using DVD capture to capture still images from a movie

[Bobananda]

I recently tried DVDcapture to capture still images from a movie. It has advantages like being able to work with VOB files played in DVDplayer so I don't have to recode the movie for QuickTime and it makes larger still images than QTPro or some other apps I've tried. According to the developer, it is a front end for Unix screencapture commands. He warned that for some G3s it wouldn't work, the resulting images being all black.
Turned out it did that on my G4. I contacted him and he told me to look up the screencapture command in the terminal. If I could capture the DVD player there, he said, his app should work after that. Being a long-time Mac user, I no nothing about Unix, and have no idea how to do what he suggested. I'm new to this forum and unsure what to expect. I'm hoping someone can tell me how to do what he suggested or knows another way I can accomplish this.
(FYI - G4 Mac with dual-450; 512 RAM; Apple superdrive; 10.3.8)
Thanks for any advice.

[terryj]

Just go and Download Capture Me!, a freeware utility
found here:
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/15496

It will allow you to capture images while using DVD Player,
works on G3's/g4's, allows you to specify in the save
the type of format ( pict, jpg, tiff) and has never failed to
deliver high quality captures. Best of all, did I mention
its FREE and REALLY EASY TO USE?

[Bobananda]

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried Capture Me, but the captures i made using the DVD Player were...bizarre. If I moved the window, the picture stayed where it was, moving out of the window as I moved it. I couldn't seem to save a regular picture that way. It did work with QT Pro, but QT Pro already does that. Also, I tried the screencapture command in the terminal. Unix gave me a list of things I had no idea what to do with. Since I didn't know what else to write, I got nothing. Somewhere I read about keystroke commands: command-control-shift 3 or 4 and command-shift 3 or 4. They didn't work at all. I tried SnapNDrag, which had the same problem as Capture Me. I may try Snapz Pro, although I read a lot of comments suggesting that company is a real hassle to deal with. I read elsewhere that DVDCapture doesn't work after updating the OS from 10.3.6 to 10.3.7. I have 10.3.8, so that may be the problem.
The developer of DVDCapture, I read second hand, intends to update it to run on the latest version of Panther. And I intend to me more cautious about installing "security updates" from Apple, as well as OS updates. Nearly every time I do, something bad happens. If I had stuck with 10.3.6, DVDCapture would probably be working for me.

I would still like to learn of a still image capture program that will work with the DVD Player playing VOB files, or how to get Unix to capture the DVD Player in the command line, which the developeer of DVDCapture thinks will help make his program work, or even why the keystroke commands aren't working when it seems they should. Any help will be appreciated.

Bob

[havema-1]

http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/SVCD_on_a_Macintosh.html#extract_frame

[pixeljammedia]

Use YadeX to find the specific cell and object you are looking for:


Then select Save preview:


Convert the resulting pict file into the format of your choice.

[terryj]

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried Capture Me, but the captures i made using the DVD Player were...bizarre. If I moved the window, the picture stayed where it was, moving out of the window as I moved it. I couldn't seem to save a regular picture that way.

Correct. When you size the Capture Me window over the DVD Player,
and click once in it, it "captures" that picture.
You then click Save As
and save the picture in the format. It then retains that picture
until you again click the window ( mouse click within the capture me
window that is) and save your next picture.
It take a *slight* combination of using the pause button in DVD Player,
and then the mouse to click and capture, but is really simple to use.
No learning curve required.


Is it a Frame by Frame extractor like Yade X? no.
Is it a Screen Grabber utility to capture what is being displayed? yes.

[Bobananda]

When I checked with the VideoHelp forum Wednesday night (3/9/05) to see if the problem I posed had received any new replies, I was very pleased to see the response.
There was a link that led to an article which suggested some solutions. It was called "DV, DVD and (XS)VCD on a Macintosh memo and cookbook."
There was also a good description of Yade X, a video extraction application with which I was unfamiliar.
Also some helpful suggestions on using Capture Me.

So here I am on Thursday night, having spent considerable time on the computer trying these various solutions, and now writing to VideoHelp once again.
I tried everything.
First, I installed and activated Yade X. Whether I opened the _TS folder from the menu, or dragged it to the Yade X icon, I got the same result. A window opened with a message that it couldn't open the .VOB files because of what it called a "fatal error."

Then I followed the suggestions from the article I found at the following website.
http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/SVCD_on_a_Macintosh.html#extract_frame

a) I played the movie ( _TS folder) with VLC. There was no way to take a screenshot because VLC only let me show the movie in full screen. That is my preference, but I couldn't access the controls in fullscreen mode (unlike DVD Player) so I was unable to stop the movie in order to take a screen shot.
Also, with VLC, when I clicked on the _TS folder (or dragged it to VLC) a window popped up which said it couldn't execute my request. Inside the window was this message: "main: cannot add user channel mixer mpgatofixed32." I don't know what that meant. Even as it popped up, the movie was starting.
I had no trouble playing a movie in VLC. I just couldn't access the controls while it was playing nor did I see any keystroke commands for pausing the movie.

b) I used AliasKeys to set F keys to activate Capture Me and the Terminal. I then played the movie with DVD Player, full screen. With access to the controls, I was able to pause the movie. I activated Capture Me, which showed its window in the corner. I re-sized it to cover the whole movie window, clicked it, then saved it.Then I opened the resulting QuickTime file...and there was no picture. Only blackness.
I continued playing the movie, paused it, activated the Terminal, and typed in "screencapture -c." I opened up Photoshop and pasted what was saved on the clipboard to a new graphic file. The resulting picture was nothing like what I expected. Instead of a full screen picture of the movie frame, the file saved by the Terminal had reduced the window showing the movie to its smallest size. The rest of the picture showed the desktop, including the open window for the Terminal.
I had previously tried DVD Capture. It seemed to work flawlessly, with the movie in full screen mode, but the reulting pictures were like those made by Capture Me - nothing but blackness.

c) and d) I don't have MPEG Streamclip, so I was unable to try suggestion C. I don't know how to "set roughly the right in/out points (with I/O keys)." This suggestion seems to be to result in turning the .VOB files into a QuickTime movie. That would seem unnecessary since QuickTime already can play the movie itself, whether as MPEG-2 or MPEG-4.
I know I can export a still image from the movie with QT Pro (command E) but I have to play the movie at a smaller size so I can access the controls.

At this point, after following articulate suggestions from people who seem to know a lot more than I do about this, I am wondering - what the hell am I doing wrong?!?
If anybody can tell me - please do.

FYI - I have QuickTime Pro (6.5.2) and the MPEG-2 Playback Component.
I'm running OS 10.3.8 on a G4 Mac @ 450 MHz with dual microprocessors and 512 megs of RAM.

Thank you all those who are trying to help.

[Case]

You write no less than a 710 word article, but can't be bothered to figure out VLC basics (a) or follow a download link (c) or correctly read what the referring article says (d). Please show you made an effort. Find out how the space bar pauses many video playback apps (a). Download the free program that you do not have (c). Find out how QuickTime Player with the MPEG-2 playback component can open unencrypted VOBs (d). It won't play ac3 sound, but for screen capture purposes, that shouldn't be a major drawback.

[terryj]

Hmmm, Something is very amiss.
Here is a picture of a capture I just did of an Alias
DVD build for Season 4 I'm working on:



and you'll notice the DVD Player is in the Background,
and I sized the Capture Me window wider and over
the picture ( you can see the edges).
Click Once to capture to the desktop,
open the file
in Photoshop or Graphic Converter, and voila there it is.

and it doesn't matter encrypted/non-encrypted.
here's retail version of Spider-Man 2, cop car chase scene:


So you might try it again, it does work.....

[thoughton]

You write no less than a 710 word article, but can't be bothered to figure out VLC basics (a) or follow a download link (c) or correctly read what the referring article says (d). Please show you made an effort. Find out how the space bar pauses many video playback apps (a). Download the free program that you do not have (c). Find out how QuickTime Player with the MPEG-2 playback component can open unencrypted VOBs (d). It won't play ac3 sound, but for screen capture purposes, that shouldn't be a major drawback.

A little harsh I think At least he has written a detailed description. It's a hell of a lot better than a "didn't work - help!" post.

[pixeljammedia]

Try opening VLC and before selcting any video go to preferences and make sure fullscreen video output is unchecked in the video menu option.


Select your movie and make sure You have the controller toggled on in you Window menu.


If that doesn't work, n VLC the pause keystroke is Command-P. I am wondering whether you have done any system maintenance, repaired permissions, or if you have an odd video card.