VLC is the ideal program for you if you have a video and want to extract a frame to use as an image. You can use VLC to take screenshots of your preferred video file segments. In this technique, the image from that section of the video is exported. That picture can be used for your personal needs, such as sharing, making a wallpaper out of it, or simply keeping it in a folder.
With only a click of a button, you can export your preferred video segments as photos using the built-in snapshots feature of VLC. Here’s how to take a picture with the VCL Media Player and decide where to save it.
You will discover how straightforward it is to take a snapshot using VLC’s built-in feature called snapshots. You only need to press a shortcut key or a button. Your photo will get automatically saved to a folder.
Capturing a Screenshot in VLC Media Player
1. Before taking a screenshot, you need to open the video in which you want take snapshot. To reach a particular frame in your video, use VLC’s frame-by-frame feature.
2. You can pause the video when you get to the section that you wish to save as a picture.
3. Now you need to press the shortcut key to take a snapshot in VLC.
Shift+S (Windows and Linux) or Command+Alt+S (Mac) are shortcut keys for taking screenshots. A different option is to choose Video > Take Snapshot from the menu bar of VLC.
You may also use the option by right-clicking the video and choosing “Video > Snapshot” from the menu that appears.
Your screenshot has now been taken and saved on your computer in a folder. When a thumbnail of the captured image appears on top of the player along with the stored file’s location and name, the attempt to take a snapshot has succeeded.
You can find out where that folder is on your particular operating system in the following section.
Where Are Snapshots Saved By VLC Player?
Snapshot files are saved automatically in your operating system’s default location. This will be C: My Documents on Windows. My Pictures will be saved on the Desktop/ for Mac.
- Windows: C:\Users\username\Pictures
- Mac: Desktop/
- Linux: ~/Pictures
To modify the location where VLC saves your screenshots or the file format, go to Tools > Preferences in the menu bar.
Configuring Snapshot Directory and Formats
Additionally, you have a choice of where the pictures are saved, their type (PNG, JPG, or TIFF), and the file name of the picture file. To set up this:
1. Go to Tools > Preferences [CTRL + P].
2. You need to select the “Video” tab on the “Simple Preferences” window that appears.
3. To modify the default screenshot directory, click “Browse” next to “Directory” in the “Video Snapshots” section. then decide which new folder you wish to use as the default location for your screenshots.
4. You can change your photos’ default PNG picture format by clicking the “Format” drop-down menu and selecting a different one. PNG, JPG, and TIFF are your available choices.
5. When finished, click Save.
