KickYouTube is one of the simplest solutions for downloading YouTube videos we've reviewed at Lifehacker. So simple that if you can find YouTube videos you like and type the word "kick" you're in business.
The mechanism is web based and very straight forward. When you're watching a YouTube video that you would like to download for archiving or later perusal, simply add the word "kick" to the URL immediately in front of the word youtube. For example if you wanted to download the Merlin Mann video we suggested as weekend viewing to throw on your iPod for a subway commute, you would do the following:
Load the URL for the video in your browser:
http ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOgHE5nEq04
Insert the word "kick" between the www. and the youtube.com section of the URL:
http://www.kickyoutube.com/watch?v=uOgHE5nEq04
That's it! After you send that URL, the page will reload with the KickYouTube toolbar at the top of the screen, as seen in the screenshot above. From there you can download the file from YouTube as an FLV, MPG, MP3, and even HD MP4. Note: going to the KickYouTube website directly will just give you a video demonstration on how to use the service, to actually engage the toolbar and begin grabbing files you have to find a YouTube video you want and insert the "kick" into the URL of the video. For another simple and cross platform method of downloading files from video sharing sites, check out All-In-One-Video Bookmarklet.
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