I want to download some episodes from a website

[Joanna]

Hello,

I will have to travel with my daughter and as the trip is rather long she asked if she could take the laptop and watch a few episodes from her favorite show...coming to my problem: how can I save episodes from NBC (where she is usually watching them) so I can have on a laptop without internet connection?
Any help and recommendation for a video downloader? is appreciated

[sanlyn]

Almost all major network and cable sites have copy and download protection on their videos. There are lots of browser download apps around, such as DownloadHelper for Firefox, But even when they download something, copy protection prevents saving the file permanently or replaying it. Now and then some Ukranian hacks program a downloader that works briefly, maybe a day, a week, a month, but the sites continually change their copy protection codes and often store those videos as numerous segments. There are several years of posts at Videohelp by people who suggest various ways to bypass unknown protection schemes, but either they don't work or they're only temporary.

Have you considered an iphone or similar device that connects to the internet anywhere? Add a car recharger that fits in the cigarette lighter and you're good to go all day. Otherwise you can find Google links with dozens of solutions, but you take your chances that they work or not.

Several newer gimmicks are listed at videohelp.com, but user reviews vary. One is VDownloader, another is ChrisPC Free VideoTube Downloader (the latter is free but earns its keep by downloading a ton of junkware with the installer). You can try videohelp's software Tools page. I gave up on all that stuff and continue to carry my trusty iphone on driving trips.

[Joanna]

Whoaa...bypassing protection already sounds illegal and I definitely don´t want to do that, nor encourage piracy. That is not something that I would do!
I read a little bit on google about that, but did not go that deep into details and from what I understood it was legal when for personal use, apparently, as you say, there are lots of such downloaders. I asked for a recommendation on such a tool, but how can they all be illegal and still offered?

[Octopus]

Hello,

I am also new here.
This entire downloading content is a grey area that leaves room for interpretation.

However, there are tools and tools that you can find over the world wide web

As you say, it is legal to download for personal use and if you don´t bypass any protection.
Also, for instance, Audials Moviebox, records from your screen any played video, does not download anything:
http://audials.com/en/how_to_record_..._from/nbc.html.
There is also a page on legal information, explaining why it is legal: http://audials.com/en/audials/compan...formation.html