DVD and Camera Tool

[Westlake]

I would like to be able to “snapshot” scenes from a DVD movie, and annotate over these static images in a Flipchart.

I can use Overlay mode while the movie is playing OR paused.

I can have the movie running in a resizable “window” within the Flipchart page by using the Camera Tool to snapshot the area of the movie to the current Flipchart Page. This allows me to have Viewing Notes showing beside the movie, and to add comments on the Flipchart page as the movie is running – very useful!

The Pen tool, Highlighter and Eraser tool all work over the movie (running or paused) and I can also place objects over the screen to hide parts of the screen, or use the Spotlight tools to hide/reveal parts of the screen – also very useful!

BUT any image captured with the Camera Tool is blank when the DVD is not running. I have even tried PrintScreen.

QUESTION Is it technically possible to snapshot an image from the movie, or is it running in a different environment inaccessible to any camera tool?
Hilary

[Margaret Allen]

Hi Hilary,

Thought you'd left us ! :D

Having been sarcastic, I am not actually sure I am competent enough to help :eek: , but my understanding of dvds is that there is a "layer" present whilst it is running which is why you get the blank/black square when snapshotting.

I thought if I responded and it was wrong it might help your cause! [clap] ;)

[lmacconnell]

Hi, Hillary.

What a great idea to capture paused DVD screens with annotations!

I was able to capture, using my PC's print screen button, my screen with a paused DVD frame with annotations. I played the DVD using Windows Media Player, but I had changed the settings in WMP to not have an overlay. (In WMP, choose Tools->Options->Performance Tab->Advanced button->Uncheck Use Overlays->click OK.) When running AS2, I could pause the DVD in WMP and draw over the image with the pen tools and use the computer's print screen button to capture the image of my screen. I pasted it into Paint and it showed both the paused image with my annotations. From there, I could crop out my taskbar and other items that I didn't really need in the image.

I hope this helps!

Lori

[Westlake]

Thanks Lori,
Very clear information, although my computer didn’t take much notice! Sounds as though it worked very sweetly on yours.
There may be some other setting involved, or possibly the DVDs I tried had some feature designed to prevent that. Will play around some more and let you know once it is sorted.

In the meantime, I have had fun with the movie running in a window in Paint, used Point-to-point to cut out odd-shaped windows, even had split screens running within a Word document.
Move over Peter Jackson – Flipcam is the NEXT BIG THING!

Hilary

AHA!!
I opened the DVD with PowerDVD rather than WMP and used the “capture frame” function – the result was exactly what I wanted! No need to go through PrintScreen / Paint.
Still no success with WMP although I have twiddled all the Settings relating to "layers".

[Jon' Allen]

Hi Hilary
Maybe this thread might be useful - http://www.prometheanworld.com/common/html/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=1100
Jon'

[Westlake]

Thanks Jon' and all others who posted advice.
Time to go and play now! In many ways, being able to annotate over the "live" movie (paused or running..) is the most useful thing, but having a static image captured with the annotations is valuable for keeping a record of the discussion for future reference.
Hilary

[yasminazeem]

I need help. I want to take the camera tool and record a clip of a movie from a DVD. When I am trying I can hear the sound (audio) but I see a black screen. Am I doing something wrong or is there any other way of doing this.
Thanks

[Nigel Pearce]

If your DVD is playing through Windows Media Player, try turning off the 'Overlays' settings.

You should find these in the Video Acceleration section under the Tools > Options menu of Media Player.

[yasminazeem]

I could not find what you were asking me to do. I am not very tecnologically advanced. Could you please send me step by step procedures. I would greatly appreciate it.

[Nigel Pearce]

Hopefully the attached image may help. Remember, this is for Media Player 9. It may be different under other versions.

[rgrondin]

Version 10 is essentially the same: Tools / Options / Performance / Advance ? Do not use overlays