# Capturing a still image from a DVD-R **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 19, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capturing-a-still-image-from-a-dvd-r/481987 "2009-01-19T15:22:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capturing-a-still-image-from-a-dvd-r/481987/1 "2009-01-19T15:22:29Z")
In [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=502363), I’m trying to identify a certain guitar being played by a member of Foo Fighters. I recorded the show on a DVD-R, so if anyone knows how to capture a still from the recording to post here, it might help the guitar experts. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capturing-a-still-image-from-a-dvd-r/481987/2 "2009-01-19T15:25:24Z")
A lot of computer DVD playback software can capture a still image at any point in the movie. There’s often an icon shaped like a camera. I used this feature to get images from cartoons so that I could study the drawings. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capturing-a-still-image-from-a-dvd-r/481987/3 "2009-01-19T15:27:36Z")
Or: Pause the video at the spot you want, and then press the mis-named “Print Screen” button on you (Windows) keyboard. Then, go into any graphics editor (like Paint) or word processor (like Word) and click Paste. A copy of that screen will appear. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capturing-a-still-image-from-a-dvd-r/481987/4 "2009-01-19T15:33:22Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > Or: Pause the video at the spot you want, and then press the mis-named “Print Screen” button on you (Windows) keyboard. Then, go into any graphics editor (like Paint) or word processor (like Word) and click Paste. A copy of that screen will appear. ISTR that the video in some DVD playback programs will only show up in screenprints as a blank square. This is due to the way the computer’s display hardware handles video. Now, this was a while ago; possibly it’s been corrected in newer OS editions. But the image capture function of the DVD playback software should always work. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capturing-a-still-image-from-a-dvd-r/481987/5 "2009-01-19T15:45:35Z")
Thanks a lot, I’ll try both of these methods! ---
**Author:** ![Erasmus\_Darwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@Erasmus\_Darwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erasmus_Darwin)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capturing-a-still-image-from-a-dvd-r/481987/6 "2009-01-19T15:59:56Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > ISTR that the video in some DVD playback programs will only show up in screenprints as a blank square. This is due to the way the computer’s display hardware handles video. Right. Fortunately, there’s a workaround: Go into Start -\> Settings -\> Control Panel -\> Display -\> Settings (tab) -\> Advanced (button) -\> Troubleshoot (tab) and set the hardware acceleration down to none. That’ll disable the more efficient video handling which also happens to interfere with taking screenshots of video. Once you’re done, go back and crank the hardware acceleration back up to full. Of course if you’ve got video playing software with its own screen capture feature, as suggested earlier, that’s the easiest solution. A built-in capture feature like that would be designed to work even with hardware acceleration on. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capturing-a-still-image-from-a-dvd-r/481987/7 "2009-01-19T17:57:58Z")
Got it! Thanks for your help, everybody!