How to Copy Streaming Video

If you want to copy and record a streaming video from a website to a file on your computer, you need a software program that can capture the video for your. Replay A/V and WM Recorder are two such programs you can use. You must purchase either one of them, but they may offer free trial periods. These programs will capture and record the video as it plays in real time and play the videos back on their own media players. Some programs, like Replay, can even convert the video into a different formats.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Replay A/V

1. Download Replay A/V and install it on your computer. Open up the program.

2. Open Replay A/V's Recording Wizard by clicking on the button in the window's bottom left corner. In the next window that opens, choose the first selection, entitled "Record something right now."

3. Select "Capture a Video clip or Audio archive from the Internet" in the next window. This opens the Stream Capture box, which will display the streaming videos you have played. Go to whichever web page streams your video and it should appear in the Stream Capture box.

4. Highlight the video you want to record in Stream Capture and click on the button that says "Add Selection as New Recording." This opens the Edit Show Properties window.

5. Make sure all the text boxes are set in Edit Show Properties. If the video you're recording from doesn't provide a name, create one; if it does, you can change it. The URL text box should have the URL you're recording from. If you want to convert the recorded video into a different format, choose one from the "After Recording Convert To" menu.

6. Click the OK button when you are ready to record. The Replay main screen will appear and your video will be listed as it is recording. When the video is finished, click on it and select "Play Last Recording" to play it.

WM Recorder

7. Download, install and open the WM Recorder program. You might have to wait for "RTMP Capture Enabled" to appear before you can operate the program.

8. Make sure AUTO ON is enabled if you want WM Recorder's Auto recording mode on. This is the program's default setting. Open and play the video you want recorded. WM Recorder immediately begins recording the video, and the Record button in its window changes to Stop.

9. Disable the Auto recording by switching to AUTO OFF if you want to record manually. Play the streaming video and the clip's URL and file name will appear in the Recorder's screen. Click the Record button to begin recording.

10. Click on the Stop button to end the recording and make the choice you want from the menu that pops up. If you're using the Auto recording function and the video has a fixed length, the recording will automatically stop at the end.

11. Play back the video by clicking on the View button and going to "Menu, Saved Recordings." Choose the video format your recorded video was in to find the video in the list that appears. Highlight the file you want and click the Play button.