How to Download Flowplayer Videos

Flowplayer's sleek user interface and abundance of third party plug-ins offer video site owners many more streaming possibilities than some basic Web player applications. One feature that wins converts to Flowplayer is the ability to disable video downloads for some or all users. Webmasters that enable the download block usually do so to require registration and the submission of an email address and other user details. While it's not possible to download Flowplayer videos directly from the player in these cases, you can use freely available plug-ins or download sites to save the clips to your computer.

Download in Firefox

Video of the Day

Step 1

Double-click the Firefox desktop icon to launch the browser. Click the "Tools" link on the menu bar and then click "Add-ons." If you are using Firefox version 4 or above, press the "Alt" key to display the menu bar before clicking "Tools."

Video of the Day

Step 2

Use the "Search" function on the Mozilla Firefox Add-ons site to find a plug-in that allows you to download videos from streaming websites, such as those that use the Flowplayer media player. Firefox plug-ins such as Ant Downloader, FlashAndVideo and Video DownloadHelper are free and let you download Flowplayer videos with a couple of mouse clicks.

Step 3

Click and select the Firefox plug-in name in the browser window to open its download page. Click "Add to Firefox" and wait for Firefox to download the plug-in installation file.

Step 4

Click the "Install Now" button in the Firefox browser window when prompted. Firefox installs the plug-in and prompts you to restart the browser. Click the "Restart" button.

Step 5

Navigate to a website that uses the Flowplayer media player to stream video clips. Allow the video to load in the player and begin playing. Click the "Pause" button on the player. Click the Firefox toolbar or status bar icon for the video downloader plug-in. The "Save Video" or "Save As" file browser window appears on the screen.

Download in Internet Explorer

Step 1

Download an Internet Explorer add-on or plug-in application that allows you to download streaming videos to your hard drive. Add-ons such as FlashCatch and plug-in applications like Ant Downloader enable you to download videos from many video sharing sites, including those that use the Flowplayer media player. Save the add-on or application installer file to a folder on your computer. Close Internet Explorer after you download and save the file.

Step 2

Click "Start" and then click "Computer" to launch Windows Explorer. Navigate to the folder containing the Internet Explorer add-on or plug-in application. Double-click the file and follow the on-screen prompts to install the video downloader app in Internet Explorer. Reboot the computer if prompted.

Step 3

Open Internet Explorer and navigate to a website that offers video streaming with Flowplayer. Allow the video to load in the browser window and wait for the video downloader add-on or plug-in to display a pop-up window.

Step 4

Click "Download Video" or "Save Video" in the video downloader pop-up window. Select a folder on your computer in which to save the video file and click "Save." Internet Explorer downloads the video to your computer and saves it in the selected folder.

All Browsers

Step 1

Launch your preferred Web browser and navigate to a free website that allows you to download online videos without an add-on or plug-in. Sites such as FlashVideoDownloader.org and SaveVid.com allow you to download videos from most sharing sites and support downloads from sites using Flowplayer.

Step 2

Open a new window or tab in your browser. Direct the browser to a site that uses Flowplayer to stream videos. After the page loads, highlight the URL in the address bar and click "Edit," then "Copy" on the menu bar.

Step 3

Switch to the browser window with the video download site displayed. Place the mouse cursor in the "Video Page," "Web Site Address" or "URL" field. Click "Edit" and then click "Paste" on the menu bar.

Step 4

Click "Download Video" or "Save Video" on the video download site. Select a folder on your hard drive in which to save the downloaded Flowplayer clip. Click "Save" and wait for the browser to save the clip to your hard drive.