Need to capture screen shots from VOB... How ?

[jgpirotta]

I definitely need to create a visual index of my (DVR created) DVD's.

Can anyone suggest a software which would enable me to extract frames from a VOB at specific intervals, save them with the time stamp (if possible) and if possiblke also create an index sheet with the thumbnails.

I desperately need such a solution because a text index is not good enough any longer and definitely need a visual catalogue of my home recorded DVD's.

Please help.

[Bjs]

Screen shots can be done using :

Vitualdub/mod (take's time)
Koolplaya (dead set simple)
Nero showtime (for those who have it)

Contact sheet from pic's :

Xnview

Also check out : http://www.ded.com/nonags/htmlgallery.html for plenty more usefull product's for free .
Appear's they have gone too crapola , so here is one I searched for from nonags using other method's you might like .

http://www.webpicturecreator.com/pages/downloading18.asp

I think they are being funny here ...

System requirements

Windows 95/98, NT, 2000, XP

A computer with memory (yes ... very funny people)

Remember , if it no work from nonag's , then search using google should work .

----------------------------

As for timestamp's ...

This is from coffee's output ... name of clip's is below each thumbnail .
Edit using your favourite webpage editor , change name's to reflect your requirment's .

My favourite all round tool for editing , avs , mux , html , xml , c++ , and just about any other is developer's pad , brilliant tool .
Mine is connected to mingw ...

[jtoolman2000]

Also Power DVD.

[tmh]

Also Power DVD.

I use VDubMod for this sometimes...easy enough.

Power DVD seems like it would be easier, as it has a "snapshot" button. However, I can't seem to figure out what happens when I use the snapshot function in Power DVD. Where does it PUT the snapshot file and what does it call it? I don't see where I can have it save the file in a specific folder.

[borax]

ChapEditGFD

- Can (automatically) create 1-99 images (either by fixed time intervalls or fixed number)
- Images are named with timestamp (i.e. videofilename_timecode)
- Crop (if necessary/desired)
- Small (0.2 MB)
- Free

[thecoalman]

I can't seem to figure out what happens when I use the snapshot function in Power DVD.

Depends on what you have it set to in the configuration panel, by default it puts it on the clipboard. After you hit the button open up you image editing proram and paste it in a new image.

To change it: configuration>general tab>adavnced ... I'm running a slightly older version so that may have changed.

[tmh]

Thanks, coalman! That makes it easy. I just created a folder called "snapshots' and configured PowerDVD to save the pictures there!

Now that I know how to do it, I'd say PowerDVD is much easier than VirtualDubMod for snapshots. Down right simple.

[jgpirotta]

Just to clarify things... with regards to the screenshots.

This process is to be applied to a library of video clips (from 30 secs to 1 hour) recorded from TV. Capturing the screens manually would entail going through 100's of hours of video clips, so it is inconceivable to do this job manually.

I want to be able to extract a number of images from the VOB automatically. These will then form the basis of a "contact sheet"/"web gallery" so that I can identify the contents of the whole video clip at one glance.

Which of the mentioned software would anyone recommend ?

Thanks for all your replies... keep the suggestions coming !
Definitely will have loads of work to do next weekend !!!

[borax]

As mentioned: ChapEditGFD

But:

a number of images from the VOB automatically

1. Which number? 10 images per video? Fixed or dependent on the length of the total video?
2. the VOB: Unfortunately VOB files are usually split after 1GB. If the videos span more than one vob file, you will need to load them one after the other and maybe change the number of images to generate. One more problem: VOB files are usually named like VTS_01_1.VOB. ChapEditGFD would the save the images as VTS_01_1_timecode.bmp (timecode in the format hh_mm_ss.msec). Not very 'meaningful'. If the VOBs are distrubuted over different folders, this would help, as ChapEditGFD would save the images within the same folder.
3. How do you define automatically? ChapEditGFD is capable of Drag&Drop, you can thus drop any VOB file simply on the ChapEditGFD icon (put one on your desktop). Select the number of images to create and click on Go!
I don't think there is something like a commandline application for this purpose, that could be scripted or run from a batch file. But even if such an application exists, you would need to create the batch/script file. I doubt that this is much faster/less work...
Of cause I could create a version of ChapEditGFD with something like this functionality.

To create your "contact sheet" you can use IrfanView (there is a 'create contact sheet' within the Thumbnails functions)

[jtoolman2000]

Power DVD seems like it would be easier, as it has a "snapshot" button. However, I can't seem to figure out what happens when I use the snapshot function in Power DVD. Where does it PUT the snapshot file and what does it call it? I don't see where I can have it save the file in a specific folder.

My pictures/Power DVD Captures ; or something like that

Yes, you can designate file format and location.