Posted by Terry Pinnell on 03/01/06 07:48

sandyprice@msn.com wrote:

>Terry:
>
>If you hold down the ALT key and then press print screen, you will only
>capture the active window. At least that works on this side of the Big
>Pond ;-)
>
>Mike
>
>Terry Pinnell wrote:
>> "MikeLeeB" <michaelbaribeau@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>> >.
>> >I just tried something real quick and it worked. Cue up your frame,
>> >for WMP select View, Full Screen, wait a few seconds for the player
>> >toolbars to retract, hit your PrtScnSysRq (Print Screen) button to the
>> >upper right of your keyboad, hit your Esc key, hit Start in your bottom
>> >toolbar, select (All) Programs, Accessories, Paint, Edit, Paste, File,
>> >and Save.
>>
>> Thanks, that does the trick!
>>
>> I was surprised it worked. I should have tried that myself but I
>> assumed it would fail just as all my previous attempts to use a
>> standard capture technique had failed in the past with video. Players
>> like PowerDVD and Nero ShowTime etc all produce an 'empty' result.
>> Must be something special about WMP 10. I can't be sure, but I don't
>> think WMP 9 could do that.
>>
>> BTW, I sometimes find that after using (Alt+Enter) to get full screen,
>> the blue panels fail to disappear. Happily though, the capture doesn't
>> actually need to be full screen. Also, any capture utility works too.
>> And most allow capturing a specific window, so that avoids having to
>> crop as is the case with Print Scrn. I used Snagit.
>>
>> --
>> Terry, West Sussex, UK

Yes, Alt+Prnt Scrn works this side too, although Snagit is more
flexible for complex windows with several sections.

HOWEVER, today I can no longer get WMP 10 to capture any video frames
regardless of what method is used!

IOW, my test 2 days ago, which was the basis of my pleased but
surprised reply to Mike, must have been a quirk. It has reverted to
the behaviour I was previously familiar with. And that's not just WMP;
it's universal for all 'standard' capture tools. You get a sort of
transparent result.

It's really bizarre that I should have got a result before. I'm
wondering if it's perhaps connected with David Z's suggestion about
hardware acceleration? I always have that set to max as I don't like
the idea of limiting my PC's performance. But maybe there happened to
be so much other CPU activity occurring at the time I tried that test
that it had the same effect as reducing hardware acceleration? And
that somehow allows a 'standard' capture tool to capture video?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

[Back to original message]