So... like many I've been pretty frustrated with Flash video lately. When you visit a site (like this blog) with several Flash players, you can see a huge performance hot. Turns out that Flash can' t hand over that H.264 processing to the graphics card, so it becomes a HUGE processor suck (and RAM.. and battery). You've probably heard about Steve Jobs railing on it being a hog and not allowed on the iPhone.
Well... here's a cool plugin thats free for Mac users... it's called ClicktoFlash and its a plugin that keeps Flash files from auto-loading on Safari.
"Ever wanted to get rid of the scourge of the web that is Adobe Flash, but still retain the ability to view Flash whenever you want? With ClickToFlash, you can! Using ClickToFlash, all of those icky Flash bits that have infected most webpages on the internets are replaced with a nice, smooth gradient and the word "Flash" set in a nice, pleasing font. When you want to view the Flash, just click on it!
The advantages of ClickToFlash are numerous. Since Flash isn't loaded until you specifically ask for it, your CPU usage will stay at normal levels when browsing the web. This has tons of benefits: web browsing stays speedy, your Mac laptop won't get as hot, and your Mac's fan won't come on as often. In fact, we guarantee* that ClickToFlash will quintuple your battery life and that it will protect those precious parts of your body on which you rest your laptop! (*note: not actually guaranteed)"
Be sure to read the rest of the instructions and download here – http://rentzsch.github.com/clicktoflash/
You can even use the plugin to force YouTube videos to use the QuickTIme player for H.264 playback. Just click the Gear icon and tweak the preferences.