Stream, Convert And Save YouTube Videos Using VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player might just be the most versatile Media Player available today. That is why it is the Media Player of choice for Most Computer users today. I use and recommend it since it open source and updated regularly to make sure it can play every kind of media possible.
In the latest update of VLC Media player version 1.1, it is now possible to stream YouTube as well as videos from other sites directly from your VLC Media Player.
You may ask – Why would I want to do that?
There are two simple reasons – One, it gives you greater control on the video – since you can use all the controls from your VLC Media Player like applying video and audio effects to your liking. 2nd reason is that the video played can be saved on your computer for viewing later. Lets look at how we can stream and save YouTube as well as videos from others sites using the VLC Media Player.
Streaming Online Video With VLC:
Once you select the video you wish to stream using the VLC Media Player, click on the Media option in the Menu bar and select “Open Network Streaming” option
In this window input the URL for the video you wish to stream and watch on your VLC Player.
If you check the “Show More Options” checkbox, you can specify the amount of video you want to cache before playing. The default is 1200ms, but you can use a greater value if your internet connection is on the slower side. You can also specify the start time of the video.
Once you have input the URL and selected the options you can stream the video by clicking on Play or Stream option.
Convert Videos Into Desired Audio/Video Format With VLC:
This window also lets you convert the video to other media format if you need it. You can click on Convert option and you would get a window that lets you specify the format and the location to save the video.
Once you select the format and select the Directory where you want to save the video in the “Destination” option – Click OK and VLC would get to work.
If you select an Audio Format you can save a Music Video as a MP3 file on your PC.
Create Playlists with Enqueue Option:
The Enqueue Option, lets you create a Playlist of Videos from YouTube. Clicking on the Enqueue options puts the video in your Playlist. You need to add the videos you want to watch one after another. Once your playlist is ready you can save it using the Ctrl + Y Shortcut Key.
Here is a sample list of videos I saved in the playlist. You can just skip to the next video as if you are watching videos from your local computer.
Conclusion:
VLC continues its outstanding work by adding more and more excellent features with each new update. This new streaming feature works like a charm for YouTube. Using It you can create your own video collection or just a playlists of your favorite video songs. There are many other uses for it – To each his own. Enjoy.
