ClipGrab
{{Short description|Video download manager}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox software
| name = ClipGrab
| title = ClipGrab
| screenshot = SnapShot ClipGrab.png
| caption =
| developer = Philipp Schmieder Medien
| released = {{Start date and age|2007|11|05|df=yes}}
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q5134343|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q5134343|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q5134343|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
| latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q5134343|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
| genre = Download manager
| operating system = Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux
| language = English, German, French
| license = GPL-3.0-or-later
| website = https://clipgrab.org/
}}
ClipGrab is a donationware{{Cite web |title=ClipGrab – Donations |url=https://clipgrab.org/donate |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=clipgrab.org}} video download manager, allowing the download of videos from a variety of websites such as YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion or Facebook.
It has been praised for its user-friendliness, but also flagged as malware by security software.{{cite web|date=10 November 2012|title=ClipGrab lets you download and convert videos from the Web|url=http://www.thewindowsclub.com/clipgrab-download-convert-videos-youtube-vimeo-dailymotion|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112070829/http://www.thewindowsclub.com:80/clipgrab-download-convert-videos-youtube-vimeo-dailymotion |archive-date=12 November 2011 |work=thewindowsclub.com}}{{cite web|title=ClipGrab – Download|url=http://www.chip.de/downloads/ClipGrab_40171753.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114175400/http://www.chip.de:80/downloads/ClipGrab_40171753.html |archive-date=14 January 2010 |work=chip.de}}{{cite web
|url= https://www.2-spyware.com/remove-clipgrab-virus.html
|title = Remove Clipgrab virus
| date = 19 July 2018}} It can convert the downloaded files to other file formats such as MP3, MPEG4, OGG Theora or WMV. It is published as free software under the terms of the GPL-3.0-or-later license. It is developed and maintained by Philipp Schmieder Medien of vanbittern.com.{{cite web|url=https://clipgrab.org/COPYING |title=ClipGrab COPYING |publisher=Philipp Schmieder }}
Features
ClipGrab officially supports the download from a handful of video websites which include YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, and Facebook. In addition to this, the software provides a heuristic which can also download videos from sites that are not officially supported. When available, ClipGrab offers different quality options for a video. With this feature, the user can choose between downloading a high definition, standard definition or low definition version of the video.
ClipGrab can automatically detect compatible URLs when they are copied to the clipboard. The program provides an integrated search function for YouTube. It also lets the user convert the downloaded files to other file formats such as MP3, MPEG4, OGG Theora or WMV.
It has especially been praised for its clean and easy-to-use user interface.{{cite web
|url = http://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/digitale-welt/gewusst-wie-videos-von-youtube-auf-der-festplatte-speichern/1677922.html
|title = German newspaper "Der Tagesspiegel" recommends ClipGrab
|work = Der Tagesspiegel
|date = 6 February 2010
|language = German
}} Software review site softoxi.com states that "[ClipGrab] has a beautifully designed graphical user interface" and "stands out immediately for its look, feel and performance"{{cite web
|url = http://www.softoxi.com/clipgrab.html
|title = Review by softoxi.com
|work = softoxi.com
|date = 24 November 2011
|access-date = 4 December 2011
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714144022/http://www.softoxi.com/clipgrab.html
|archive-date = 14 July 2014
|url-status = dead
}}
License
ClipGrab is published as free software under the GPL-3.0-or-later license{{cite web|url=https://clipgrab.org/COPYING |title=ClipGrab COPYING }}
Unusually for an open source project, file checksums, code repositories, developer documentation, or online issue trackers are not publicly available. Until 2015, ClipGrab published an online source code repository including a GPL open source license. The software's website elicits donations from end users, making it a type of donationware.{{cite web|url=http://git.clipgrab.org/ClipGrab/blob/master/COPYING |title=ClipGrab Git COPYING |publisher=Philipp Schmieder |date=12 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123804/http://git.clipgrab.org/ClipGrab/blob/master/COPYING |archivedate=2 April 2015 }}
Development
ClipGrab was originally developed in the proprietary programming language PureBasic,{{cite web
|url = http://purebasic.fr/german/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=14858
|title = Initial release announcement
|work = purebasic.fr
|date = 15 November 2007
|language = German
|access-date = 4 December 2011
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714193236/http://purebasic.fr/german/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=14858
|archive-date = 14 July 2014
|url-status = dead
}} and could only download one video at a time. Later, the software was rewritten using C++ and the Qt framework and published under the terms of the GPL-3.0-or-later license. Since version 3.0, the program is also available for macOS.
Criticism
The ClipGrab installer for Windows includes InstallCore,{{Cite web|url = http://clipgrab.org/legal|title = Legal mentions|accessdate = 5 May 2020|website = clipgrab.org}} an advertising software module classified as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) or potentially unwanted application (PUA) by some anti-malware products. Due to the use of installCore, ClipGrab has been described as "loaded with crapware". Virus reports on the ClipGrab forum have not received a response from the developer.{{cite web | url = https://clipgrab.uservoice.com/forums/37083-clipgrab/suggestions/38040571-remove-installcore-from-your-installer | date = 30 June 2019 | title = Remove InstallCore from your installer | access-date = 20 May 2020 | archive-date = 23 November 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201123171113/https://clipgrab.uservoice.com/forums/37083-clipgrab/suggestions/38040571-remove-installcore-from-your-installer | url-status = dead }}{{cite web|date=15 April 2018|title=downloaded a copy from clipgrap.org. HAD A VIRUS|url=https://clipgrab.uservoice.com/forums/37083-clipgrab/suggestions/33957064-downloaded-a-copy-from-clipgrap-org-had-a-virus|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605074753/https://clipgrab.uservoice.com/forums/37083-clipgrab/suggestions/33957064-downloaded-a-copy-from-clipgrap-org-had-a-virus|archive-date=2020-06-05}} Articles on ClipGrab from 2018 onwards are more critical, and classify the software as malware, rather than as a helpful consumer product, as in reviews from 2011 to 2015.
An alternate download without InstallCore is also offered.{{cite web|access-date=2020-10-24|url=https://clipgrab.uservoice.com/forums/37083-clipgrab/suggestions/38040571-remove-installcore-from-your-installer|title=Remove InstallCore from your installer|archive-date=23 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123171113/https://clipgrab.uservoice.com/forums/37083-clipgrab/suggestions/38040571-remove-installcore-from-your-installer|url-status=dead}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}