How to Take a Screenshot of a Video in Windows Media Player

Brittany Garcia

November 03, 2023 09:20Updated by to Screenshot

Windows Media Player, the built-in program for Windows, is one of the most popular multimedia players to enjoy all your videos and music. When you play a video in Windows Media Player, you might want to capture an image or create a screenshot from this video. Based on such needs, here we will talk 3 easy ways to capture still images of a video in Windows Media Player.

Capture Screenshot Windows Media Player

Method 1. Common Way (Using Keyboard)

The easiest way to capture an image in Windows Media Player is to use Keyboard. Here are two kinds of screenshot keys you can choose. One is Windows Media Player hotkey, and the other is operating system hotkey. Windows Media Player has preset hotkeys for screenshot conveniently. Apart from the defaulted Windows Media Player hotkeys, you can also utilize the operating system hotkeys to make screenshots from a video. Now, discover how to create screenshots in Windows Media with hotkeys.

Windows Media Player hotkey

When you play a video in Windows Media Player, you can press the hotkeys of Ctrl+I. If the video you are watching is a Microsoft supported movie, a "Save Captured Image" window should appear allowing you to save the image as captureor any other name. If you don't see the "Save Captured Image" window, your video is not a Microsoft supported video file and this solution will not work for you. You should try the operation system hotkey.

Operating system hotkey

Play the movie in Windows Media Player and navigate the point where you want to capture a screenshot, press the Print Screen Key (Win + Print Screen in Windows 10/8 or Fn + Print Screen on some laptops) may help you to screenshot still images. If you are using dual monitor, press "Alt + Print Screen" to only screenshot the active window.

For Windows 10 or 8, then the screenshot will be automatically saved to the Screenshotsfolder under Pictures library. For Windows 7 or XP, the screenshot will be copied to the clipboard as you press the Print Screenkey. Then, you can paste it into Paint and save it as an image file.

If the above hotkeys don't work for you, you can try the following two ways to help you out.

Method 2. Free Way (Using a Screen Capture Tool)

However, sometimes hotkeys don't work due to wrong settings or other reasons. So it is necessary to find a reliable approach to take screenshots of a video. Here we'd like to introduce a practical screen capture tool – Blu-ray Master Screen Recorder which lets you take the screenshots for any screen on your computer. Whether you want to capture a full screen or a specific area, it can be done in one click. After taking screenshots, you are able to pin to screen, edit the image and export the images to your computer.

Screen Recorder
Screen Recorder
  • Capture the selected area or window from computer as PNG, BMP, GIF, or TIFF.
  • Edit the screenshot like add a shape, input text, draw a line, spray, and more.
  • Customize the screenshot location and save it anywhere on your computer.
  • Compatible with Windows 10/8/7 and macOS 11, 10.15, 10.14, 10.13, and before.

Free Download

For Windows

Secure Download

Free Download

for macOS

Secure Download

Steps to take a screenshot of a video:

Step 1. Launch Blu-ray Master Screen Recorder

Free download the screen capturing software on your computer, and then follow the on-screen instructions to install it. Next, launch it on your computer.

Select Screen Capture

Step 2. Preset the output setting

Hit Menu on the top bar of the main interface and then choose the Preferences option. Find the Output tab where you can set the location and format of the screenshot image.

Customize Screenshot Location

Step 3. Screenshot a video in Windows Media Player

Open the video in Windows Media Player and navigate the image that you want to capture, and select Screen Capture in the main interface.

Select Screen Capture

Then, you will see a cross-arrow will appear. Just left-click to select the capture area or hover your mouse over the window to capture the window. After making a screenshot, you can edit it by adding a shape, inputting text, and drawing a line, spray, etc.

Edit Save Screenshot on Computer

Step 4. Save the screenshot

In the end, click the Save icon to save your screenshots on your computer.

Method 3. Accurate Way (Through WMP Settings)

Another approach for you to screenshot in Windows Media Player more accurately is to configure the settings of Windows Media Player. To do that, find and click Tools > Options > Performance in the main interface, and then uncheck Use overlays and check Use video mixing renderer. And you need to make sure the options under Legacy video renderer are checked. After making sure all of the options are properly set, click Ok to close the window. Now you can press Print Screen hotkey to snapshot the video without having to play it in full screen. By the way, you can paste it into the Paint app to crop or edit the screenshot.

WMP Seeting

Here you may like: Where Do Screenshots Go on PC or Mac? Here Are Answers

FAQs of Capturing Still Image in Windows Media Player

Wrapping up

Above are the ways to screenshot still image from videos in Windows Media Player. As you can see, Blu-ray Master Screen Recorder is the best way to capture any region of the video and also offers editing tools. Besides, you can use it to record any screen activity on your computer effortlessly.

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