Free Programs

Flash Video Downloader YouTube

Flash Video Downloader YouTube offers a convenient and comfortable interface for downloading videos from the Internet. Despite its name, the program supports a number of formats, including MOV, MP4, and AVI.

Among the program's thoughtful features are a built-in tabbed browser, options to change the application's appearance and to show and hide toolbars, an output list for viewing files you have already downloaded, and a menu item that provides one-click access to 37 video Web sites. Downloading is quick, and on completion you can choose where to save the file. The program does lack the ability to set a default directory or download files in batch, and its so-called Help file merely displays the About screen. We were also annoyed that the executable runs the program itself, thereby making it difficult to manage the application.

The manufacturer conducts a bit of a bait-and-switch by calling the application free. After the 15-day trial, you will need to pay an annual $4.95 registration fee to access any site besides YouTube. Still, we find that is a reasonable price to pay for this clean and easy-to-use application.