capturing screen shots????

[chewie420]

does anybody know if there is there an easy way to capture screen shots/ single frames from dvds to use in making covers? if there are programs for this, is there any good free ones? i know you can do it in tmpge for making menus, but when i try to open vob files in tmpge, it says it doesn't recognize the formats. one more thing, is there a way to make a menu with nero? i can't seem to find any. thanks, chewie

[AAR.oner]

screen caprture progs: many free ones, for PC i like Gadwin PrintScreen http://www.gadwin.com/printscreen/

Nero will make a menu in theory, but they're pretty much shite IMO...very basic templates, and i don't think you can import a pic file and use it as yer base layer

[Five]

Media Player Classic is pretty good for spitting out single frames...

[Roger Daltrey]

I use my Nero 6 Ultra edition....that's the only way I know how to make them. I tried using the print screen button and pasting it on a Microsoft Paint document, but all it does is play the entire video on that file lol. If I cut the dvd off, the file will just be a black screen. On Nero, I just take the VOB file, and just add it like i'm making my own custom dvd, and go to edit it, and just click the capture frame button. Works fine for me.

[quibbs0]

Originally Posted by Roger Daltrey

I tried using the print screen button and pasting it on a Microsoft Paint document, but all it does is play the entire video on that file lol.

That's what I was gonna suggest. I never tried but I assumed it would work as it does with pretty much everything. You say it plays the video in Paint?

I'm quite sure I'm confused.

Those headies must be catching up to me.

Originally Posted by chewie420

does anybody know if there is there an easy way to capture screen shots/ single frames from dvds to use in making covers? if there are programs for this, is there any good free ones?

PowerDVD allows you to capture screen shots as BMP files. You can download a trial version from http://www.cyberlink.com/ - it's not free though.

VideoLAN is an open source media player that also allows you to save a screen shot from your video. http://www.videolan.org/ It's free.

[lastepic]

Originally Posted by chewie420

does anybody know if there is there an easy way to capture screen shots/ single frames from dvds to use in making covers? if there are programs for this, is there any good free ones? i know you can do it in tmpge for making menus, but when i try to open vob files in tmpge, it says it doesn't recognize the formats. one more thing, is there a way to make a menu with nero? i can't seem to find any. thanks, chewie

Screengrabs off DVD-easiest way is use your software DVD player- most hace a screen capture function. I've got Power DVD as my player and you just get to the frame you want then hit the camera icon, then post it into your photo manipulation software (i.e. Paint Shop Pro/Photoshop..etc..etc..), then save it as a jpeg.

On the menu thing- you don't say which TMPGenc program you've got- I'm going to guess its the TMPGenc Plus program (i.e. the MPEG encoder) - that does not do any DVD authoring, for that, they do TMPGenc DVD Author- that makes good standard menus, but also allows you to get as creative as you want

[Roger Daltrey]

Originally Posted by quibbs0

That's what I was gonna suggest. I never tried but I assumed it would work as it does with pretty much everything. You say it plays the video in Paint?

I'm quite sure I'm confused.

Those headies must be catching up to me.

Yeah, I used Print Screen while I was playing a dvd on Windows Media Player...then paused the dvd...went to Paint and pasted the picture there and saved the file. When I went to look at the file, it just shows the dvd like it's playing on Media Player. If you turn off the dvd, the file will just turn into a black screen. Kinda wierd haha

[Five]

yeah, I think that's directshow or something... the black in the window is almost black, and anywhere that specific colour occurs the video will show thru. That's why I use mpc for screencaps.