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General discussion

I need movie screen cap utility, any suggestions?

Apr 4, 2007 3:22PM PDT

I am currently writing an academic paper for a film class I am taking where I need to describe how the film is edited and the actors' movements are blocked out across the set.

I want to illustrate the analysis of the scene with actual screen captures of the scene as it unfolds. Can anyone suggest a good utility (cheap or free is preferable) that can capture images from a DVD as it plays on my iBook? In addition... the pictures have to be high enough quality that I can print them within the text of my paper and/or be used in a powerpoint presentation for my class. If there is any question in anyone's mind, I did purchase the DVD in question so I do own a legal copy of the movie I'm analyzing and writing about.

I had already tried the snap shot feature in VLC... it snapped a PNG file but I can't seem to open it. I have also thought about ripping the movie to disc in an mpeg-4 format and seeing if my copy of QT pro would do the screen caps but I hesitate to do this before exploring other methods.

The mac is a 1.2 ghz G4 iBook running tiger 10.4.9

Thanks in advance for any and all tips.

grim

BTW... if there is a similar solution but for a windows platform, I would still appreciate any suggestions.

Discussion is locked

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PNG file
Apr 4, 2007 10:32PM PDT

did you try Graphic Converter to open the png with?

Just curious


P

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Hmmm, never tried because I never had it...
Apr 5, 2007 1:50AM PDT

... but I just downloaded the demo and tried to open the png file and guess what?

The file contains zero kb... nada, nothing, zip (as in zero). VLC snapshot made a file on my desktop but forgot to put anything in it! I wonder why?

Life is a series of little disappointments!

I downloaded the trial version of Snapz Pro X last night but haven't tried it yet. Too busy taking a test for CAD this morning that I went completely brain dead with as soon as the prof handed it to me! Man, usually I'm the first one done and this time I was the last one out the door!

I will try the Snapz pro demo and update later on.

Cheers!

Now where is my coffee? Happy

grim

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Update re: VLC
Apr 5, 2007 3:25AM PDT

I kept getting error: file format not supported messages every time I tried to take a snap shot with VLC so I went to their web site and updated from version 8.4 to 8.6a for mac OSX.

Once installed... the snapshot function now works and will take a PNG file measuring 853 x 480 pixels at 72 dpi.

I wonder if the Snaps pro x will give me higher resolution... considering this is an english horror film from the 60s transfered to DVD... the source material may not be able to give me a higher resolution.

I will have to see.

Ciao!

sipping on espresso... NOT!

grim

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screen shots
Apr 6, 2007 5:46PM PDT

"SCREEN MOVIE RECORDER" can do what you asking for.

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(NT) merci tre bien
Apr 7, 2007 1:32AM PDT
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Is there anything different between a cap and a still frame?
Apr 8, 2007 2:29PM PDT

cuz on windows (maybe on mac too, idk) u can just do Ctrl + Prt Scr. this should give u a pic the size of your screen.

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A screen capture and still frame is the same...
Apr 9, 2007 6:24AM PDT

... however, in mac Tiger, the screen snap function built into the mac will not work when playing a movie with the apple DVD player program... it even pops up a dialog box informing you of such. Windows PC must work differently. Out of curiosity what program were you using to play the DVD?


I would still like to know if there are high resolution methods for grabbing these images since I will print them with the paper I wrote... if anyone knows of the best method please let me know. The snapshot function built into VLC works quite well but it is still only 72 dpi.

Thanks

grim

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try with windows
Apr 9, 2007 7:20AM PDT

print screen always works for me when i use windows media player.