[All You Need to Know] How to Screenshot in VLC

If you have some problems with screenshots in VLC Media Player, you will find answers in this post. Here we detail the tutorials on how to screenshot in VLC and fix the problem that the VLC is not working.

VLC Media Player is a well-known and open-source media player that can play various video and audio files. More than that, VLC also functions in screen and audio capture. While the video is playing, you can choose to record audio with VLC or take a snapshot of your favorite scene. Once done, it will save the recorded files on your computer directly.

However, most of you may don't know how it works, especially for screenshots in VLC.So this post comes in handy. Here we will show you how to take VLC screenshot in detail on both Windows and Mac.

How to a Screenshot on VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player allows you to screenshot a certain frame while playing whether on Windows, macOS, or Linux computer. In this section, we will show you three different solutions to help take snapshots with VLC Media Player.

Solution 1: Screenshot in VLC with Hotkeys

VLC Media Player offers shortcuts for taking screenshots. So the easiest way is to use the hotkeys. To do the task, you can press the specific keys to take a snapshot in VLC quickly.

• For Windows users: Press Shift + S to grab a certain frame
• For Mac users: Press Command + ALT + S
• For Linux users: Hit the Ctrl + ALT + S keys on the keyboard

Solution 2: Capture Video Frame in VLC with Menu

Step 1. Open the VLC Media Player, and play the videos that you want to screenshot.

Step 2. When you see the scene you want to capture, click "Video" in the top toolbar, and then select "Snapshot" from the drop-down menu.

Step 3. Once done, the thumbnail and snapshot location will appear on the video.

Solution 3: Snapshot VLC with Advanced Controls

Step 1. While playing the video, you can click "View" > "Advanced Controls". Next, you will see advanced controls at the bottom

Step 2. Click on the Snapshot button with a camera icon at the bottom to screenshot the VLC frame.

How to Fix: VLC Snapshot Not Working

Sometimes, you may find that it is not working while taking snapshots with VLC Media Player on your computer. If you are bothered by this kind of problem, you can take a look at the following solutions:

Step 1. On the main interface of VLC, click "Tools", then select the "Preferences" from the drop-down menu.

Step 2. Choose the "Input / Codecs" option in the Simple Preference window. Next, you will see a line that says Hardware-accelerated decoding in the Codecs section, and choose the "Disable" option to disable hardware acceleration. 

Step 3. Al last, click the "Save" button at the lower right corner.

Best Alternative to VLC Screenshot

Sometimes, as we mentioned above, the VLC snapshot function is not working. Or there are some other problems with taking screenshots in VLC. At that time, why not select and choose a professional snapshot tool to take screenshots on any area of your screen? 

Here we want to share with you a powerful screencast tool called EaseUS RecExperts. With an intuitive workflow, it is easy to handle by all levels of users, especially the novices. Whether taking screenshots of a full-screen or a partial screen, you always complete the task with hotkeys on your keyboard. 

Apart from taking snapshots, RecExperts also functions in screen and audio recording. With its help, you are able to capture any area on your screen, record audio (system & mic), grab the webcam, or capture all the items simultaneously with simple clicks. Even more to the point, this software also offers you options to take screenshots in the process of recording or capture frames in the Preview window. 

More stunning features of the all-in-one recorder:

• Capture screen in 1080P or 4K resolutions
• One-click to capture live streams, online meetings, and courses, etc.
• Schedule recording feature supports starting or stop recording at a specific time
• Offer built-in common editing tools 
• Capture screen and export it in GIF format

Just download this program and have a free trial.

In order to provide a great experience for you, we offer a detailed tutorial about making screencasts with RecExperts below:

Step 1. Download and launch this program on your computer. You will see all features it offers, including Webcam recording, Audio recording, Region capturing, and other options like Settings and Full Screen recording.

Step 2. Click "Full Screen" or "Region" according to your need. The screen will go dim, and drag your cursor covering what you want to capture.

Step 3. Now press F11 or click the "Screenshot" icon to take screenshots.

Step 4. The screenshots will be saved in the "Recordings" > "Pictures", where you can rename the screenshot with ease.

FAQs About VLC Screenshot

1. Where VLC screenshots are saved?

The video snapshot will be saved to the default Picture folder in your Windows OS, or macOS. 

If you are a Windows 10 PC and C disk is your system drive, you will find all the video screenshots from C:/users/username/pictures; Or you can input "%HOMEPATH%\Pictures\" in Windows search bar to view the screenshots.

If you use a Mac computer you will find the images on your desktop.

2. How do I take a screenshot on Windows Movie Maker?

Actually, Windows Movie Maker does not support taking screenshots from the playing videos. So if you need to take snapshots, you can use some third-party screencast tools like EaseUS RecExperts, ShareX, OBS Studio, etc.

3. Can VLC screen capture?

Yes, you can use VLC Media Player to capture your screen.

Step 1. Open VLC and click Media > Open Capture Device.

Step 2. Next, choose Desktop and the desired frame rate, then select "Stream" at the bottom.

Step 3. Browse the location to save your recordings and set a full name. 

Step 4. Finally, click on "Stream" and the recording begins immediately.