The most POPULAR stream recording software (free download):

• WM RECORDER
  the easiest audio/video stream ripper
• REPLAY CAPTURE SUITE
  the best audio/video stream recording/capturing bundle
• REPLAY MUSIC
  the best streaming music recorder

Other RECOMMENDED software and services:

• REPLAY MEDIA GUIDE
  free service to find and record online radio, Internet TV, podcasts
• AVS VIDEO TOOLS
  convert, split, join, remove commercials, edit, rotate, apply effects, capture, transfer, copy, rip and burn DVD and video files
• EMUSIC
  the best legal music download service
• AUDIBLE
  download audio books, audio magazines, newspapers, radio programs
• SOUNDTAXI
  remove DRM protection from Windows Media, iTunes music and video files

Specifying your connection speed (bandwidth) is very important, whether you have a broadband or a dial-up connection. The quality of a stream you receive depends on a connection speed you specify.

Some streaming media recorders use connection speed from your player like Windows Media Player or RealOne Player, others allow you to select connection speed whether for all streams or for every single media stream (please ask us if you experience problems in changing the connection speed).

Say for example that your connection speed is 33.6k and you're downloading a video clip that has two bit rates (speeds) listed in its header: 28.8 kbps and 232 kbps. Some players for example RealOne Player allows you to see these speeds (Clip info/Clip source for the RealPlayer).

If you specify your connection speed at 33.6k or even 128k, then the 22.8k version of the video will be downloaded. The 22.8k version has a lower video and audio quality than the 232k version, but it'll be downloaded faster. If you select 256k for your connection speed, the better quality 232k version will be downloaded but at a much lower rate.

Note that if you have a 33.6k connection, you won't be able to record/download any live stream at a speed of 232k or even 56k. As for on-demand streams, they could be downloaded in most cases (no matter how much time it takes :).

Note that some streams offer multiple bit rates, others have a single bit rate only. If your connection speed is lower than a bit rate of a stream you want to watch or record, you may try to find another stream URL with a lower bit rate (Some content providers offer separate URLs for slow and broadband connections).