Finding the .flv link from a youtube video link.

[Jacob]

I need your help on creating a website that takes a youtube video link and gives back the .flv.

So, a text box will allow for the youtube link entry, something like this:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=u5qcccB5-JM
and then bring back the flv link.

I have no real understanding of this and I would appreciate any help.
Thanks in advance.

[ChrisXPPro]

Not totally sure what you plan.

To address a vid from YouTube does of course require the usual code per your example url - and I don't think a url using an .flv filename will work.  So - wondering quite why you want the .flv name.

If I download a YouTube vid with my download manager then of course I will finish up with an .flv with a filename.

Maybe you can explain a bit more what you are trying to do and why.

[Jacob]

Not totally sure what you plan.

To address a vid from YouTube does of course require the usual code per your example url - and I don't think a url using an .flv filename will work.  So - wondering quite why you want the .flv name.

If I download a YouTube vid with my download manager then of course I will finish up with an .flv with a filename.

Maybe you can explain a bit more what you are trying to do and why.

Of course some programs exist where you put in the youtube video url, it then contacts the server and gives you the .flv link in which you can download. I have researched this and youtube of course use many servers, therefore there is no static url which you could use, as an example: flv.youtube.com/kfjf76f-O, of course it would be more like:
server1.youtube.com/kfjf76f-O.flv
server2.youtube.com/kfjf76f-O.flv
I was simply wondering if anybody knows how you would create either a website or exe that would find the .flv link,  a good example is www.mediaconverter.org.

Thanks for your time.

[ChrisXPPro]

I have used media converter - and similar - but that is IMO a standalone program to use on your own puter - and cannot see it doing what you want on a server for a web page.

The problem as I see it is, the YouTube vids are stored with this alpha/numeric file designation and no use of (or need even) for an extension.  If I download a vid - which starts off of course as the alpha/numeric designation in the url - it does get a filename with .flv extension ... so the info is there.

I am still somewhat at a loss to see why you want the filename.flv aspect - or is this something you want for search purposes?  Even so I can't right now see it being viable - search seems for most part - within YouTube itself anyways - to be geared to tags.

Sorry if I am not fully seeing your proposed final goal or purpose.

[Jacob]

In short, I want to make a webpage like media converter. Do I need a virtual server for this, or is a standard web host server fine?

[ChrisXPPro]

OK - I see.

Well sites do exist that offer to do conversions but I have no idea what methods they use.  This is beyond my scope of operations!

[Jacob]

OK - I see.

Well sites do exist that offer to do conversions but I have no idea what methods they use.  This is beyond my scope of operations!

Thanks, but it is not conversions I want, it is the process of getting a .flv link from a youtube video link.
  Thanks for your help.

[ChrisXPPro]

the process of getting a .flv link from a youtube video link.

Oh OK - tho have to admit I still can't see the purpose or usefulness of that! 

[Jacob]

the process of getting a .flv link from a youtube video link.

Oh OK - tho have to admit I still can't see the purpose or usefulness of that! 

So you can then convert it to whatever you like, for example to .mp3 or .wmv

[ChrisXPPro]

So you can then convert it to whatever you like, for example to .mp3 or .wmv

Hmm - still missing something, as I do that after a save from YouTube sometimes!  FLV download and then to whatever format I want if needed.

[Jacob]

Yes, I need to know how a site like media converter can get the flv's. 

[Jacob]

I have found a website that offers a way of doing it:
located here:
http://www.inspirated.com/wordpress/2007/08/24/howto-download-flv-videos-from-youtube-manually
I know how to do this in batch, but not in any web language, could anybody shed some light please?

[ChrisXPPro]

Looks a promising approach ... I think if I had deep enough skills in PHP, that could make a solution to automate the process.

[Jacob]

So PHP is the way forward? 

[ChrisXPPro]

So PHP is the way forward? 

Possibly! 

[Jacob]

Thanks for your help, I have created a new topic, just for the purpose of getting the .flv.