Using Windows Movie Maker

Capturing video

You can capture video and audio to your computer by using Windows Movie Maker. To begin capturing, a video capture device must be connected properly and detected on your computer by Windows Movie Maker. Some audio and video capture devices and sources that you can use include a digital video (DV) or analog camera or VCR, a Web camera, a TV tuner card, or a microphone. You can capture content live or from video tape.

When capturing video and audio in Windows Movie Maker, the Video Capture Wizard proceeds as follows: 

1. Select the capture devices you want to use. For more information about choosing capture devices, see choosing a video and audio capture device. 
2. Specify where you want your captured audio and video file to be saved. For more information about choosing a destination for your captured audio and video file, see choosing a saving destination. 
3. Choose the video setting. For more information about choosing a video setting for capturing video and audio, see Choosing a video setting.
4. If you are capturing audio and video from a video tape in a DV camera or DV VCR, choose the method you want to use to capture video and audio. For more information, see choosing how to capture from a DV device. 
5. Capture the video and audio. For more information, see Capturing video and audio.

Taking pictures

You might want to take a picture of a frame of captured or imported video in Windows Movie Maker. This lets you capture an individual frame from the video, and then use the resulting picture in your movie. Taking a picture of a video frame lets you utilize the existing captured or imported video in other ways in your movie.

The display size of the captured picture depends on where you took the picture of the video in Windows Movie Maker. If you take a picture of a frame of video displayed in the monitor from the Contents pane, the display size of the picture matches the display size of the original source video file. For example, if the original video file displays at 640x480 pixels, the resulting picture you take also displays at 640x480 pixels. However, if you take a still picture of a frame of video from a video clip on the storyboard/timeline, the dimensions of the picture are 320x240 pixels. Pictures you capture in Windows Movie Maker are saved as JPEG files, with a .jpg file name extension.

To take a picture from video in the monitor

1. In the Contents pane or on the storyboard/timeline, select the video clip you want to take a picture from.
2. Do one of the following:
   On the monitor, move the playback indicator on the seek bar to the frame of the video that you want to capture as a picture OR
   On the Play menu, click Play Storyboard or Play Timeline, depending on the view you are working in, and then pause playback at the frame of video you want to capture as a picture.
3. On the Tools menu, click Take Picture from Preview.
4. On the monitor, click the Take Picture button. 
5. In the File name box, enter a name for the picture file, and then click Save.