How to Download YouTube Videos in HD: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide

How to Download High Quality (HD) Videos from YouTube

Many different resolutions are available for videos on YouTube. The resolution can range from the default, and sometimes the maximum, 360p; to 720p HD, 1080p Full HD; and all the way up to 4K Ultra HD. The resolution you choose can make a difference when you physically save a video.

I created YTT Save to assist with saving YouTube videos in the quality of your choice. It can be a little tricky to adjust the settings to your preference. Basically, you have to copy the public URL to a video, and then paste it into my website. From there, you wait for the video to process, and then you can see what resolutions you can download the video in.

In this post, I will walk you through the process. Additionally, I will include a description of video resolution units to help you decide what resolution you want to download.

What is HD?

When you want to save the highest quality available, it is good practice to know what the terms mean.

Terms such as 360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p, and 2160p exist. The number pertains to the vertical resolution of the video.

Generally speaking, 720p is HD, and 1080p is Full HD.

If you are planning to watch the video on a large, and therefore high resolution, display, then saving the video in the highest available resolution would be good practice. On the other hand, if you are just going to watch the video on your phone, then you don't need to save it in the highest resolution available.

To save a YouTube video, follow these steps:

1. Go to the YouTube website and locate the video you want to save.

Make certain that you are legally allowed to save the video and/or audio.

Check to see that the video is accessible and plays.

2. Copy the Video’s Web Address

There are several ways to copy a web address. You can use the browser’s address bar or use the functions provided by the website.

3. Open YTT Save

You do not need to download and install additional software to use the web app.

The main web app is simple to use.

4. Paste Video’s Web Address

5. Click the "Download" Button

YTT Save retrieves data for the video at the specified link. This process can take a short period of time.

It is important to understand that the time required to process a video can vary. Factors that can affect this include, but are not limited to, your geographic location, the availability and load of the video’s source, and your connection to the internet.

There is no reason to click the download button repeatedly. The processing of a link occurs as quickly as it can and will not function any differently because a button is repeatedly clicked.

Check the Video Preview

After link processing is completed, the video that was processed is shown.

If a video is processed that you do not want to download, you could end up wasting time and hard drive space by downloading an unneeded file.

Download Options

After the preview is shown, the available resolutions of the video are shown, and the video is ready to be downloaded.

If a video is available in multiple resolutions, the lowest resolutions typically use the least amount of space and may be appropriate to use if storage space is a consideration.

Full, or 1080p, resolution is not always available. If available, Full resolution is better for a clearer picture. If space is not an issue, using the highest available resolution may be appropriate.

Compressed video may not always be the best option. Depending on your connection and the content, you may want to download the video in a higher resolution if you may need to view the video at a later time.

No.

 A clearer picture may require a longer processing time and/or a stronger connection to the internet.

Downloaders can't invent data that does not exist in the original file. If the original only contains low resolution data, they can't make the downloaded file contain high resolution data.

YTT Save knows this and works with the native resolutions of the processed files. Because of this, YTT Save can not guarantee that links will contain high resolution files.

If you are only going to watch the video on your TV via your Youtube app or Chrome Cast, then go ahead and choose 1080p. Otherwise, 720p is just as good, and will help reduce the size of the file.

If you are only watching a video on your PC, then there is really no point in choosing 1080p. 1080p uses more storage space and bandwidth, and can even make the video harder to process.

Is Youtube video downloading possible on mobile devices?

Yes. Because YTT Save works in web browsers, it can be used on any device that can run a supported web browser. You just have to make sure that your mobile device has a data connection. Once you have a connection, copy the YouTube video's URL, and paste it into YTT Save on your mobile browser. Then process the video.

What happens if the YouTube Link doesn’t Work?

 There may be a number of reasons for YTT Save to be unable to process your link. Suppose, for the time being, we exclude cases of malfunctioning or problem with your device. In that case, the first thing you need to do is verify the YouTube link you wish to process.

 To do so, open the link of the video you want to process, and check if the video is still available.

 Next, check if the link you copied is complete and without any mistakes. If needed, you can take a new link and process it.

 A video may not be available for processing if the video has been deleted, made private, or if it is regionally restricted. Processing a link may not always be possible.

 A video downloader works by, and is limited to, the boundaries of the Internet and the CNT.

 Just because a video is publicly available, does not mean you are authorized by the owner to redistribute it. Videos that are publicly available, may be subject to copyright restrictions and may not be reposted.

 Use the YTT Save tool to save videos that you are legally authorized to save, or that you have prior written authorization to save.

Final Thoughts

 There is no need to complicated or long process for downloading a video using YTT Save.

There are other apps which need a lot of process and can still not download the videos you want.

The process to download a video with YTT Save is simple and straight forward. All you need is a URL.

Paste the URL of the video you want to download into YTT Save, and allow the app to retrieve the video metadata. Once that is done, you can preview the video and decide on the quality you want.

Remember, the quality of the video is determined by the source. So you can not always expect to get a high quality video.

You can read the source and make an intelligent guess on quality.