The digital age is a dream come true for hoarders and collectors. No thing how much digital data or information you amass, information technology won't take up a lot of space. This ways you don't have to command your primal instinct to search and collect, yous can requite rein to it.

Sometimes, notwithstanding, there are technical obstacles. If you lot're looking for a way to download YouTube videos and view them in Windows Media Player, read on. This article will explain how to best extract YouTube videos and subsequently enjoy them on Windows Media Player.

How It Works

YouTube streams content using flash video technology. The respective file format is .flv. To download and view a YouTube video, yous basically have three options:

  1. Download and playback the video in .flv file format.
  2. Download and playback in an culling file format.
  3. Download the .flv file and convert it to another file format for playback.

This article is mainly concerned with how to view YouTube videos in Windows Media Histrion, regardless of how you lot obtained the files and what file format they are in. Hence, we can fail the third pick.

Best Download Options For YouTube Videos

To limit the confusion, I take selected but two tools. One is a website, the other a program. Both work flawlessly. You should get with the 2nd ane, VDownloader, if y'all want to download multiple videos in parallel.

Kiss YouTube

Buss YouTube is a straight forward way to download YouTube videos because you do not demand to install any software. In add-on, Buss YouTube can download YouTube videos in three unlike file formats: 3GP, FLV, and MP4. Paired with ease of use, that's enough of great features for an online service.

You lot can either copy and paste the URL of the YouTube video into the respective field on the Kiss YouTube homepage (see screenshot beneath); OR y'all can rename the YouTube URL, adding the discussion 'kiss' betwixt 'world wide web.' and 'youtube.com/...'.

In both cases you volition be directed to a page that lets you select your download format.

download youtube videos to computer

To continue, click the download link of your preferred file format.

VDownloader

This is a software option, which is more convenient if you want to download multiple videos or wish to download from more than sources than just YouTube. Attending! The installation comes with lots of actress software options and adware, all of which you can opt out of. Be certain to carefully screen all your options and go with a custom installation to opt out of the Ask toolbar and homepage.

Once y'all have completed the installation, VDownloader is a great tool. Equally soon as you copy a URL, it is pasted into the program'due south > Video URL field. Side by side select your preferred > Output Format and hit the > Download push button. While your beginning video is already downloading, you tin proceed to add together the next one.

youtube video download

The available output formats include .flv (no conversion), .avi, .mpeg, .mp3 (sound), and several more.

VDownloader was also reviewed by Karl in this article: VDownloader - Really Easy Video Downloader Software.

Now that you take downloaded your videos, here comes the tricky role. Per default, Windows Media Player only recognizes a limited amount of file formats, the standard video file format being .wmv. Yet, none of the options above download YouTube videos in that format. And then what tin you do?

You demand to download and install codecs so that Windows Media Actor tin can read all those file types. Don't sweat, it'southward a quick and easy three-step-program:

  1. Go to Codec Guide and download any of the K-Light Codec Packs, the basic one is sufficient.
  2. Install the downloaded 1000-Lite Codec Pack.
  3. Savor downloaded videos in Windows Media Player.
how to play youtube videos in windows media player

That's it.

Likewise check out the following YouTube-related articles on MakeUseOf:

  • three Gratis Means To Download YouTube Movies To Your iPhone (& Other Mobile Phones) by Jeffry
  • 10 Youtube URL Tricks Y'all Should Know About by Varun

Conclusion

If you're at present wondering, why y'all would want to utilise Windows Media Role player in the start identify, I congratulate you. The answer is, I don't know. Fact is, it's much easier to download a media player that naturally supports all these file formats. Apparently, you lot volition salvage yourself the hassle of installing codecs and trying to brand it work with WMP. If you can live without WMP and would adopt an easy option, I highly recommend [NO LONGER WORKS] VLC Media Player.

Here are some more than MakeUseOf recommendations:

  • Superlative five Free Media Players For Windows by Volition
  • Kantaris - A Great New Media Player Based On VLC past Simon
  • Splayer - A Portable Play-All Media Thespian for Windows by Jessica

This is the fourth dimension to fess upwards! Do you lot download YouTube videos to your estimator and in case y'all do, what is your reason? Do y'all mind sharing how many gigabytes the YouTube videos have upward on your hard drive?

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Virtually The Author

Tina Sieber (847 Articles Published)

While completing a PhD, Tina started writing near consumer engineering in 2006 and never stopped. Now also an editor and SEO, y'all can observe her on Twitter or hiking a nearby trail.

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