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catrinka · 11-15-2007, 03:34 PM

I am late getting into this thread, but may have some suggestions to help people wanting to download/capture streaming media, convert files to different formats, split them up and burn them to CD/DVD.

1. Capture streaming media from browser

If you use Firefox (which I highly recommend!) there are some extensions which will allow you to download a variety of streaming media. I use "DownloadHelper" and find it suits my needs, but there are other extensions available which you might find more to your liking.

If you use M$ Internet Explorer, there is "Flash and Media Capture" plugin (shareware $24.95).

2. Downloaded Files

Depending on the format, the downloaded file can be manipulated to put on CD/DVD using a variety of programs and methods. Most require some kind of conversion from the default format to a "burnable" file type. What you use depends on your operating system and the depth of your pockets!

3. Recommended Sites

There are two information sites for burning CDs or DVDs which might answer the questions that have come up. If you ever have a question about CD/DVD burning, these sites are a good place to start

CD-Recording FAQ
http://www.cdrfaq.org/

DVD FAQ
http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html

4. Free Software

As John so elaborately stated, there are a large number of sites dedicated to software which can split, copy, convert, etc. I have found two sites which have become my first stop when I'm looking for a new freeware program (of almost any kind).

SnapFiles
http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/
(they also have a shareware side to the site which has more elaborate/functional programs)

NoNags
http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/

Both sites provide information about the programs, links to the author's site and ratings.

One conversion program not on those sites is

Free WMA to MP3 Converter
http://www.wma-mp3.org/

While I have not tried it myself, it seems to be worth a look for those who do a lot of converting.

As a relative newbie in this area, I have no recommendations (other than Audacity) for most of these tasks. However, as Peter mentions, Audacity does not yet work with the .wma format. In the end, I think you'll have to use more than one program to get what you want!

(By the way, Audacity can record audio, too...like MP3myMP3!)

11-15-2007, 03:34 PM	#24
catrinka Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 31	Re: Lightfoot on sugarmegs.org I am late getting into this thread, but may have some suggestions to help people wanting to download/capture streaming media, convert files to different formats, split them up and burn them to CD/DVD. 1. Capture streaming media from browser If you use Firefox (which I highly recommend!) there are some extensions which will allow you to download a variety of streaming media. I use "DownloadHelper" and find it suits my needs, but there are other extensions available which you might find more to your liking. If you use M$ Internet Explorer, there is "Flash and Media Capture" plugin (shareware $24.95). 2. Downloaded Files Depending on the format, the downloaded file can be manipulated to put on CD/DVD using a variety of programs and methods. Most require some kind of conversion from the default format to a "burnable" file type. What you use depends on your operating system and the depth of your pockets! 3. Recommended Sites There are two information sites for burning CDs or DVDs which might answer the questions that have come up. If you ever have a question about CD/DVD burning, these sites are a good place to start CD-Recording FAQ http://www.cdrfaq.org/ DVD FAQ http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html 4. Free Software As John so elaborately stated, there are a large number of sites dedicated to software which can split, copy, convert, etc. I have found two sites which have become my first stop when I'm looking for a new freeware program (of almost any kind). SnapFiles http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/ (they also have a shareware side to the site which has more elaborate/functional programs) NoNags http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/ Both sites provide information about the programs, links to the author's site and ratings. One conversion program not on those sites is Free WMA to MP3 Converter http://www.wma-mp3.org/ While I have not tried it myself, it seems to be worth a look for those who do a lot of converting. As a relative newbie in this area, I have no recommendations (other than Audacity) for most of these tasks. However, as Peter mentions, Audacity does not yet work with the .wma format. In the end, I think you'll have to use more than one program to get what you want! (By the way, Audacity can record audio, too...like MP3myMP3!) __________________