If you’ve tried to play YouTube videos or other online videos in Windows Media Player, you may have received an error that it doesn’t support the file type or the codec used to compress it. This is because Windows Media Player lacks native support to play Flash Video (FLV) files.
The best way to watch YouTube videos in Windows Media Player is to download them, then convert them to a format the Windows Media Player can play. You can do this easily with YouTube Downloader, a free software program that can download Flash Videos and convert them to other formats.
In addition to YouTube videos, YouTube Downloader will download and convert videos from Google Videos, Facebook, Metacafe, DailyMotion, Veoh, Vevo and many other popular online video sites.
Installing YouTube Downloader
Download and install the latest version of YouTube Downloader. Having the latest version is important, since YouTube occasionally makes changes that may cause YouTube Downloader to stop working.
If you don’t want to install the YouTube Downloader Toolbar and McAfee Security Scan Plus and set Yahoo! as your search engines, clear the check boxes beside these options. Click Next, then click Install and Finish to complete the installation.
Downloading YouTube Videos
In YouTube Downloader, click the radio button beside Download a video from YouTube or other video site. In your web browser, navigate to the video you’d like to download from YouTube or another video site. Select and copy the URL from the address bar of your browser.
Select the quality you’d like for your video download. For best results, select Best Quality. Under Your default download location is, select the folder where you usually save your videos, then click the Download button and click Save. Repeat these steps for each video you’d like to download.
Converting Video Files
In the YouTube Downloader window, select the radio button beside Convert or play a video you have already downloaded. Under Select the video file, click Browse. Find the video file just downloaded on your hard drive, select it and click Open.
From the drop-down menu under Convert video to, select Windows Media Video (V.7 WMV), then click Convert. In the window that pops up, select the desired video quality. Choosing high will result in a better quality video with a larger file size, but it’s still your best option by far.
Only pick a lower quality if you are running out of space on your hard drive. You can also adjust the volume and cut the video in this window. When you’re finished, click OK. If you’re low on disk space, you can delete the original video download when the conversion is complete.
Opening Videos in Windows Media Player
Open Windows Media Player. Right click the toolbar, then click File and Open. Navigate to the folder where your converted video is stored and click Open. If the video appears small, click the button in the lower left hand corner of the screen to enter full screen mode. When you’re finished playing the video, click the button again to exit full screen mode.
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