Bring Youtube to Your Desktop

Who doesn't love YouTube? The massive video sharing site has become a staple to every day life for most of us. From the silly videos posted of people doing funny things, to vlogs provided with a serious tone discussing the day's most heated issues, to educational and instructional videos showing you how to do just about anything...there is a whole lot to get out of it.

But what about when you just want to watch something on your desktop? Maybe the site isn't working properly, or you just want to download videos to watch offline. Whatever the case, there are several nice apps to help you out.

1. Minitube

Whether you have Windows, Mac OS X or Linux, you can enjoy high definition videos without any hassle. Minitube offers a lean app that doesn't take many resources, has an attractive and intuitive interface and even provides you with one click downloading so you can get any clips for your computer or media device in moments. There is a free trial version to check out, or the player is only 9 Euros (about $12 USD).

2. Ytube Player

For a free option, you will love Ytube Player. It isn't really helpful for those who want to be able to download clips. But it is the perfect streaming tool for those who want to watch channels, playlist or search out videos through their desktop without any download necessary. It also has a cool feature that has you enter in your favorite song, and then searches out and generates a full playlist of similar songs. It's a great way to discover new music.

3. goVideos

Want a YouTube specific browser? This one is super simple and will put it all at your fingertips. Just use the express install or download the .exe file and install it from there. You will be given a small search box, a list of categories like recipes, dance, cars, finance and funny, among others. Then a list of result screenshots to help you choose the videos you would like. It is a basic opensource program that can be nice for the casual user.

4. YTWatcher

If you want something that takes up next to no resources and just lets you sit back and watch your subscribed channels without any fuss, this is the perfect app for you. It is a single window application, no frills, and works just the way it promises to. It is also free. The only downside is that it has a subscription limitation of 100 videos. So you won't get the full catalog of most of your subscription feeds.

5. VinnPlayer

Run this useful little app in the background as you listen to playlists, shuffle your favorites and enjoy your saved lists. There isn't a whole lot to say about this one, as it does just what it promises to do without any surprises. The interface is standard and clean, and the program is really easy to use. It is based entirely around playlist construction and use, so perfect for anyone who is wanting a way to listen to music via YouTube with more control than the site offers.

Conclusion

I am a YouTube obsessed user, there is no doubt about it. So having a desktop application to make it easier to use is just what I need. As I am sure there are many others out there who have the same addiction and would like a more customized experience to enjoy it, I hope this list of apps helps them find the perfect one.