| Q: |
How FLV Spider works? |
| A: |
Just launch the FLV Spider before you start to surf the Web. Then launch your web
browser and open a web page, having some online video(s). Then start the
video playback using the interface, provided by the web page. The video will
begin to play in your browser. After some moments you'll see a new item in the
«Captured Video Files» list of the FLV Spider. Be patient, because
sometimes it will take up to 30 sec. to see any activity in the FLV Spider. It is
web site specific.
|
|
| Q: |
What video formats can I save? |
| A: |
FLV Spider can capture and save Flash video. It means, you can save video
in FLV and MP4 formats. Usually the video format is defined by particular web
site, delivering the video. Though FLV Spider can convert streaming (FLV/RTMP) video
format into offline MP4 format for the vast majority of video web sites. |
|
| Q: |
How can I check if some website uses Flash video? |
| A: |
Just check if this website uses Adobe Flash Player® to play the video.
You can recognize the video component type (browser plug-in) by right click
on the web video player. Usually you'll see a popup menu with «About...»
item among other. It contains the name and version of the video component. |
|
| Q: |
What online video formats are not supported? |
| A: |
There are only few online video formats, FLV Spider can not save. These are: Microsoft Silverlight™ (ASF),
DVBT (MPEG-II TS) and all kinds of encrypted video streams (RTMPE, RTMPTE). As for encrypted streams, we're working
to support them. As for ASF and MPEG-II streams, they're completely incompatible with such offline formats as
FLV and MP4, so a special video encoding yet will be required even if we'd capture these video streams. FLV Spider
is based on lossless video format conversion to save both processing time and the source video quality. |
|
| Q: |
What is the maximal duration of the video I can capture? |
| A: |
FLV Spider has none of internal limits for the captured video duration or file size. It's dificult to find
really long video in the Net, because usually all long video files are splitted into some parts of limited
duration like one hour or so. The longest video, which we ever tested, had duration around 4 hours and 30 minutes.
As for the file size, usually it is defined by frame size and duration and there are no limits here like magical
"2 GBytes", "4 GBytes" or anything like that.
|
|
| Q: |
Can I capture many video streams simultaneously? |
| A: |
Yes. FLV Spider has none of internal limits for multiple video streams capturing. Nevertheless two aspects must be
taken into account. First, some web sites may not allow to open more than one video at a time, as they suspect such attempts
for abusing. Second, your network connection may have limits, which become sensible when you open many video streams
at a time. This is especially important for live streaming videos. Therefore we only can suggest to try, if you can do
it or not in each particular case. |
|
| Q: |
Can I close the web page with the video being captured? |
| A: |
No. FLV Spider is based on the network traffic capturing. It doesn't download any files
itself. It's your browser, who does it. Therefore capture will be aborted when you will close the video web page.
You must wait until the web player will show that the video file is downloaded
at 100% (for downloadable video files) or will finish the playback of the live video stream.
The only you can do, is to minimize the web browser window while the capture is going. Usually it will not stop the
playback, and, as a consequence, the stream capture. Also you can turn off the sound volume in the web player. It will
not affect to the captured stream. |
|
| Q: |
The online video is over, but FLV Spider still shows "Capturing..." status. Is it OK? |
| A: |
FLV Spider can't recognize if the video stream is over or not in the case, when it doesn't receive a valid
stream terminator. Some web sites don't close the stream unless the web browser page is not closed.
Therefore either close the web browser page or even close the browser itself. This is the most correct way to
get a valid stream termination. Also you can use "File/Stop Selected" or "File/Stop All" menu items to
terminate the stream capture within the FLV Spider. Though this is not the best way to go, because
there is a chance that some little final portion of the stream will be lost. |
|
| Q: |
My network bandwidth is not so good to let me watch the online video flawless.
Can FLV Spider capture the whole video to let me watch it offline? |
| A: |
It depends on the video type. You can save so called "downloadable" videos without any problems even if your network
connection is not good enough to see the online video flawless. Just wait until the video will be downloaded
up to the end. Saved video will look perfectly. As for live streams, you definitely need to have the bandwidth enough
to watch the video smoothly or, at worst, with very short "Buffering..." pauses (usually not longer than 1 sec.).
Otherwise the video broadcasting server will omit some stream portions. As a result, your browser will not receive some
pieces of the original live stream. FLV Spider saves everything your browser gets. And FLV Spider is unable to get and
save the missing stream parts in such case. It's not because FLV Spider is so bad, but just because some portions of the video
were never delivered to your web browser.
Is there any way to resolve the situation? Yes, and even more than one.
First, you could try to repeat your attempt in some another time of day (or, most probably, night), when the network traffic
is as low as possible. And please take into account not only your last mile connection bandwidth, but also possible problems
at the server side or "somewhere between". And this is not a "stupid advice". Many of our customers had similar
troubles. And this advice really helped them.
Another advice is to try to use VPN connection to access the same site. Using VPN server you change
the network route dramatically, what may help in the case, when the problem is not in your last mile connection bandwidth. |
|
| Q: |
How can I see if this is a live video or downloadable video? |
| A: |
Just look at the web video player carefully. If you see a download progress
bar at the player bottom, which moves ahead faster than the playback
position slider moves, then most likely you see a downloadable video. If you don't see
any progress bar, and even playback position slider, then it's most likely a live video.
FLV Spider indicates the video stream type in its status bar. It displays
"Downloading..." for downloadable files and "Capturing live stream..." for
live streams.
|
|
| Q: |
I'm capturing a live video, and I see many items, appearing in the "Captured video files" list, with
different frame size values. What is it? |
| A: |
Most likely you're capturing so called "smooth" or "dynamic" stream. Briefly speaking it's a video stream with variable bitrate.
Its bitrate is defined by the streaming server and depends on the actual network channel bandwidth, measured in real time.
Server adjusts the video stream parameters (including frame size) in accordance with the actual network channel bandwidth.
There may be two situations here: server either starts a new TCP stream or continues an existing stream, but sends a new
"fragment" with another parameters. In the first case a new item appears in the "Captured video files" list. In the second
case the existing item is continued.
FLV Spider can fix this problem in the case, if the captured video pieces all have FLV format. In such case it can join all
selected pieces into one continuous movie with uniform parameters. Just close the Preview panel, then select (using Shift and/or
Cmd keys) necessary items in the order, you need to see them in the joined movie, then choose "Edit/Repair FLV Movie(s)"
menu item. FLV Spider can't resolve this problem, if captured files have MP4 or MPEG-II TS format. A new special tool will be added soon,
which will process these video formats.
IMPORTANT: Please look at the web video player carefully and try to find a quality adjustment control.
If you've found it, then try to switch the quality from "Auto" to another "fixed" position. Most probably this will fix the multiple
items appearance, but please look at the answer above, concerning insufficient bandwidth. Also it's important to mention that switching
the video quality you break the capture process. Therefore please stop the capture, then change the quality, then clean the browser
cache, then open the same video again. Many web sites save your quality choice for one session.
|
|
| Q: |
I've captured a video, but the result is getting broken, when I try
to navigate across it. Is it a bug? |
| A: |
Most likely, NO. Most likely, you've captured a stream with variable encoding parameters. This may be so called "smooth" stream
or it may be a situation, when the original video was combined from several "pieces" with different encoding parameters, even
if the frame size itself is the same. In this case the captured video is not navigable. It's because it was oriented for live
broadcasting only. Though sometimes you have the ability to navigate across the online movie using some web interface, but new
segment of the video stream is beginning each time you set the new time position. And such segment always contains new encoding
parameters. It is not the same as to navigate across an offline video file. Thus, try to watch the captured movie in FLV Spider
preview without navigation. Do you see any problems yet? If yes, then it's a bug. If no, then it's a normal situation for live streams
capturing. Also please take into account that such offline video players, as VLC, can't play such "variable" FLV files. We offer
the free standalone FLV/MP4 player, which is based on Adobe
Flash Player, so it can play such movies.
FLV Spider can fix this problem in the case, if the captured video file has FLV format. In such case it can convert
such "broken" file into a movie with uniform parameters. Just select necessary file, then choose "Edit/Repair FLV Movie(s)"
menu item. FLV Spider can't resolve this problem, if captured file has MP4 or MPEG-II TS format. A new special tool will be added soon,
which will process these video formats.
|
|
| Q: |
How can I save a YOUTUBE.COM video in the quality I need? |
| A: |
YOUTUBE.COM is a specific site. It uses its own video delivery engine. Therefore it's worth of special
consideration. You have few options here:
IMPORTANT: Do not use SSL at YOUTUBE.COM, when you capture a video. Change the video URL prefix from "https://" to "https://".
If you can't do it, that means Youtube uses SSL for your country forcibly. There are still few countries including Ukraine, Russia, etc. where SSL is used by Youtube optionally.
Therefore you can use VPN services, provided freely by such web sites, as VPN Gate,
providing many VPN servers around the world. FLV Spider works with VPN connections.
How to save video in the quality you need:
• Open a YOUTUBE.COM video page. The video will be started with some default quality (usually 360p).
• Click the "Pause" button as quickly, as you can, do not let it play even a second.
• Select the necessary qualty using appropriate player control. Do it as quickly as you can!
• The video should start with the selected quality, and appropriate information should appear in the "Captured Video Files" list.
How to save video in the highest possible quality:
• Open a YOUTUBE.COM video page. The video will be started with some default quality (usually 360p).
• Stop the video playback pressing "Pause" button.
• Right click on the video and choose «Copy Video URL» popup menu item.
• Select the URL input box of the web browser and press Cmd+V key combination.
• Append the URL by "&hd=1".
• You should see something like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[VIDEO_ID_HERE]&hd=1.
• Press «Enter». As a result, this and all subsequent videos, which you'll open
at this page (e.g. from right-side located playlist), will be opened with the highest possible quality
(up to 720p).
How to save video in 360p/480p quality:
• The video quality can be adjusted using "Player Size" button of the video player.
Please note, that new video item appears in the «Captured Video Files» list, when you switch the
video quality. |
|
| Q: |
Is your software "satisfaction-guarantee"? |
| A: |
Definitely NO. And it's not because the FLV Spider software is so bad. It's just because the Web is so huge.
We just have no ability to test FLV Spider for every of millions of websites around the Net, delivering a video.
We only believe, that our software is the best among its competitors. And we're working hardly to extend FLV Spider
features to make it to support new online video formats, as they appear. Therefore we offer the
fullfunctional trial version to you, so you could
test it for your favourite websites and make your decision either to buy the full version or not. And we'd like to hear
from you about any website(s), you wish to work with. |
|
| Q: |
FLV Spider fails to work with my favourite website. Can you help? |
| A: |
First of all please report the web site/video page URL. Then we'll investigate it and report our result. If you're
using a paid subscription then please provide any URL with free (trial) videos from the same site. If there are no free
videos, which we could test, then please write to us and we'll discuss the problem privately.
|
|
| Q: |
FLV Spider fails to work with the website, where it worked few days ago. Can you fix the problem? |
| A: |
Most likely this website has changed its video delivery engine. First of all, please report the web site/video page URL. Then we'll
investigate it and report our result. Also please take a look at the answer above. |
|
| Q: |
The software crashs/hangs. How to fix it? |
| A: |
Please open the Crash Report, clicking "Report" button on the crash
report message box. Then please select the whole report and copy/paste it into a text file. Please attach
this file to the email and send to the address, shown at the bottom of this page. Please also report the
web page URL, which you opened before the software has crashed. We'll contact you ASAP.
Please never use "Send to Apple" button, It is completely useless, as this is not an Apple AppStore
application. |
