Good Program to caputer an image from video ??

[videosilva]

What is a good program to grab images from a video ?? Some thing to the effect of ATI's software or one of the DVD player programs with the capture button ?

I need to play the video and use a program to catpure various scenes for later use as a slide show.

What does everyone recomned to caputer video images eg. jpeg etc. The software I have tried so far has no options for picter size or quality. The images are small and the quality is poor.

Last but not least what does everyone recomend as a slide who program. I have tried ProShow and Memoires on TV both are VERY good. Does anyone know of anything better ??


P.S

Please no SILLY responses from the guys who live on here with 6000 post who have answers like READ , YEAH, OK, SEARCH, BE MORE SPECIFIC >>>>

[reboot]

If it's avi, get virtualdub.
If it's mpeg, try WinDVD or PowerDVD.

[wwjd]

Video2Photo does a nice job and it is Freeware.

[videosilva]

I will try those two progams and get back to you.

P.S.

Thanks for the quick and direct replies.

[videosilva]

Video2Photo crashed and burned on my system. The program just hangs and I'm unable to close it no matter what I try................ BYE BY Video2Photo.

[mats.hogberg]

PowerDVD

/Mats

[videosilva]

PowerDVD seems the best choice so far. The image quality is much better but it has no option for picture size. Picture size seems standard with no options to inlarge or shrink ?

[Paul Glagla]

ImageGrab is freeware, and is a specifically created to grab comfortably images from videos.

[noki]

Paparazzi by RedHawk Vision. little expensive, though ($279). If you are a professional this IS IT.

http://www.redhawkvision.com/

I have gotten good frame grabs from Adobe Premiere. Just resize the video image to something large (versus 640x480 or whatever resolution the movie is currently in) since you will be capturing an image, not rendering the video (in that large size, that is). also save a TIFF. only complaint is that Premiere saves it at 72ppi. Paparazzi will do either 160 or 300ppi. BUT only in JPEG format.

On second thought re-reading your post states you will be using it in a slide show. For that never mind Paparazzi. the image quality from any freame grabber mentioned here will do. Paparazzi, because of the high quality results, is best used if you are going to PRINT the image.

Showing the slides on TV or computer, 72ppi will do just fine.

good luck.

[d_unbeliever]

press Print Screen on your keyboard then paste it to any apps you want to edit the image? or to old fashion?

[wwjd]

videosilva,

I apologize, I meant ImageGrab. It has been a long day!

[VegasBud]

PowerDVD seems the best choice so far. The image quality is much better but it has no option for picture size. Picture size seems standard with no options to inlarge or shrink ?

Actually, you can set the capture size of a video image to a maximum of 2000 x 1500 pixels in PowerDVD, or as small as you could possibly want.
With PowerDVD open, click on the Configuration button ( or Ctrl-C) which brings up the Configuration dialog box. On the Player Setting tab, click on the Advanced button (down at the bottom right). In the Advanced Settings dialog box that comes up, on the Snapshot tab, at the bottom you can set the capture size to whatever you want.

[Grimey]

I cast another vote for PowerDVD

[videosilva]

I tried ImageGrab and it was not bad. Image quality was still not great and the size problem continues. Power DVD seems like the way to go.

[wwjd]

I am not sure what your source video is but if it is VHS or a standard TV broadcast then 640x480 or 720x480 is the best you can do regardless of the what software app you choose. Pictures grabbed from VHS, 8mm tape and standard TV are going to be low resolution. You can blow them up but they will quickly pixelate and look bad.

[videosilva]

Its a DVD that was converted from an old ( 20 years ) VHS tape.

[Sifaga]

in powerDVD

if you go to configuration/general/advanced

you can use "Original video source size" or "Current video window size"

does this help you

[mats.hogberg]

it has no option for picture size. Picture size seems standard with no options to inlarge or shrink ?

Yes, as the DVD resolution is fixed (well mostly, at least - 720*480/576) that's as good an image you'll get. If you want it bigger, there are other apps (graphics apps) better suited for resizing.

/Mats

[lordsmurf]

PowerDVD or VirtualDub ...
and then PHOTOSHOP

[NamPla]

PowerDVD or VirtualDub ...
and then PHOTOSHOP

Yes, VirtualDub will do it, and let you select the precise frame(s). Can do avi or mpeg or whatever... ("Save Image As")...

PowerDVD (I think) can only do a "snapshot" on the fly, ie you can't "pause" and take a "snap".

Photoshop isn't required, there's plenty of cheaper/free-er alternatives to touch up your image! :P

BTW I've tried Media Player Classic for this, and the image comes out green & corrupted... Not sure what's going on there!?

[mats.hogberg]

Photoshop isn't required, there's plenty of cheaper/free-er alternatives to touch up your image! :P

GIMP comes highly recommended as a free alternative to Photoshop...

/Mats

[VegasBud]

As an aid to determining which is the best way to get a high quality capture, I put a comparison up for anyone who cares to see actual results.
There is a comparison of letting PowerDVD do the upsampling versus using Photoshop (or QImage) to upsample an actual size capture.
The web page is 3.5 MB, so it takes a minute to load (using broadband).

[monzie]

VirtualDubMod (just press SHIFT and 1) on selected frame....

[freestyler]

FRAPS!

I'm amazed no one has mentioned this...

www.fraps.com

[thecoalman]

I'll second, third.... power DVD just for ease of use. Any good video editor will also have this feature.

The software I have tried so far has no options for picter size or quality. The images are small and the quality is poor.

You need a good image editing app to adjust the image after you grab it from the video, preferably one that supports deinterlacing such as Photoimpact. Video is fairly low resolution so don't expect miracles, here's a link to a previous post on a similar subject with a lot of info: https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=237634

[packman63]

I cast another vote for PowerDVD

I must concur, PowerDVD is the one for me.