Download Managers and other downloaders

These are the 2 reasons why I use Download Managers etc:
1. To speed up RapidShare Premium downloading (this really makes a difference...without the download accelerator, I get speeds of around 50-100kb/s, while with it, I get speeds of around 200-300kb/s or more) and also to speed up general web downloading (again it truly makes a difference for me, sometimes up to 3-4 times the speed).
2. To "grab" videos and other media from web-sites more easily (eg. download media hosted by Youtube and other less recognised sites).

I have been a very happy user of Orbit Downloader (completely free) for 1-2 years now. Orbit gives me the extra speed as in number 1. above, as well as the ability to perform number 2. above fairly easily.

For some reason, in the last week or so, browser monitoring of IE has become faulty, and no longer works. To perform number 1. above successfully, I find I have to use IE (not Firefox) and enter the Rapidshare code address there. Unfortunately, I can't work out why Orbit is not monitoring for downloads via IE. I haven't changed anything within Orbit! I've tried re-installing Orbit, as well as rolling back to IE 7, but nothing has worked.

Anyway, I've switched to "Free Download Manager" which performs number 1. above just as well, and it works fine. However, for number 2. above, it is limited to downloading video/media from very well known sites only, like youtube etc. Orbit had the ability to download from unknown sites too with the "Grab Pro" function.

To substitute for the "Grab Pro" function, I'm using Firefox's add-on "Video Download Helper", which works fine, except it doesn't provide any download acceleration like Orbit does.

It was nice while Orbit worked I guess. Also "Video Download Helper" is a very convenient way of catching video/media from web sites, since I use Firefox as my main browser. "Free Download Manager" is very light and works very well too, except it lacks the very useful "Grab Pro" function.

Just wondering what techniques or programs (preferably free ones) people use these days? Thanks for sharing.

 

I've never understood (never really investigated it) how DL Mgrs work, i.e. how do they accelerate? I've never installed FlashGot even though I've been using Ff at least for five or six years. What am I missing here?

 

Download manager usually open multiple connections to get a file, each connection downloading a chunk of the full file, this way, much higher downloadspeeds can be achieved. Using a downloadmanager really has advantage over the regular browser way, especially for larger (10MB+) files.

 

MAny use Internet download manager,its probably the most famous one,I use free rapid downloader for share sites including youtube.

 

Flashgot has video download features and will work with Free Download Manager.

 

When I had dialup, a download manager was a total lifesaver. If I got bumped, I could reconnect and take up where I left off instead of starting over. Partial downloads survived reboots. AV integration, scheduler, multiple destinations, many features. The one I used was the free version of Star Downloader. Adware/spyware free, worked great. With DSL, I don't use it very often. On dialup, I downloaded a complete Knoppix ISO over a weeks period by running it only at night.