Capture Flash Video in Safari

Flash video is commonplace now, and that leaves a lot of us desiring the ability to save those files like Quicktime files. Well, it doesn’t work quite that way, but you can save them to your desktop right from Safari. It requires a bit of setup, but it is simple as pie after that.

First, you’ll need to install SIMBL. This is essentially laying the groundwork for adding third-party modifications to Apple’s programs. Next, you’ll need to install SafariStand. This is an add-on for Safari that offers a myriad of tweaks and features for the browser. Now you’ll need to right click at the top of the Safari window, and select “Customize Toolbar.”

Drag the Action button to your toolbar, and then close the customization drop-down. Now load a page with flash video (e.g. YouTube), and then let the video load to completion. Next, click the Action button, go down to “Flash Movie,” and then select the video that just finished loading. Go to your download folder, and you’ll find the .flv file waiting for you. This might seem useless at first, but you can play that video right in Quicktime with a free plug-in called Perian.

Photo Credit: olibac