How take a snapshot from digital video

[darkcyber]

Ok, I've captured some severe weather video on my digital camera and once I get it transferred to my pc I need to know what software I can use to make snapshots (or still shots)?

I've got several different software programs. Would appreciate suggestions of what software programs will do this and how to do it.

Many thanks,
Darkcyber

[bugster]

Both PowerDVD and WInDVD will play the avi file when transferred to your PC. They both have the ability to take screenshots too. Maybe this is what you want.

[Vanster]

I've been able to freeze action on Pinnacle Studio 8. Got some nice action shots of my son playing hockey that way.

[darkcyber]

Ok, I dumped my dv onto my pc using Pinnacle Studo 7. How do you do snapshots (or captures) in Pinnacle? I dumped to seperate clips on there and now can't get Pinnalce to load the first one back in to work with it.

Next, I did use PowerDVD and captured several shots, but they are small. I used the 'capture original size' and then 'current window size', but neither makes a difference...the snap shots are both the same size.

I need to capture a hi-res larger image. Any other software that can do that. This is from my Sony Mini-DV camcorder, so the images should be able to be larger than what I'm getting right now.

Darkcyber

[Vanster]

I am at work right now and my Studio 8 is at home so I am trying to remember exactly how to do it. I think you double click the scene you want to choose from. Then an editing box pops up. The option to freeze a scene is one of the choices on the left.

[darkcyber]

Well, here's one of the problems I ran into. I downloaded to seperate video clips and the second shows up in stuido 7, but the first one doesn't. And when I go to open the file, it's like stuido 7 doesn't recognize the file. So, right now, I can't get the first one loaded back...must be doing something wrong.

Darkcyber

[bugster]

You won't get any higher resolution than the source, which for DV is 720*480/576 (NSTC/PAL). PowerDvd should capture at this reolution, maybe you need to change some options?

[darkcyber]

Mine is ntsc...but the best it will capture it at is 360 x 240.

DC

[bugster]

you can configure PowerDvd to capture at original video resolution. If it is configured to do so and your video is 360 * 240 you are not transferring the original DV to your PC correctly. Look in the Powere DVD help.

[darkcyber]

I'm transferring it using firewire on sony mini dv camera into Pinnacle Studio 7. I've tried the original thing and current window size capture in Power DVD and get the same size capture.

How else do you transfer video...other than hook it up and then click on the capture button in pinnacle to capture the video?

DarkCyber

[Coz]

bugster, you mean you can capture from video using PowerDVD? How do you do that? I thought it was just for playing DVDs.

[darkcyber]

bugster, you mean you can capture from video using PowerDVD? How do you do that? I thought it was just for playing DVDs.

What he is talking about is what I'm asking about...read the beginning of the post and you will understand. I'm talking about capturing still images from dv. And you can do that by playing your captured dv with PowerDVD. In PowerDVD it lets you capture still shots (or photos).

DarkCyber

[Faceman101]

You could load your DV AVI into Virtual Dub (so that you can deinterlace the footage for better still taking), find the frame you want and then hit Crtl+1 and paste it into a photo editing program. That is how I get stills.

[Coz]

What he is talking about is what I'm asking about...read the beginning of the post and you will understand. I'm talking about capturing still images from dv. And you can do that by playing your captured dv with PowerDVD. In PowerDVD it lets you capture still shots (or photos).

DarkCyber

You're playing your digital camera through PowerDVD? Isn't that the same as playing an analogue camera or a VCR through it?

[Fomalhaut]

You could load your DV AVI into Virtual Dub (so that you can deinterlace the footage for better still taking), find the frame you want and then hit Crtl+1 and paste it into a photo editing program. That is how I get stills.

That's pretty much how I make screenshots from videos I capture, although I think you should use Ctrl-2 instead of Ctrl-1 if you want to add the deinterlace filter. Ctrl-1 takes the shot from the source (interlaced) video. You can change the size of the image by adding the resize filter, or do it in a photo editing program.

[darkcyber]

You could load your DV AVI into Virtual Dub (so that you can deinterlace the footage for better still taking), find the frame you want and then hit Crtl+1 and paste it into a photo editing program. That is how I get stills.

No, I dump my dv onto my pc using firewire and Pinnacle Studio 7. I then save it as an .avi file. Then I open that with PowerDVD and play it and get the stills.

DarkCybe

[darkcyber]

You could load your DV AVI into Virtual Dub (so that you can deinterlace the footage for better still taking), find the frame you want and then hit Crtl+1 and paste it into a photo editing program. That is how I get stills.

Ok, what program are you doing this in again? And how are you doing the virtual dub? Sorry, never tried doing these still shots before, so this is all new.

DarkCyber

[Faceman101]

No, I dump my dv onto my pc using firewire and Pinnacle Studio 7. I then save it as an .avi file. Then I open that with PowerDVD and play it and get the stills.

DarkCybe

Yes I know, I was suggesting another method.

Ok, what program are you doing this in again? And how are you doing the virtual dub? Sorry, never tried doing these still shots before, so this is all new.

DarkCyber

Just re-read my post and Fomalhaut's post. Obtain Virtual Dub and try it as we mentioned. Just another way to get still shots.

That's pretty much how I make screenshots from videos I capture, although I think you should use Ctrl-2 instead of Ctrl-1 if you want to add the deinterlace filter. Ctrl-1 takes the shot from the source (interlaced) video. You can change the size of the image by adding the resize filter, or do it in a photo editing program.

Yes, I meant Ctrl+2. My mistake. 1 for left, 2 for right. I messed up. Thanks for pointing that out.

[darkcyber]

Faceman 101,

The simple answer could have been...'yes darkcyber, Virtual Dub is another software program...download it and try it.' Instead of your last post, you still never say that it's a program...but rather...it's another way of doing it. Sorry, but if you would have been more clear in the first post, then I wouldn't have posted the other one.

See I've never heard of Virtual Dub...didn't know it was a program, I thought you were meaning to try virtual dub, which was just a function in some program. 8)

Thanks for the info...I will try and find the program.

DarkCyber

[coda304]

Adobe Premiere can do deinterlaced single frame exports also… Another option is use the *Print Screen* key on your keyboard and paste the shot in MSPaint. For this option to work you need to disable *Direct Draw Acceleration* & *Direct 3D Acceleration* under the DirectX diagnostics properties.

[Coz]

Hey Coda, I was trying to take screen caps using print screen, but it wouldn't work, obviously. Where abouts are the DirectX diagnostics properties?

[coda304]

Start Tab/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Information/Tools/DirectX Diagnostic Tool/Display 8)

[Coz]

Thanks Coda! I'm off to try it now. What do you need those enabled for. Is it wise to enable them again once you've taken the screen captures?

[Coz]

Coda, i tried doing it in DScaler, but it cuts part of the picture off when i past it onto a blank canvas in Adobe PhotoShop. Why is this happening?

[coda304]

Yes it is best to keep the acceleration enabled when not doing screen shots…for some reason the direct draw acceleration screws with the overlay???

I never tried pasting directly in PhotoShop so I can’t say what’s up with the cropping. I do know it works flawlessly using Microsoft Paint…I’m sure you have it, all MS OS have it since Win95 by default. Once you save it off as a BMP open the pic in Photoshop and you will have no cropping probs.

Good Luck!

[Coz]

Thanks Coda. I have Paint - I'll try it with that.

[Coz]

Coda, I tried pasting ti into Paint and it just cuts small bit off the left and bottom, but when I save it and then open it, there's just a black screen. Maybe it's DScaler? I can't use Vision (PCTV Rave) to do it, as it won't capture video higher than 320x240 and I can't use VDub, as I get an error when I try to capture video.

[coda304]

The Black screen sounds like you didn’t disable both the Direct Draw Acceleration & Direct 3D Acceleration...I get the same black screen if I don’t have both disabled, in fact all three options should be grayed out once you disable the two. You need to keep them both disabled during the screen shot and when pasting, after you have pasted the snap you can re-enable the DirectX options.

A side note for the print screen key: Hit *Alt Prt Scr* to only capture an active window.

If you want a sure way of grabbing screen shots with the best quality use Premiere! You won’t have to play with the acceleration features to get it working. Premiere also loads VFAPI (fake avis) without any troubles.

[Coz]

I did wonder if I had both disabled, so I checked and they were both disabled. I then tried again and got the same results. I think I might get Premiere. I've been thinking of getting it for a while. Is it easy to use?

[darkcyber]

Well, I downloaded virtual dub and tried and tried, but it would never capture anything. Tried both, crtl 1 and 2 and there would be nothing to paste anywhere.

Yeah, I had already thought about the alt + print screen, but the captures the complete screen and have to edit so much and then the resolution isn't what I wanted either.

I just thought there might be a program out there that would do hi-res still shots from dv...never realized it would be so difficult

DarkCyber