Hot Pick! Tube Download/Player/Converter (UPDATED)

UPDATE: Version 2.4 now includes a download accelerator and a box for "Use Same Video Quality as Source": No easier way to eliminate the hassle of video converting! They fixed the audio sync so that now the built-in player works flawlessly. I like a company that responds swiftly to feedback and improves their product.

REVIEW:

The software development team at YouTomato, based in China, describe themselves as "a group of digital aficionados who are dedicated to making audio and video editing and processing as simple as brewing coffee or using a blender."

As a digital aficionado I have spent decades working with audio and video, both for my music and for teaching history. In the 1980s, I worked at a high-end "stereo salon" selling equipment that cost more than my annual salary! Still, I am always on the look out for software tools that will make my life easier and more productive. With the online availability of high-definition video, the question is "what tools do we use?"

I've tried them all: ten different Firefox extensions for downloading audio and video, converting it, renaming files and so on. The Firefox extensions include Video Downloadhelper, "Download Youtube Videos in HD MP4," Downthemall!, Flashgot, etc., etc.

On top of the Firefox extensions, there are the various software programs I describe elsewhere on this site

Any Video Converter (conversion)
VLC (player)
Jetaudio (audio/video player and converter)
Youtube Downloaders (download from Youtube only)
Mediamonkey (audiophile's all-in-one for audio).

I won't bore the reader with all the programs I've used but they share a common, frustrating inability to deliver the "whole package": one program downloads HD videos but only from Youtube (not other sites), another program downloads from multiple sites but every file is named "video," most programs download audio or video but then you need a second program to convert and hope it preserves the original resolution. Tweaking with video settings is not my idea of fun.

So along comes TubeDownload (formerly Youtube Video Downloader). I've used it for several weeks and liked it so much I bought a full copy (the one added feature is conversion after 30 day trial limit runs out). TubeDownload is simple, intuitive, and powerful:

*Set to find HD video (or audio) if available. Many High-Definition videos are hidden as redirected links but TubeDownload found them each and every time!

*Fast downloads: the latest version (2.4 as of this writing) includes download acceleration. I tested on a DSL and T1 line: The download speeds are 2-3 times faster than prior versions of Tube Download! I then tested the speeds against Firefox extensions (Downthemall!, Video Downloadhelper, others). Result: TubeDownload was faster than those as well.

*Conversion: Several options here:

*Automatic conversion after download: Preset to convert downloads to a file type of your choosing. This eliminates having to convert after the download.

*Quality settings: convert to Excellent, Good, etc. This makes it easy for a newbie to convert without having to fiddle with bit rates (although that is possible for expert users).

*"Use Same Video Quality as Source": No easier way to eliminate the hassle of video converting! I've tested this and it actually works. My main complaint with other video converters is that is is too darn difficult. With TubeDownload, this is my favorite setting because I don't have to be an educated guesstimator with bit rates, screen size, etc. What a relief.



*Right-click conversion: TubeDownload Play and Convert are integrated into your right-click context menu (you can turn this feature off). Right-click a MP4file and convert to WMV (or vice versa). There is also a conversion option within TubePlay (see below).

*Convert to devices: It will automatically convert files so they fit your iPhone, Blackberry, Sony PSP, etc.

*Tube Player: this is neat. Once a download is complete, there is a play button that opens the built-in Tube Player. This will play most file types, both audio and video. Other neat feature is it opens FOLDERS, not just files. If I open my video file folder, it shows large thumbnails of all my videos, along with their file types. Hover over a thumbnail and it gives you the video (or audio) properties. One problem: the default file type is FLV so it doesn't show all videos unless you click the drop down to choose *.*

*Lightweight: TubeDownload and Player come in a single 3MB program file. Amazing.

*Batch downloads: from playlists or simply adding multiple URLs. I haven't used this function much but others might find it useful.

*Browser button: TubeDownload installs as a small button in Internet Explorer or Firefox (I dont' know about other browsers).

The full version costs $30 but is worth every penny. The free version has ALL the features minus the converter. Since purchasing TubeDownload I have gotten rid of eight Firefox extensions and desktop applications. Less is more.

SUGGESTIONS (to developers):

1. Batch convert: the right-click conversion allows conversion of a single file but it would be nice to batch convert entire folders or many files at once. This is the one feature I miss from Jetaudio Plus.

2. Fix "bug": : TubePlay will play AVI, SWF, WMV but if you add them as default file types, the program does not remember and clears the settings back to FLV only. You have to go into Windows Control Panel and change the default settings for each file type.

BOTTOM LINE: "A+"