Do you know how I can get a screen shot/still picture off a DVD or Mpeg? I've been trying freeware progs like FastStone Capture but i just get a blank (black) where the player screen is. I'm running a Dell 3000 here with Win XP. The DVD is an NEC +/- RW. ND-3450A. Thanks for any tips. Bob.

Many software players let you do that.
Try BSplayer, the free version.
http://www.bsplayer.org
The shortcut is P and Shift+P. It'll save the captured frame as jpeg files on the program directory.

Thanks for that Curator but I had no luck with that one. Could it be that the free version does not have the "capture frame" feature i want? It just seems to be a player and it wouldnt play my DVD. Any other players you recommend? Bob.

Even the free version has that feature from what I know.
But, I'm using the PRO version right now.

You have to right click on the player window, and then go to options and then capture frams and then select the method. I hope you've done that.

Otherwise, try another trick, play the video on BSPlayer and use the PrintScreen button and paste it on MS-Paint.

I'll test the freeware and let u know.

Just tested, It works flawlessly.
If you don't find the option of playing a DVD,you have to open the DVD files maunally. Go to Open File, Browse the DVD drive, go to the folder VIDEO_TS and then open those .VOB file.
You can grab the screen with the shortcut P or Shift + P.

I was reading through some stuff on DVD's the other day. It said you can't use the KB print screen key because of the way DVD's are processed. DVD information bypasses ram and goes directly to the video controller(if I remember right), and since the print screen key gets the information from ram, you are left with only a black screen. That's why you have to have a program that has a capture feature.

Food for thought. :)

BTW CuratoR, every time I see your location, I get that song stuck in my head. :p :D

Cyberlink's PowerDVD has a good screen-capture feature. You can only capture in .bmp format (you will have to convert to .jpg or .gif using whichever image-viewing program or photo-editing program you have, if you need to) but I like it and use it frequently in making caps for my website.

-Joe-

Thank you very much for all the tips Curator. Fantastic, it worked perfectly. A neat little program. I did as you suggested by manually opening the .VOB files, then not forgetting the magic right click! Thanks to you other tipsters too. Cheers! Bob.

One more question Curator - I noticed that the pause feature worked but NOT the forward & rewind. Is this because it's the free (not full) version?

bobbibee,
Those buttons are actually for chapter switching on a DVD. Slightly different from Fast/Forward. In the free version, since we have to open the individual DVD files manually and not as a DVD, the button does not work. You have to drag the seek bar to fast forward.
And another TIP, while you're playing those VOB files with BSPlayer, you can also use the PrintScreen in the keyboard button to dump the frame to the clipboard, And later you can paste it in Ms Paint or other image editors and save it. Its because you're playing it in BSPlayer which has that mpeg2(DVD) frame grabbing feature.

jlreich,
its a great song!http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Yes I can see how that works now. In the meantime (until I go mad one day and get my credit card out!) it's handy to know the seek bar can be dragged. I will trying pasting it too. Thanks a lot. Bob.

Hey, you don't have to get your credit card out. There are several other free alternatives.