You have a video with one perfect moment in it, and pausing and pressing Print Screen gives you a blurry, badly cropped picture. Video Snapshot Wizard is a Windows tool that grabs frames from video files directly, so you can pick the exact frame you want and save it as a proper image.
Quick facts
- Platform: Windows
- Price: $99 (USD)
- Trial: a trial version is available, and the paid version removes its limitations
- Output formats: BMP, JPG, PNG, GIF
Key features
Capture a series of frames from a movie file
You can take one frame per click with Snapshot One Frame. You can also let the program capture a frame at a set time interval. Captured frames collect in a thumbnail view, so you can look over them all at once.
Open the video formats you already have
It supports AVI, FLV, ASF, MOV, RM, RMVB, WMV, MKV, VOB, MPG and MPEG. It can also capture frames from DVD video.
Crop, resize and watermark in a built-in editor
You can crop and resize frames, and add watermarks, without opening another program. Both support batch editing, so one setting covers a whole set of snapshots.
Turn frames into an animated GIF or movie thumbnails
You can rebuild captured frames into a user-defined animated GIF. You can also arrange frames into a thumbnail sheet that previews a movie.
Who it's for
It suits you if you need stills from video files for blog posts, tutorials, thumbnails or reference images. It also suits you if you want a quick short GIF made from a clip, and would rather use one Windows tool than a full video editor.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Handles a wide range of video formats, including DVD video
- Built-in editing with batch crop, resize and watermark
- Exports to four image formats and can build animated GIFs
- Registration key is delivered by email within minutes of purchase
Cons
- Windows only
- At $99 it costs more than a general screenshot tool if all you need is the occasional frame
- The trial version is limited, so you have to buy to use every feature
- Major version upgrades are discounted rather than free
FAQs
Does it work with MKV and FLV files?
Yes. MKV and FLV are both on the supported list, along with AVI, WMV, MOV, MPEG and others.
Can I make an animated GIF with it?
Yes. You turn captured frames into a user-defined animated GIF.
Which image formats can I save to?
BMP, JPG, PNG and GIF.
Do I pay again for updates?
Minor version updates are free. Major version updates are offered at a discount.
Can I try it before buying?
Yes. A trial version is available, and buying it gives you all features without the trial's limits.