How To Download A Movie On Mac For Free



  1. The Internet Archive is a great place to go to download free movies online. There are free movie downloads of comedies, film noir, sci-fi/horror, and foreign films. Look on the left side of the page to view all the topics where the movies are categorized.
  2. Total Video Downloader for Mac is a very simple video downloader for Mac OS X that is actually super fast. With this Mac video downloader, you can download basically any format (.mp4,.avi,.flv,.3gp,.webm) from multiple online video sources (YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Facebook, Metacafe).

Windows Movie maker is one of the oldest and amazing tools to edit videos on Windows, it has been preinstalled in the Windows operating system since Windows XP days and this free tool let you edit your videos in the perfect way possible. Unfortunately, Microsoft has never released Windows Movie Maker for Mac OS X. Fortunately, there are plenty of third party applications available in the Mac Store. Here I'd like to recommend you the best alternative to Windows Movie Maker for Mac (macOS 10.13 High Sierra included) - Filmora Video Editor.

Question: Q: how to download a movie to a mac book air Would like to download a movie to my mac air - not a streaming movie because I will be in a plane. Any ideas or places to go for help?

Part 1. The Best Windows Movie Maker for Mac Alternative

Fimlora Video Editor is amazing software which will let you edit videos on Mac (macOS 10.13) and it works just like Windows movie maker, but with even more features. From basic level video editing tool to superb effects, this software gives everything you need for making a standout video. The most prominent feature of Filmora Video Editor is that it will cleverly detect the different video scenes in your video and will split them according to their needs. Moreover, there are hundreds of animations and to PIP effects, intros to credits, text to sound clips, you can edit your videos in whatever way you want.

Key Features of Windows Movie Maker for Mac Alternative

*Basic Editing tools: Just like any other video editors, it already has every basic level editing tool which you need such as video rotating, adjusting contrast, brightness, hues and speed of the videos. There are other tools which can be used to crop videos, trim them, voice over, taking screenshots of the videos. You can also apply the tilt shift to make one part prominent and blurring the rest of screen in the video. Similarly, another tool is to apply mosaic which will blur out the specific area while the whole screen will be normal. From basic editing tools, you can also make a face off to replace a face of the person in the video. It can also be used to make slow motion or hyper lapse videos.

*Adding Text in a Video: Filmora Video Editor will also let you add text to the videos from a list of different fonts and styles. You can even customize the style of the text and apply it as animation on your video. It has a pretty lengthy list of fonts and the best part is that there are some preset styles available in the iSkysoft Editor, if you want to save the time, you can apply one of them.

*Adding Different Effects to the Video: You can't only apply effects to the whole video but different effects can be applied to different portions of the video and there are more than hundred effects already pre-downloaded in the Filmora Video Editor, however, you can download even more from the server by clicking on download button. These effects will make your video unique which no other software have.

*Picture in Picture Effects: Just like text, you can add Picture in Picture effects on your videos which will make your videos even more beautiful. There are many different pre-loaded images in the Filmora Video Editor and you can download an extra pack within the software.

*Transitions and Intro/Credits: Just like Movie maker, there are different transitions available, so, if you are trying to join two different videos, introduction of a suitable transition will make your video perfect. Similarly, there is an option to add introduction and credits for the video.

*Sharing the Final Video: Once the video has been edited, save the video on your Mac in an appropriate video format for your iPhone or upload directly to the 'YouTube' or 'Vimeo'. Another distinguished feature is that you can upload videos directly to the famous social networking website 'Facebook' or can burn them directly on a 'DVD'.

Part 2. How to Use Windows Movie Maker Alternative for Mac?

Step 1. Installing and Running the Software

Filmora Video Editor comes in two versions, one which is a trial version with limited options, however, the Full version will cost you $44.95. Download and install the latest version of Filmora Video Editor on your Mac. Download the version from the link give below. After downloading, copy it to the 'Applications'. After successful installation, open the Filmora Video Editor and you will be asked to select for 'Wide Screen' or 'Standard'. Once you have set the version, you will be shown the main screen of the Filmora Video Editor.

Step 2. Starting a New Project

Starting a new project on Filmora Video Editor is pretty much simple. all you have to do is import the video files, audio files or images and start the project. Click on the 'Import Media' to import any kind of media files. It will open the explorer from which you import your files, select the files that you want to import and click on 'Load' to import the video file.

Once the files have been successfully imported, you can move the files to the editing area to start the editing process. Simply click and hold and move the cursor to editing area.

Step 3. Editing Video

There are different tools to edit the video from the basic level editing to the professional level editing. The basic level editing tools include the crop, delete, and voice over, rotation changer, power tools to adjust brightness and contrast ratio of the video.

You can also add text from a variety of text styles already present in the software, simply click on the 'Text' button in the left panel as shown in the screenshot. Some styles are pre-embedded, however, for others you can click on 'Download' button to download them. Drag the style in the editing area of the video to apply that style.

To apply different filters on the video, click on 'Filter' button just below the text. Drag that specific filter to the editing area to apply on a specific point on the video.

Similarly, you can add picture in picture effect by clicking on the button just below the 'Filters' and there are plenty of 'Transitions' available to apply on the video.

Step 4. Export the video

Once you have edited the video, you can export the videos by clicking on the 'Export' Button just below the preview of video. Here, you will be find different options to select from, you can either click on 'Create' to save the videos or select a social media to upload the video.

Part 3. Comparison of Windows Movie Maker and Filmora Video Editor:


Filmora Video Editor

Windows Movie Maker

1. User-interface is very neat, easy to use, works pretty well whether you are an entry level video editor or a professional Interface is clean but isn't as easy to use as it seems. Very limitation and doesn't work well if you are professional editor.
2. Preset Text Style, One click handling There are no preset text style, you will have to do all the work manually.
3. A vast variety of animations and without time limit for animation Only few animations available and it can be set only for a second or two
4. Can apply Visual Animations to a specific portion or the whole video. Apply different animations on the different portions of the same video. Only one animation is applied at one time and it will be automatically applied to the whole video. No option to set.
5. Save videos on DVD to watch them on TV Won't let you save videos on DVD

Related Articles & Tips

It is likely that you have heard and used VLC media player for playing streaming videos. But it is more likely that you are fooled by its name — VLC media player is by no means a one-trick pony. Instead, it is a feature-packed powerful tool which is not only capable of playing streaming videos but also able to download videos from all the popular websites, like YouTube.


Today, you are going to learn about how to download video with VLC on Mac/Windows and solve a series of problems involved when using it all in one passage.

CONTENTS

  • 1. VLC's Hidden Feature — Download Video from Internet
  • 2. Problems Tackled in YouTube Downloading Using VLC
  • 3. An Alternative to VLC for Downloading Web Video Including YouTube

VLC's Hidden Feature — Download Video from Internet

In fact, there are two methods to download videos with VLC. Here I will introduce the easier one. Please follow the steps below with VLC downloading a YouTube video as an example.


Step 1. Fire up VLC

After installing VLC media player to your Windows or Mac, fire it up.


Step 2. Copy the Video URL from YouTube

Free download a movie

Go for the video on YouTube and copy the link from the browser’s address bar above the page.


Step 3. Paste the Video URL into VLC and Start Playing

On Windows:

Click on 'Media' > 'Open Network Stream' in VLC main interface.

Then under the Network tab on the pop-up window, you should then enter the YouTube video URL that you have copied from YouTube. Press the 'Play' button to start playing the video.

On Mac:

Click on 'File' > 'Open Network', enter the YouTube video URL and click 'Open'.


Step 4. Get and Copy Codec Information of the YouTube Video

On Windows:

Hit 'Tools' > 'Codec Information' to copy the full URL besides the 'Location' title. This is the direct URL of the YouTube video.

On Mac:

Select the YouTube video in VLC, hit 'Window' > 'Media Information'. You are looking for the 'Location' input box.


Step 5. Enter the URL into Address Bar and Download the YouTube Video

Open a web browser page and paste the copied Location URL into the address bar before hitting 'Enter' on your keyboard. More clicks of 'Save' button might be needed after that, which depends on the video link and the setting of your browser.


Problems Tackled in YouTube Downloading Using VLC

Now, have you learned about how to download YouTube videos using VLC yet? Don't worry if you encounter some problems when in practice. The first thing you need to do is to repeat the above steps more carefully in order to rule out the possibility of not following the right procedures. If that problem does continue to exist, you might need to read the second part of the passage. We have listed some common problems involved in saving video from websites with VLC and given out our solutions.


Problem 1:

'Sadly this didn't work for me. It downloaded the video but instead of getting a playable video I get a file called 'file' in my download folder.'

Solution A: Put an extension to the file name when it gives you 'Enter file name', like '.mp4' or '.avi'.

Solution B: Use a video converter to convert the file into '.mp4'.


Movie

Problem 2:

'I could download some YouTube videos with VLC while others didn't work.'

Solution: Check if the video is tagged 'Age-restricted video (based on Community Guidelines)'. If that is the case, the video will NOT download using the established method due to YouTube policies. There is no way of getting rid of it. So try VLC alternatives.


An Alternative to VLC for Downloading Web Video Including YouTube

The built-in download feature of VLC cannot go without drawbacks since it is not an expert in video download. Indeed, some videos are highly protected by their website program and prevented from grabbing by VLC. To solve such a problem, I suggest you to try some online tools to download videos from popular websites for offline viewing.


VideoSolo Online Video Downloader is one of the best free online downloaders on the internet for grabbing YouTube videos. Aside from YouTube, it claims to support Facebook, Instagram, Dailymotion, Vimeo, SoundCloud, etc. in almost all browsers and all operating systems including Mac/Windows/Android/iOS. With a clean and intuitive interface, VideoSolo Online Video Downloader is very easy to use within just several clicks.

In addition, VideoSolo now released a video downloader which can also download online videos easily.

You can take a try with it from the button below.

How to download a movie

Follow the 3 steps to grab videos from the Internet easily with VideoSolo Online Video Downloader.


How to download a movie

Step 1. Go to the page containing your loved video and copy the video link from the address bar above.

Download A Movie From Youtube


Step 2. Head to the VideoSolo Online Video Downloader homepage and paste the video link into the search box. Press the 'Download' button to the right of the box to interpret the video.

How To Download Movies To Laptop

Step 3. After deciding on the output format and quality, hit the corresponding 'Download' button to the right hand. Then the browser immediately pops up a download dialog; if not, click the menu button > 'Download' on the pop-up window, or right-click the mouse and select 'Save as'.

Free Movies For Mac

Hope the above information can settle your problems when downloading videos with VLC on your Mac or Windows. If you are not so satisfied with VLC’s inherent download function, your best bet is to try VideoSolo Online Video Downloader, which is quite easy and efficient to use.