How does YouTube use the cache?

Richard Fangnail wrote:
> I think when you download a YouTube video is uses the browser cache.
> But when I view one and come back to it later, it starts loading it
> all over again. Isn't that against the purpose of the cache?

Don't know how it uses the cache, but a copy of the video file is stored in (WinXP typical
install) <drive_letter>:\Documents and Settings\<user_name>\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files\Content.IE5\... Sub folders beneath it named like '2ZKFWSSB'. If you sort by size
(descending), they will usually (not always) be the largest files and appear at the top of the
list, and named as such, get_video[1], get_video[2], .., get_video[n]. You can copy them out
from the cache folders, rename them to something more meaningful to you, or the clip, and put a
'.flv' extension after the name.

You can then view the clips using either Nero ShowTime (version 4, from Nero 8 plays them, not
always in my case), Winamp 5.52 (not always in my case), or FLV Player 1.3.3 will always play
them without fail.

- WindPipe.
 >> Stay informed about: How does YouTube use the cache? 

On Feb 3, 2:25 am, WindPipe <wind_p....RemoveThis@msnews.groups> wrote:
> RichardFangnailwrote:
> > I think when you download a YouTube video is uses the browser cache.
> > But when I view one and come back to it later, it starts loading it
> > all over again. Isn't that against the purpose of the cache?
>
> Don't know how it uses the cache, but a copy of the video file is stored in (WinXP typical
> install) <drive_letter>:\Documents and Settings\<user_name>\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
> Files\Content.IE5\... Sub folders beneath it named like '2ZKFWSSB'. If you sort by size
> (descending), they will usually (not always) be the largest files and appear at the top of the
> list, and named as such, get_video[1], get_video[2], .., get_video[n]. You can copy them out
> from the cache folders, rename them to something more meaningful to you, or the clip, and put a
> '.flv' extension after the name.
>
> You can then view the clips using either Nero ShowTime (version 4, from Nero 8 plays them, not
> always in my case), Winamp 5.52 (not always in my case), or FLV Player 1.3.3 will always play
> them without fail.
>
> - WindPipe.

Is that also true if you're using Firefox or just IE?
 >> Stay informed about: How does YouTube use the cache? 

Hello Richard,

This is the case for IE. Firefox works a little differently in it's file storage. Depending on
your install, I used 'Firefox.exe -profilemanager' to set up my configuration, but in general
the principle is the same, i.e;

<drive_letter>\Documents and Settings\<user_name>\local Settings\Application
Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[xyz]\Cache

Where[xyz] is something like skd1jj0.<user_name>, eg;

D:\Documents and Settings\WindPipe\local Settings\Application
Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\skd1jj0.WindPipe\Cache

If you haven't set up Firefox using the Profile Manager i.e, 'Firefox.exe -profilemanager', look
for the folders 'Firefox\Profiles', then the Cache folder should be somewhere under there. In
this Cache folder Firefox will place a copy of the YouTube clips in what appears to be a
randomly generated alpha-numeric file name, without any extensions, eg, '5A414386d01'. The
YouTube ones will often be larger than the other so you can sort descending by size again.

Again change the name to something meaningful, and put a .flv extension to it.

Hope this helps ya'.

- WindPipe


Richard Fangnail wrote:
> On Feb 3, 2:25 am, WindPipe <wind_p....RemoveThis@msnews.groups> wrote:
>> RichardFangnailwrote:
>>> I think when you download a YouTube video is uses the browser cache.
>>> But when I view one and come back to it later, it starts loading it
>>> all over again. Isn't that against the purpose of the cache?
>> Don't know how it uses the cache, but a copy of the video file is stored in (WinXP typical
>> install) <drive_letter>:\Documents and Settings\<user_name>\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
>> Files\Content.IE5\... Sub folders beneath it named like '2ZKFWSSB'. If you sort by size
>> (descending), they will usually (not always) be the largest files and appear at the top of the
>> list, and named as such, get_video[1], get_video[2], .., get_video[n]. You can copy them out
>> from the cache folders, rename them to something more meaningful to you, or the clip, and put a
>> '.flv' extension after the name.
>>
>> You can then view the clips using either Nero ShowTime (version 4, from Nero 8 plays them, not
>> always in my case), Winamp 5.52 (not always in my case), or FLV Player 1.3.3 will always play
>> them without fail.
>>
>> - WindPipe.
>
> Is that also true if you're using Firefox or just IE?
 >> Stay informed about: How does YouTube use the cache? 

On Feb 7, 2:05 pm, WindPipe <wind_p....RemoveThis@msnews.groups> wrote:
> Hello Richard,
>
> This is the case for IE. Firefox works a little differently in it's file storage. Depending on
> your install, I used 'Firefox.exe -profilemanager' to set up my configuration, but in general
> the principle is the same, i.e;
>
> <drive_letter>\Documents and Settings\<user_name>\local Settings\Application
> Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[xyz]\Cache
>
> Where[xyz] is something like skd1jj0.<user_name>, eg;
>
> D:\Documents and Settings\WindPipe\local Settings\Application
> Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\skd1jj0.WindPipe\Cache
>
> If you haven't set up Firefox using the Profile Manager i.e, 'Firefox.exe -profilemanager', look
> for the folders 'Firefox\Profiles', then the Cache folder should be somewhere under there. In
> this Cache folder Firefox will place a copy of the YouTube clips in what appears to be a
> randomly generated alpha-numeric file name, without any extensions, eg, '5A414386d01'. The
> YouTube ones will often be larger than the other so you can sort descending by size again.
>
> Again change the name to something meaningful, and put a .flv extension to it.
>
> Hope this helps ya'.
>

Wind,

Thanks for that. I've never been clear on whether you can save
youtube clips always this way, or just sometimes.
 >> Stay informed about: How does YouTube use the cache? 

Richard Fangnail <richardfangnail.TakeThisOut@excite.com> wrote:

>Thanks for that. I've never been clear on whether you can save
>youtube clips always this way, or just sometimes.

Wanna save Youtube videos?

Take the URL for the clip you like, and paste it here:

http://keepvid.com/

Click the download link.
 >> Stay informed about: How does YouTube use the cache? 

<snip>
>>> You can then view the clips using either Nero ShowTime (version 4, from
>>> Nero 8 plays them, not
>>> always in my case), Winamp 5.52 (not always in my case), or FLV Player
>>> 1.3.3 will always play
>>> them without fail.
>>>
>>> - WindPipe.
>>
>> Is that also true if you're using Firefox or just IE?

You can get firefox plugins that will download video clips from some sites
like YouTube.
 >> Stay informed about: How does YouTube use the cache? 

Onsokumaru wrote:
> <snip>
>>>> You can then view the clips using either Nero ShowTime (version 4, from
>>>> Nero 8 plays them, not
>>>> always in my case), Winamp 5.52 (not always in my case), or FLV Player
>>>> 1.3.3 will always play
>>>> them without fail.
>>>>
>>>> - WindPipe.
>>> Is that also true if you're using Firefox or just IE?
>
> You can get firefox plugins that will download video clips from some sites
> like YouTube.
>
>

Many thanks Onsokumaru, got it at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3006, much more
convenient.

- WindPipe
 >> Stay informed about: How does YouTube use the cache?