[chamlin]

I'm going to pay for the right to download a videostream and want to capture it to play at my church. In the past I had a program (no idea which one) that allowed me to do this, but I think it only worked if you knew the actual URL that the video was streamed from.

Anyone know how to do what I'm describing? What programs do you recommend for capturing videostreams, and what programs are needed to seek out what the real URL is?

Danka,
Chamlin

[rolly]

Don't know much about Firefox,but if you use Opera,you can get the Web Developer add-on.
It gives you just about every option you can think of accessing web pages.
Opera Browser Wiki :: Web Developer Toolbar & Menu for Opera

Sometimes with javascript,the files are broken into segments,and near the end of the segment,there is a referrer to another link.
This is to prevent you from recording the stream.
So even if you find the location of the beginning of the file,it does no good because it is only partial.
While the first segment plays out of your cache,the new link loads the next segment and starts at the same time the first is deleted.

If you find an app to capture these segments,and capable of putting then all back together,you might be able to save the stream.

Using linux,all flash streams,things like youtube,etc., are put in /tmp.
Not sure where they go in windows.
Here,they do not contain an extension in the filename,but you can still save the file,then give it the extension .flv.
Then the file plays just fine with whatever app capable of playing a flash file.

Some hidden files are put under /home/user/.macromedia/,the same technique works for these files.

If you find where the streams are sent to cache in windows,be prepared to copy or move the temp file before the stream ends in your player.
Some sites delete the file as soon as the stream has finished playing to prevent you from saving the file(s).
So if you go and look for it afterwards,where you know it should be,it's not there.
But it was.You just have to be quick.

I don't know anything about the windows apps for recording streams,but I know there are some out there.
I've seen them when I used to use windows.
It seems though if you are paying for this stream,the site shouldn't be all to worried about you stealing it anymore,and javascripting all the links probally wouldn't be enabled.,and these apps should work.

[chamlin]

Thanks Rolly, that was a lot to digest. It all seems so darn complex. I guess I'll just scour the web for some "best video capture" programs (if that is the proper term???) and choose some that offer a full program 30 day trial to see if it works. If not, no harm done.

Thanks again,
Chamlin

[rolly]

I would try "capture video stream".

[solaris]

Originally Posted by chamlin

I'm going to pay for the right to download a videostream and want to capture it to play at my church. In the past I had a program (no idea which one) that allowed me to do this, but I think it only worked if you knew the actual URL that the video was streamed from.

Anyone know how to do what I'm describing? What programs do you recommend for capturing videostreams, and what programs are needed to seek out what the real URL is?

Danka,
Chamlin

Hi chamlin


Maybe you should try to follow the advice from this site: All streaming media recording software (freeware, shareware,...) [windows, linux, mac] Streaming video recorders (stream rippers)


Which is the same site, you can find ALL the best DRM-removal applications ever made


All these stream rippers are either free or come in trial versions - but please feel free to PM me, if/when you decide on a certain application

[viracocha]

Originally Posted by solaris

Hi chamlin


Maybe you should try to follow the advice from this site: All streaming media recording software (freeware, shareware,...) [windows, linux, mac] Streaming video recorders (stream rippers)


Which is the same site, you can find ALL the best DRM-removal applications ever made


All these stream rippers are either free or come in trial versions - but please feel free to PM me, if/when you decide on a certain application

There is even more on this subject here: How to save/record/capture streaming video and audio (Windows Media, RealMedia, RealVideo, RealAudio, QuickTime, Shoutcast): streaming media recorders (rippers) and here: http://stream-recorder.com/forum/vid...ng-f4.html?f=4

[solaris]

Originally Posted by viracocha

There is even more on this subject here: How to save/record/capture streaming video and audio (Windows Media, RealMedia, RealVideo, RealAudio, QuickTime, Shoutcast): streaming media recorders (rippers) and here: http://stream-recorder.com/forum/vid...ng-f4.html?f=4

Thanks, viracocha


I'm fairly sure that one of the below explanations is the one you have been searching for:

How to get the URL of a media stream

Usually the URL of a media stream is hidden in a small text file called metafile. The metafile may have the following file extension: .RAM, .RPM, .ASX, .WAX, .WVX, .SMIL, .PLS, etc. Some other methods like disabled right-click can make it difficult to find stream URLs. In such cases the following methods can be used to get the hidden URL of a media stream:


Getting Windows Media, Real Audio, Real Video stream URL with ease the best

WM Recorder can automatically get the URL of a stream played by your Windows Media player or/and Real Player (RealOne Player). It can also automatically find QuickTime .MOV video HTTP URLs and Flash .FLV video HTTP URLs. Besides WM Recorder can automatically record all above mentioned audio/video streams.


Getting stream URL using URL Finder (URL Snooper, URL Sniffer) software the best

URL finder (URL Snooper, URL Sniffer) can be a part of a stream recorder (WM Recorder, Replay A/V, Replay Media Catcher, NetTransport, GetASFStream, DownloadStudio, WebStreamRecorder) or a standalone program (Project URL Snooper, URL Helper).

The majority of URL Finders are based on the winpcap library. If you experience problems with winpcap, you should try alternative solutions.


How to use a URL finder (Applicable to the majority of URL finding software. See a corresponding user guide for more):

1. Download, install and Run URL finder
2. Select the appropriate network adapter (dial-up adapter, ethernet adapter, Bluetooth adapter, ...)
3. Start sniffing network packets
4. Play a media stream in your browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera,...) or media player (Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, QuickTime Player, Winamp, VLC, MPlayer, ...). Please do not surf the net while playing your stream to avoid excess URLs to be found.
5. Copy the URL and paste it in your favorite stream recorder (for standalone URL finders only)


Getting stream URL from metafile with text editor

A metafile contains URL(s) pointing to the corresponding media stream(s) or to another metafile. Structure of some metafiles is rather complex for newbies, so it could be hard to get a stream URL using this method.

First of all you need to save a metafile to your hard disk:

* Open a web-browser. Navigate to a page that has a link to the metafile.
* Find the link to the metafile and make a right click on it.
* Select "Save target as ...".
* Change a filename and location (if necessary).
* Click "Save" button.

After saving the metafile, open it with a text editor (for example: Windows NotePad). Then try to find the URL of the actual media stream.

If the saved metafile has only a URL pointing to another metafile only: Copy the new URL, paste it in your browser, download the new metafile and try to get a stream URL from it.


Getting stream URL from player

If a metafile is password protected or protected by JavaScript, Flash, etc. try to get stream information from your media player (such as Windows Media Player, Real Player). Real Player, for example, allows you to get some information about a clip by clicking [View]->[Clip]->[Clip Info] or [View]->[Clip]->[Clip Source].


Getting stream URL from embedded player

If you want to get the URL from an embedded Real player: Right click on it and select "Play in Player". After that you may get the URL from the Real Player using the above mentioned instruction.

If you wanna get the URL from an embedded Windows Media Player: Right click on it and select "Properties". The URL of a stream can be found on the "File" tab.

If right click on a page with an embedded player is disabled, you may try a different browser or you may use Proxomitron filter to enable right-click. Most probably you will find other methods much easier.

Please note that some stream rippers like WM Recorder and Replay Media Catcher can find stream URLs and record them automatically.


Getting HTTP/RTMP stream URLs from Adobe Flash player

Replay Media Catcher can find .FLV video and .MP3 audio stream URLs from Adobe Flash player and record them automatically.

FLV Recorder can find .FLV video stream URLs from Adobe Flash player and record them automatically.

You may also find RTMP and HTTP flash stream URLs with URL finders. Most of them can find HTTP stream URLs. But Project URL Snooper can find flash .FLV video stream URLs starting with both http:// and rtmp://.


Getting HTTP/HTTPS stream URL with Proxomitron

Proxomitron is a free HTTP/HTTPS proxy for Windows that can help you to find stream URLs for HTTP/HTTPS streams as well as user-agent and cookies. To find stream URLs, user-agent and cookies with Proxomitron:

1. Start Proxomitron and Click "Log Window".
2. Go to the browser and start the stream playing.
3. Open the "Log Window" and analyze request and reply headers.


P.S. After finding a stream URL, copy it and paste in your favorite media stream recorder. My recommendations about stream recorders can help you to choose the best one.

All the above quoted are taken from here: http://all-streaming-media.com/faq/recording-media-stream/faq-get-media-stream-URL.htm

[rolly]

Thanks viracocha and solaris for those links.
Gotta love those metafiles.
A special thanks to solaris for the quotes so I didn't have to click those links.
But I did bookmark them for further reading!

[benv]

If you are paying then the stream may be encrypted, have you tried any of the listed software yet?

PS: to the person who mentioned Firefox, Firefox has a Live HTTP Headers plugin which shows all the URLs of stuff incoming.

[chamlin]

I tried Replay Media Catcher as that one seemed to be the most relevant one, but it didn't do the job. Didn't even recognize there was a stream. Followed all the instructions, variations. I'll look at the live http headers plug in to see if that helps. Thanks!