The short answer to your question, Patricia, is to use an internal DVD drive and a program such as Cyberlink PowerDVD to capture an image. This will generate an image file that is as good as one can get from US-standard, NTSC video. It never looks that great, but you can get quite serviceable frame grabs this way. I've put together a tutorial on frame grabbing and its use online and in print as part of the companion Website for TELEVISION: CRITICAL METHODS AND APPLICATIONS. http://www.tcf.ua.edu/TVCrit/frames.htm I hope it might answer some of your questions. Regards, P.S. A trial version of PowerDVD is available at http://www.gocyberlink.com/english/products/product_main.jsp?ProdId=28 >Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 12:47:24 -0500 >From: Patty White <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: digital frame grabs >MIME-Version: 1.0 >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" > > >I am interested in obtaining the highest quality still image from a >digital source, either an external DVD or laser disc player or an >internal DVD drive. Does it matter what capture program is used and >what platform? In what ways might the quality of the DVD affect the >capture? What video settings/image sizes are optimal? Should the >image be paused or captured "on the run"? What format/file type/color >settings should the image be saved in to retain the most information >for a publisher's art department to work with? >I'm interested in people's experiences with this for publication >purposes. Have any definitive specifications emerged for this process? >thanks > >-- >Patricia White >Associate Professor, English Literature >Chair, Film and Media Studies Jeremy Butler [log in to unmask] ======================================================== TELEVISION: CRITICAL METHODS AND APPLICATIONS www.TVCrit.com ---- To sign off Screen-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF Screen-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]