question on swf to video conversion

[cypherslock]

I've got downloadhelper and firefox 3. I'm trying to download and convert a page that has an embedded swf video in it. I want to convert it to a playable format ie avi or wmv and am stumped and in need of guidance. Can someone tell me how they do it? I want to archive the video.

Thanks

[digileaf]

Hi Cypherslock

I can give a bit of guidance here ... first I just want to check whether you know if you are allowed to copy and use this video. Be careful and make sure that you are not infringing someone elses copyright. Usually, if you have genuine rights to the material (e.g. if you're an affiliate), you could ask the copyright holder for the format that you want.

Anyway, that aside. You can play a swf video in a web page (and i presume you've already got the html code for that in the webpage you've downloaded). There are also a number of free swf players that you can download (just do a google search).

Similarly, there are also a number of programs you can download to convert different video formats. Again, you can Google 'media converter' or 'video converter' and check whether the program does swf to avi. Most do now, but not all.

However, a word of warning on conversion to a playable format such as avi or wmv. Video files that are on the web (such as swf's) are usually heavily compressed, to make them small enough to download or stream. The process of compression involves reducing the frame size, cutting down the number of frames per second and the reducing the quality of each frame, from the original quality; it cannot be reversed. So just bear in mind your playable version, can only ever be 'web' quality, unless you manage to get your hands on the source (uncompressed) material.

Hope that helps.

Kate

[cypherslock]

Thanks Kate. I paid for the videos and want to archive them to watch at a later date. I've no plans to use them per se.

[digileaf]

In that case, I think your best bet is to download something like swiff player by globfx.com, which is free, and then play them as they are on your PC without converting them. I have installed it on my PC - it only took a few seconds to install.

Type in free swf player to Google and it will probably come out top.

Kate

[justmore]

hi if you want to convert swf to other video formats such as AVI, mpeg, I recommend moyea swf to video converter, which is famous for this function, what's more, it convert both online swf url and offline swf files, I'm sure you'll be satisfied with it, just google Moyea swf to video converter, you'll find it.

[John Ritz]

Here's a nice free video conversion site I use:

Media Convert - free and on line - convert and split sound, ringtones, images, docs -

John

[Mubarak Waseem]

No, no no no and... no.

Sorry, buddy, but there are a few things that you need to know.

If the video has a skin, ie a camtasia vid skin, then you can only ever keep it in swf, because no other format allows for that interaction. You cannot click things and make stuff happen on an avi, without using a media player. If it is a raw .swf, without a skin, you will be able to, but I doubt it VERY much.

My advice, get camtasia, and record the vids yourself...

[GLD]

Not sure of this is the proper place for this question. Apologize if not.
After reading this I was interested to know what our rights are concerning courses we have purchased. It seems like lots of them are web based video and not all of them offer a downloadable version of the lessons. Those that do not, must not want us to download even though we bought the info. Is it OK, ethical, etc to use other tools to obtain these training vids?
Thanks.

[Mubarak Waseem]

Ok, I think that is alright IF we have bought the course. But some people then upload it, and that is immoral, unethical, and above all, illigal

Mubarak

[amilla]

i tried Flash to Video Encoder PRO. A very functional converter! The come out files in a good quality! u can Add watermarks, logos and copyright messages to video file easy! convert any Adobe (Macromedia) Flash (swf, flv files) to video movie AVI, mp4, ASF/WMV, mpeg files, etc.
More information at geovid.com
Have a nice day!

[Mubarak Waseem]

Amilla. Can it decompile skins as well? If it can, then that is the product you are after!!

[cypherslock]

Thanks very much for the info guys. I took Kate's advice and have got a swf player. Makes things much easier. And no, I certainly am not planning on doing anything except going back to absorb the info over time.

[John Ritz]

In answer to the question about downloading videos, the Realplayer Browser Record Plugin for Firefox will let you download videos and save them on your computer.

If you're looking to download videos from just YouTube, for example, you can do that for free at iDesktop - browse, watch, download YouTube videos

John

[John Ritz]

The problem with screen capture software is what you see is what you get. I've done that a few times in the past, and here are some examples of when that screen capture didn't come out the way I had planned/hoped:

- A little bit of net latency causes the video you're trying to record to jump or pause during playback

- Outlook decides at that moment it can't connect to one of my many mail servers and throws the login box smack in the middle of the video

- Sound buffering issues due to aforementioned latency

- Encoding translation issues - you need to encode the audio and video again, and if it doesn't match up with the original, there could be issues

- You forget to turn off Twirl or TweetDeck or something that beeps in the background when you get anew message or twee - that gets recorded too!

Sometimes those problems can be so annoying that you need to start over with the screen capture and play the video again (a huge time waster if the video is long)

If you just grab the source video in its digital format, alreay compressed and encoded and ready to go, these issues don't come into play.

John