I'm not sure just who posted this comment but it seems to be a good one to pass along. I checked it out this morning and it worked for me. It installs a toolbar on your computer and the process outlined below is quite easy to do. Anyway, here it is in case you want to try it:
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"I installed a program a while back that is free:
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www.applian.com/asktoolbar/ .
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Once it is installed, there is a Save Video button on your toolbar in Internet explorer. I watch the videos either from the blog or Vimeo and then click Save Video. A window opens, you select the video you just watched and click the save icon, which will let you rename it. It saves it as an MP4 file. It also installs flvplayer.exe which can be used to watch these videos. I copy the videos and player to cd or a usb drive and watch them in the garage, without being connected to the Internet. Here's the part that surprised me.... the files I save this way are much smaller than the ones on Vimeo.....Bottle stopper 5a is about a 580MB download from Vimeo that takes 20 minutes or so on a really fast connection. I watched it in about 6 minutes and clicked the Save Video... it is already cached on your PC and it saves to a file that is only 58MB in size. Perhaps there is some difference in the quality, but I couldn't tell! Might be worth checking out, since it seems to save some time."
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I think I've figured out a way to upload the files in the MP4 format which is a much, much smaller file than the Mp2 I was using before. There is a loss of quality but not so much that it prevents anything. I put a test video in MP4 in the library you can check out. I'll use this on future uploads.
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I know a lot of you are having problems with these videos and I sure wish I was a little more computer savey so I could steer you to solutions. Unfortunately, this stuff is a Greek to me as it is to many of you. It seems just about everyone uses something different than everyone else so it's almost impossible to pin down one simple solution. I'll keep trying though.
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Oh....and whichever "Anonymous" posted this suggestion....Thanks!
Hey Lynn,
ReplyDeleteI downloaded the program and boy did it work great. Downloads in a few seconds. I guess it is because the file is actually on the computer as a temporary internet file and it just saves it.
Thanks to you & whoever provided that information...The quality is a little less sharp, but you can see everything okay.
Terry
I'm glad it was helpful. If you really want to get fancy, and if you are fortunate enough to own one of the IPOD devices that will show videos, I believe the MP4 format can be uploaded to those with ITunes. If not, the free utility has a converter to convert it to a format that will work. The Ipods will easily fit in your pocket and would be less likely to get damaged in your workshop. The main draw back would be the much smaller screen and the expense. A better deal would be one of the newer mini-notebooks for about $300. Now, if I was only smart enough to figure out how to post a comment with my name, rather than anonymously!
ReplyDeleteJust put your name as part of the comment! Lots of them do it that way.
ReplyDeleteBetter yet .... just use the "Name/URL" profile and leave the Url part blank. Works for me.
ReplyDeleteHey, I figured it out, finally! I have a google account, but it seems like I have to click on the Post Comment button twice to get it to post anonymous or otherwise. I know a little about computers, but like woodcarving, that's a pretty broad field to try and cover! My real job is working on computers, but that doesn't necessarily mean I know everything (or sometimes anything)! Hope the app saves you a little time.
ReplyDeleteI've been downloading these videos since the beginning using Realplayer from www.real.com. It's Free and simple to use. Might want to check it out too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the hint on the toolbar application!!!
ReplyDeleteI now have the "Carving a Cowboy Head", "Carving a Cowboy Bust", and the posted episodes of "Pancho Bottle Stopper" safely archived away.
Now, if you could provide me with a download of your experience...
Thanks again Lynn for the inspiration!!!
LMiller