# How can I save frames from a video?



## starchild (Sep 17, 2002)

First of all, I have a new computer with WIN XP. Also a new camera (Canon Powershot G6) which takes short videos.

Last month, I borrowed my daughter's Sony Mavica camera, which also takes videos, and was able to open the videos in Animation Shop (I have 3, which is with PSP 7)and find a frame and save it as a still image.

With the new pc and camera (same Animation shop) when I try this it says:

* MVI Cannot read video data No suitable video decompressor is available.*

The videos (taken with my camera) show fine in the WMP10 that came with the pc, but I don't know of anyway to get still pictures from WMP. Using screen capture only saves a picture of the player with black screen.

Why I'd like to do this. I went by a scenic view, and took it as a video (short)- mountains, clouds, sun streaking down. I thought I could then open it and pick the best frames from it, for still pictures. Going by the Mavica and my old pc (which I still have and haven't tried opening the video in Animation Shop with that one, yet) I could do this. Though I could only open a limited number of frames at a time, so if it was a long video, I'd have to guess- trying 100 or so at a time, and pinpoint the parts I wanted.

If I can't use Animation Shop for this (anymore) is there anything else? This is a DELL XSP400, and has a lot of programs in it, plus I have put in PSP7( Animation Shop)and PS7.

Thanks,
Carrie


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## Super-D-38 (Apr 25, 2002)

Have you tried the "Print Screen" button?
Then pasting in paint?..

If thats what you tried, then I'm sorry, I didn't understand what you meant be screen capture..

Codecs... You could try getting a few.. I don't know what you'll need.. 
Maybe DivX.. ????

Here's a site with many codecs... http://codecs.necromancers.ru/
(If it's not a good site, I appologize. I can be removed if need be.)

I'm stumped.


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## starchild (Sep 17, 2002)

Sorry, I wasn't clear

By screen capture, I mean using Paint Shop Pro 7- can be set for this, and then right click on the side of the picture you want (elsewhere) and it saves it in the PSP program.

I tried print screen too. All it shows is the Windows Media player with black where the video was showing.

Video is in frames, and using another camera (and my previous computer) I could make a video (with the digital camera) and open it in Animaltion Shop (which opens it in a long strip, showing all the frames) and copy/paste any frame from it I wanted as a still picture.

With the new computer (which I would think could do anything!) and my new camera, it won't do this. I went into Animation Shop and set it to show all files, but it still doesn't.

Maybe there's a program that will open videos as frames.

I don't know anything about codecs, though I've heard the word. I don't want to get into anything too complicated.


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## Super-D-38 (Apr 25, 2002)

Well the codes are what decompress the video files.. 
I don't know if that will help with image capture, but many a computer geek needs to get extra codecs.. As windows only comes with a few.. 

Just like, you would think a new PC win XP and WMP 10 could play DVD's... Well no, not without another program or codec to play them..

Old PC's can pick up all kinds of codecs and things, because of all the updating, and programs you put in to try.. The New PC won't have any of these things yet.. 

Now we only need to find what it is your old PC had that the new one doesn't..


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## Moby (Mar 19, 2002)

If the video plays in WMP then it should also play in Windows Movie Maker which you'll have installed as standard with XP. Import/play the video there and it has the option to take a snapshot of whatever frame is showing on the screen.


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## starchild (Sep 17, 2002)

Okay, I looked at the codec site, but didn't know what I needed. I'm sort of new to video (this is my first camera that takes it, and I don't have a camcorder). Win Movie Maker, I saw this (somewhere). 

I've figured out the video that does play in Animation Shop 3 (in old pc) is mov file. The new video (taken with the Canon camera) is miv. I used this in search, lookin for a converter and google asked if I wanted "aiv". 

I wonder if maybe the Canon camera has options what it saves video as? I have the new camera, new pc and a new printer, and slowly moving what I want from the old one onto the new one. So, I'm getting into a lot of new stuff.

Good thing I have you Tech Guys

~ Carrie

I'll look at the Movie Maker. It doesn't have to open in Animation Shop. I probably won't even be using it all that much.


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## starchild (Sep 17, 2002)

the Movie Maker worked. It's even better than Animation Shop, because I can play the video and stop (and move around) till I get what I want for a picture.

Of course now I'll be taking up even more of my days (and nights) trying to put movies together and ediing them! 

I guess I could be doing worse things, and learning something new always seems so productive and positive.

Thanks!

~ Carrie


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