YouTube has started offering the option for you to download video content off the site. A new "Click To Download" button has been added directly below videos such as Obama's weekly YouTube address that are "consistent with principles of open government."  If you're smitten with a particular video you can download it onto your hard drive, as well as transfer it onto other devices like your iPod or phone for viewing later. Videos are downloaded as MP4 files, and you have to go to YouTube for the download option to be available (it doesn't show up on embedded videos). Over time the site plans on offering the download option on other videos that are not necessarily government related.

It makes sense that this feature is being offered for government related videos first, and that it's starting now. President-elect Obama has made it clear he plans on using YouTube as a way to communicate with the United States (with many members of Congress following suit), and with his inauguration coming in just a few days, you should have the ability to share the videos he creates in particular, however you want, regardless of whether or not you're connected to the internet. That way if your grandma doesn't have access to the web you can download videos to show her later. YouTube's rollout of video downloading comes just one day after the announcement that Google Video, which like YouTube is owned by Google, will no longer allow you to upload new video. Previously Google video was the only mainstream video hosting site to allow downloads.

If you're itching to download a video off YouTube that isn't currently offered under the program there are several websites that will do the download for you. For instance the site Zamzar allows you to download YouTube videos for free in almost any file format you can imagine by simply providing the video's URL.
 

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