How can I get video from YouTube?

“I found a couple of YouTube videos I want to watch again later. How can I get video from YouTube and download it to my computer so I don’t have to search for the video later?”

One of the disadvantages of YouTube is that you can’t take it with you. If you’re aren’t online, or are connected to a slower 3G connection, watching YouTube videos can be painful. I’ve recommended a number of solutions for downloading YouTube videos in the past, but for the most part, I’ve settled on one solution that works better than the rest.

The solution I currently rely on to get video from YouTube is RealPlayer SP. The reason I’m using RealPlayer SP as opposed to any other option is two-fold. The software not only downloads the files, but also includes support for playing the files, so I don’t need to convert the video or install a separate player if I watch it on my computer. The second reason I like RealPlayer SP for downloading YouTube video is built in conversion. If I want to put a video from YouTube on my Android phone or iPad, RealPlayer SP will convert the YouTube video to a format that plays easily on my portable device. That combines for some major time saving over any of the other solutions I’ve tried in the past. It also doesn’t hurt that the software is free.