think.
I only have about two months left of the contract to get them. (I dont know what happens after that though yet... whether I still get access to them or not?)
( I should really... I paid for them) Must ask when I get a chance.

Thanks again.

[ImnoGuru]

Hi updating on my video downloads.
Thanks to truenorth for the suggestion to use  videocache view.
It worked for most of the videos I viewed so far but not for all of them.

I'm up to module 5 out of 12 and I worked out that there are approximately 500 odd videos.
(So really good value for my investment and subscription.)

There are a lot of videos that it just doesnt see in the cache.

I downloaded FVD for F/Fox but same thing.... "No videos available for download" is the message that it gives me a lot of the time. 
I downloaded heaps of programs that say they are video capture programs, but they are mainly for an operator to record and place on the net.
I need something the other way round.

Does anyone have another suggestion that might pick up these other videos that I want to copy to my hard drive.

The other videos are a variety of brands, like camtasia. I dont know the others but those ones open in a new window and start automatically.I have been using my digital camera on video mode to copy them, but they end up with huge file sizes of 500,000 mb.
So that is clearly not acceptable.

I hope someone might be able to help me with this copying video from screen problem.

Thank you.
ImnoGuru.