Categorized | Friday Freebie

Freebie Friday #11: Free YouTube video converter

Posted on March 09, 2007 by Tim Schmoyer | Print This Post Print This Post

Freebie Friday YouTube video converterThis week’s resource isn’t specifically a youth ministry resource per se, but it is definitely a tool that has served me well in preparing video youth ministry materials.

With all the videos available on YouTube, Google Video and elsewhere, it’s pretty easy to find good lesson illustrations, intros, funny clips for a laugh and even worship videos. I used to download these videos from YouTube with Firefox extensions and then convert them into formats I could actually burn to DVD or use in PowerPoint or KeyNote. However, thanks to Vixy.net, the entire process is now as simple as copying and pasting the video’s URL to their site and waiting for your video download to start in whatever format you choose. The quality is pretty decent and the speed is surprisingly quick. Vixy.net adds their logo to the end of each video, as show below, but those frames are easily removed with most video editing software packages.

Vixy.net logoVisit http://vixy.net

There’s probably other services that do the same thing, but this is the one I’ve been using to rip free embedded videos for use in youth ministry presentations. It’s saved me lots of time and hopefully it will for you, too.

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14 Comments For This Post

  1. adam Says:

    I just figured out something cool for mediashout users. You can display YouTube videos full screen.

    Go to a youtube video and click the “full screen” button. That will give you a URL you can then drop in Annette and “bang” you’ve got it.

    PA

  2. Brian Eberly Says:

    Great resource! I love finding stuff like that. Thanks!

  3. Tim Says:

    You’re very welcome! :)

  4. Isaac Says:

    Hey thanks for this…

    I appreciate it…

  5. Steve Blanchard Says:

    Thanks Tim! I definitely will check into it. Do you know if it can convert google’s videos?

    I know that google has it’s own player, but just wondering because I would love to be able to stick some of those things into media shout.

    Steve

  6. Tim Says:

    I just tried it with Google Video and it didn’t work. If you can get the URL to the Google video’s flv file, then it’ll work with that address, but it didn’t with the full URL. However, Javimoya.com will do it with Google Video and other places. I used to use their Firefox extension, but sometimes it wouldn’t work and it usually turned out to be more trouble than it’s worth. Maybe their site works better than the extension, though.

  7. Scott Says:

    Hey I was wondering if you thought that this was stealing at all.

  8. adam Says:

    Scott, I guess if it’s copyrighted works… it’s probably not legal. But certainly self-produced work put on youtube are meant to be used.

    I’ve found another option for you guys… you can download it using the FLV firefox extension and then convert it with a program called “super” to any format you’d like.

  9. Tim Says:

    Yeah, any videos posed on YouTube and Google Video and other such places are already supposed to be copyright-free. People like myself create videos and upload them to YouTube for the sole purpose of sharing them with other people to view and use. If we were talking about studio released movies or something, that would be a different story.

  10. Lisa Says:

    Hey Guys, I just used the converter for the first time today, and when my video was ready to download the advert on the site was for porn…nuf said. Just be careful out there.
    God Bless Y’all,
    Lisa

  11. Tim Says:

    Sorry about that, Lisa! When I wrote this I don’t think the site was using advertising at all.

  12. Lisa Says:

    No prob, Tim, on the web stuff happens. Just, Walk Boldly and Carry a Big Sword!

  13. Darron Says:

    But if the material used is not original e.g. the New Again video mixes (feat. Paisley & Evans), how can that be legal? In this case both the song and the movie from which the clips are taken are copyrighted. I have now spent several hours researching this issue in the hopes of finding a definitive answer and have not. It's maddening to be honest. Do you know of any clear directives on this subject? I'd be eternally grateful :-)

  14. Tim Schmoyer Says:

    I don't know of a CLEAR answer, no, but I say if you feel cautious doing it, then don't do it.



3 Trackbacks For This Post

  1. Smart Pastor Says:

    links from Technoratiof the most innovative churches from the good folks at church marketing sucks. I have not heard of many at the top of the list. http://www.squidoo.com/innovativechurches/ Tim Schmoyer gives us the heads up on another way to convert YouTube videos. http://www.studentministry.org/2007/03/09/freebie-friday-11-free-youtube-video-converter/ LifeHacker on tricks you can do with your cell phone. http://lifehacker.com/software/cell-phone/alpha-geek-10-cool-cell-phone-tricks-243276.php How to become a better at telling stories.

  2. Internet tools I use in ministry (6 of 6): vconvert.net | Life in Student Ministry Says:

    [...] this year I blogged about a site called vixy.net, a tool I used to download YouTube videos in various different formats to use for teaching [...]

  3. MediaComplete Forums - Direct-linking to YouTube Video? Says:

    Kramer auto Pingback[...] searched the internet, not just the forums, before asking. A comment posted after this (http://www.studentministry.org/2007/03/09/freebie-friday-11-free-youtube-video-converter/) article explains how it’s [...]

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About me: I am married to my beautiful wife, Dana, and together we live in Minnesota where I serve as the youth pastor at our local church. The opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my church. More about me...

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