ClipGrab

To avoid adware ... download from https://clipgrab.org/ -> Show all download options (link)-> ClipGrab for Windows (panel) ->

• link caption: "here" ... in text: You can download a version with no third-party offers here.

Version 3.6.1 download was clean from developer ... no adware checked with Virus Total

MP4 downloads are limited to 480 pixels, ok on cell-phones but not the best on TV screens

• progress is not very obvious ... remaining % in window title bar ... and ... v.small progress bar in current item being downloaded/converted
• once you know where to watch, it's fine

Works where several online capture/converters fail ;)
Definitely a keeper

[Edited by IzNoGud78, November 16]
After a few months from my previous attempt, I wanted to give ClipGrab another chance so, I tried to use it again.
With a pleasant surprise, the current version (3.8.5) works perfectly also on Fedora.
The search function now works fine but, in my opinion, its strong point remains the automatic clipboard detection.

ClipGrab installer for Windows contain third-party offers by installCore, but on the website is also available a portable version without third-party offers.

[april 2019] Tested on Fedora but it has several issues, both as regards the search feature and as regards the identification of links from YouTube. I was hoping it worked because my language is also available, but it doesn't absolutely what it aims to do. The only positive feature (at least this works) is the automatic clipboard detection.

This tool works perfect for downloading videos, and grabbing the audio from videos from YouTube and put that in an .mp3.

I normally use the otherwise great alternative youtube-dl to download from YouTube, because I am partial to command-line tools (ClipGrab itself has a GUI interface); but youtube-dl for some reason can't grab audio from YouTube music clips. ClipGrab did this perfectly though.

The 3rd-party stuff coming with it others are complaining about, not only are ONLY relevant to the Windows version (I used the linux and Mac versions from the program's official website, and they are completely clean), but the official program website even very clearly offers a link to download the program only for Windows, without the add-ons. That's very fair for a free (in both senses of the word) software, so people using Windows as a platform are judging it too harshly.

Unfortunately I couldn't install it on Ubuntu and no documentation was provided on the website.

Edit: Haven't used the app since April 2018, so this review may not reflect the abilities of a new app version.

[Edited by gholem, February 19]

All i need to download from Youtube or any other video streaming service

It's simply perfect in function and design.

The donations must not be cutting it because the current versions of the clipgrab installer bundle crapware add-ons such as "RealPlayer" by default. RealPlayer...really? Who uses RealPlayer In 2013? I didn't even know they were still around.

I like the actual Clipgrab software for the most part but find the recent bundled crapware (selected by default in the installer) annoying and smacking of desperation.

[Edited by Seth, June 12]