Screenshot / screen capture utility

H

Hadron Collider

New Member
Hello folks,
I infrequently want to take a screenshot of a programme I am watching to save for future reference.
Presently this means decrypting and transferring to a computer, playing in VLC and using the 'take snapshot' utility.
I thought that somebody must have thought about making this functionality available directly on the Humax.
I have searched but have not been able to find anything. Does anyone know if this has ever been looked at?
Alternatively if anyone can think of a faster way of taking a screenshot and transferring to a computer.
The best I have managed is playing through Samba without transferring and capturing that way, but this still takes time.
Many thanks...
 
I can't imagine how one might go about this, considering the video data is not compatible with still frame file formats and even if it was there is no time index to identify the exact point at which you would like a still.

There is a thumbnail generator somewhere in the Humax code, which converts the first frame into a still but probably at too low a resolution. It's in the .thm file, but I have no idea what format. If it was any good you could set a bookmark and then perform a WebIF crop operation to isolate the section you want at the start of the video file, then wait for the thumbnail generator to pick it up.
 
A simple way would be to take a still photo with a digital camera, and simply transfer it to your PC.
 
Thanks for the very quick replies!
@Black Hole - sounds like it's not something that could be implemented easily (i.e. to get a full res screenshot)
@brian - we have done this in the past, but you get a sub-quality image and lose detail, so I was trying to find something better
I will stick with streaming from the Humax over Samba to VLC and taking a snapshot that way - just wanted to check and see if there way anything out there in case I was missing something
 
I can capture Screenshots from TVCatchup and the various iplayers by pausing the programme. It's dead easy using an iPad but should be possible using a PC.
 
Hadron Collider said:
Presently this means decrypting and transferring to a computer, playing in VLC and using the 'take snapshot' utility.
Click to expand...
I can probably streamline this a bit: presuming StDef, VLC will stream directly from the Humax without having to decrypt and transfer the file first. You will need the latest version of VLC though.
 
@4291 - most of the stuff I am trying to screen capture is from recorded content on the Humax, most of which has been there longer than the month for the catchup services. A good point, though...
@Black Hole - thanks again - you really are full of ideas. I try to record most stuff in HD though. I do have the auto-decrypt function enabled though, so this expedites things a little. I was hoping there was a method I could pause what I was watching and pressing a button on the remote to capture the screen. From your feedback, it seems as though my current method, although not real-time, is probably the best solution available.
 
Well, if you routinely decrypt, making the HDR-FOX drive available as a network share (using the samba package) will mean you can play content using non-DLNA media players - in particular Splash Lite will play HiDef. Then you could pause and screen capture.
 
Are there many other devices on the market which have such a feature? The old Netgem iPlayer could do it (assuming you had a USB storage device connected), but I've never seen it anywhere else.
 
Hadron Collider said:
@Black Hole - I think that is effectively what I am doing, but using VLC instead of the one you point out
Click to expand...

OK, I wasn't up-to-date that VLC would play HiDef recordings. Your original post said you were "transferring to computer", but a network share would make a file transfer operation unnecessary.
 
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