How to Extract Frames from a video using KMPlayer

Posted on October 19, 2011 by BitHacker

Extracting frames or screen capping is often done in order to make animated pictures called GIFs. One major advantage of following this method is that it gives you full control of what your GIF would look like and how many frames you want in your animated picture. Whatever your reason is, this short how to will tell you how to automatically extract frames (screen caps) from your favorite scene from a movie file using the free KMPlayer.

Open your video and go to the part (point) that you want to extract the frames of in order to make a gif out of those frames. You should keep in mind that the larger the number of frames, the bigger would be the file size of your GIF. So try and make them as small in terms of number as possible. If you are using the video from your DVD, make sure that all the settings are at their default before you continue with it. Just press F2 to go to the settings and click on DVD under General Settings. Make sure that everything looks like the screenshot below. (Click to enlarge.)

Next, you’d want to tweak your frame extraction settings. For that, right click anywhere in the KMPlayer go to Options > Advanced Menu.

Once the Advanced Menu is active, you can now right click on the KMPlayer and choose Capture > Frame Extract: dialog. Shortcut key for that is Ctrl+G

Make the settings as per your requirements. Follow the screenshot settings if you don’t know anything about these settings.

Extract to: Path to the directory where the extracted frames (screen caps) will go. By default its in your Documents Folder under KMPlayer. (C:\Users\Webscopia\Documents\The KMPlayer\Capture\)

Image format: Bitmaps are fast but they loose quality, you can tweak your GIF after you finalize the settings, so we’d suggest that you should go with the PNG format.

Numbers to extract: This is for a continuous or a random screen cap.

Frames to extract: Extract less frames for a lower size of a GIF. 4 to 5 is a good setting. Greater frequency results in a bigger sized GIF but a lower frequency would result in a less continuous picture.

Size to Extract: Extract the original size, as you can resize the images later in any of your favorite image editing program.

That’s it, click on the Start button to start extraction and play the video. Once you’re done with the extraction, click on pause/stop and your screecaps will be saved in the folder you mentioned in the settings.

Here is the Mac Alternative to KMPlayer for extracting frames from a video. Just use the above settings in it and it will extract the frames in the same way as the KMPlayer does in Windows.

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iPhone 4S: To Buy or Not to Buy

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Syed Hassan

Introduction:

So it has been finally made public-the new iPhone shall now be known as the iPhone 4S; not iPhone 5 (Great to know for the neutral perhaps, but not so good for those waiting eagerly for a grand appearance of the iPhone 5). Yes, it is disappointing to know the truth, but hold on-why is it? Before we even hint at trying to sympathise with the die-hard, Mr. MoneyBags over this one, do you mind explaining why the release of the iPhone 4S before an iPhone 5 bothers you so much? Alright, Apple did try to pull the same stunt as it did following the release of the iPhone 3G but let us all be a bit fair here. The refreshed model of the iPhone 4 is not that bad afterall-yes, you call that an understatement if you like (How generous, no?).

On a more serious note, after the passing away of Steve Jobs, we all know now why Apple refrained from introducing a new phone. Respect.

iPhone 4S Specs

A brief overview of the specifications of the new iPhone 4S suggests that it comes equipped with a 1 GHz dual core processor, a decent 8 Mega Pixel snapper, various software updates and of course, the new iOS 5. In my opinion, the question as to whether the phone is really worth spending a pretty penny on is an obvious one: of course! No, I am not a part of the Apple fan club, nor do I have any interest involved in supporting Apple products, unnecessarily.

Retaining the same screen size is perhaps one of the many let-downs of the new iPhone device. But it is funny how people are always critical of Apple’s creations and especially how rumours spread like lightning and then go down like mosquitoes all too soon. At the end of the day, the discussion at hand is, whether or not to upgrade to an iPhone 4S.

Personally, if I were an iPhone owner at this point of time, I would really have tried to resist the temptation of upgrading to the new iPhone 4S (Would not have been tough since I am not Mr. MoneyBags unlike most iPhone users). As far as the significant changes that have been made to the iPhone are concerned, there are quite a few to note. The new iPhone 4S costs $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB) and $399 (64GB) compared to a seemingly stooped price tag of $99 for the iPhone 4 (8GB). The 8 Mega Pixels snapper with f/2.4 aperture is a great improvement over the iPhone 4′s 5 megapixel AF with flash.

Of course, the processor is two times faster this time on the iPhone 4S with Dual-core Apple A5 against the iPhone 4′s A4. Enhanced HD video recording at 1080p with iPhone 4S is yet another remarkable change.

You should go for the iPhone 4S only in case:

You think you can not live without the latest Apple device.
You own an iPhone other than the iPhone 4, or none at all.
You fancy HD video recording on at 1080p resolution with an 8 Mega Pixels camera.
You have restlessly waited to try your hands on Siri, the app.
You ooze with money, here there and everywhere.

You should not go for the iPhone 4S in case:

You own the iPhone 4.
You expect a brand new design from your new phone.
You already have a phone that you are able to show off without an itch.
You want an affordably priced-phone with a decent amount of functionalities.
Your hard-earned cash matters alot to you and you are not a spoilt brat.

IFRAME Embed for Youtube

Editor’s Note: The above post is solely the opinion of the writer. So, all you Apple fan boys/girls, if you want to bash someone, bash him, not us. :) Peace.

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Top Five PlayStation 3 Tips and Tricks

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Syed Hassan

Introduction:

In our not-so-ancient post on the Top Five XBox 360 Tips and Tricks, we discussed our five favourite XBox 360 secrets that Microsoft may just have decided to hold back from you. Considering how malicious and easily offended fanboys have become these days, we decided to draft five interesting tips and tricks for the PlayStation 3 (Afterall, the next-generation consoles also go through emotions these days). yet again, the theme of the post remains the same; only the subject changes from Microsoft’s XBox 360 to SONY’s own hunk, the PlayStation 3. Thus, we shall safely assume that the concept of this post would not leave you alienated (Besides, this ain’t exactly a story-based RPG, is it?). Alright, let us dig deep into SONY’s PlayStation 3 this time around and explore the top five secret amenities that it packs.

1. Transform DVDs to HD on the PlayStation 3

Let us not forget the fact that the PlayStation 3 is not just a gaming powerhouse; it also delivers largely on movie playback. Oft-well renowned for its Blu-Ray capabilities, the PlayStation 3 plays as one of the best DVD players out in the market. Yes, hardcore gamers on the PlayStation 3 tend to oversee such promising potential on the other end (Sad, but true). Also, it is hard to expect high quality from DVDs in the modern day when Blu-Ray is the name of the deal but the PlayStation 3, oozing with sheer potential, even polishes DVD imagery to a top-notch quality on a plasma screen. How you do it is a good question to ask, of course. Simply, when you are watching a DVD on a high definition device, press the triangle button on your PlayStation 3 dualshock 3 controller and jump down to AV settings. Upon choosing this, you will be able to see various options for mosquito noise reduction, frame, block and a full up-scale on DVD content. Savour this feat and enjoy the nearly HD quality visuals on your television screens.

2. Transform your PlayStation 3 into a PC

One could argue how stupid an idea it is to transform a next-generation hunk to a fat old fart but hey, do not be mislead and try and be a little more respectful here, please. We wouldn’t exactly be turning consoles into PCs with the stroke of a magic wand. Instead, the process only infuses powers of a PC into your PlayStation 3 while retaining the powers of the PlayStation 3 intact, of course. Not a tough task really. The process does requires a bit of digging up into the PlayStation 3 system but you must have heard of the no pain, no gain theory. To achieve this, surf system settings in the settings menu and jump to ‘Install other OS’. Woo, hold on a bit, before moving on any further you must back up all your data from the PlayStation 3 hard drive to a USB. Following this crucial step, you may download a copy of the operating system from any PlayStation forum and burn it to a DVD and install it to the PlayStation 3 hard drive. Then what, congratulations, you now have a full fledged PC all in one PlayStation 3 console!

3. Using PC Peripherals on the PlayStation 3

With your PlayStation 3 already transformed into a PC, it is sort of unfair to treat it like a half-baked cookie. Want more explanation on that one? Well, imagine how it feels to use the internet on the PlayStation 3 using an onscreen keyboard. A few might even argue that there have been enough accessories on the market that mitigate the issue of typing but personally, I would not prefer a peanut-sized keypad attached to my dualshock 3 to make it seem like some sort of a mini alienship gone wrong. Luckily, for all you PlayStation 3 users, the PlayStation 3 offers full support for standard mice and keyboards that not only allow for enhanced typing experience, courtesy of the inbuilt browser, but really prove their mettle in the gaming scheme of things as well. There is absolutely no rocket science involved in doing so. All you have to do is, get off your couch (Where you have been lying and gaming for hours like a bloak with no life at all) and plug your desired peripherals into the USB ports of the PlayStation 3. Oh, and did I mention that there’s also support for bluetooth peripherals? Drooling already? Hah, before you wet the whole place jump to the settings menu on your PlayStation 3 and choose Accessory Settings. Following this, slect the option of Manage Bluetooth Devices.

4. Setting up a Media Server on the PlayStation 3

If you are one of those music maniacs who just can’t resist the temptation of carrying their music, or even their favourite videos and pictures with them wherever they go, you may well be very interested to know this one. Gone are the days when overburdening the valuable space on your PlayStation was a pain in the backside (Yes, backside), say hello to media streaming across your PlayStation network. Simply download Tversity or the latest version of Windows Media Player on your PC. Moving on, tweak the settings of either software a little to allow for sharing of music, video and photo folders. Select Search for Media Servers on your PlayStation 3 and there you go. Next time your PC is switched on, a new option on the XMB would show up that will actually function as a gateway for streaming data purposes.

5. Make Video Phone Calls (FREE) on the PlayStation 3

Oh what a mouth-watering prospect this one really is. On paper, it sounds like some real technical thing to try but to be honest, there’s less technique and little more trickery involved in here. For this, you would only require a USB headset and the PS EyeToy camera. Upon plugging both the things into the USB slots of the PlayStation 3, start a new chat with one of your friends. Now here’s the trick. Type something like ‘Videochat please?’ in a message. Upon receiving this, the recipient would be given the option of accepting your videochat. Now, if your friend does have a USB handset and the EyeToy camera as well, acceptance of the invitation will open up two windows ans then starts the video chat, all of which costs you..nothing!

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Top Five XBox 360 Tips and Tricks

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Syed Hassan

Introduction:

The Microsoft XBox 360 has been around for quite a while now. If you are the adventurer sort, we suspect you must have dug well into your XBox 360 and unearthed all the features it possesses. However, no matter how effective your endeavours of digging deep into your XBox 360 console is, eight out of ten times you are highly likely to have missed out on a few vital tips and tricks. This is precisely what the theme of today’s post is-unveil the top five XBox 360 tips and tricks. We realize that there would be a minority of people who already have some idea of a few tips and tricks that we are about to highlight but that is really beyond the purpose of this post. Our prime purpose is to enlighten our viewers and as always, we stick to those basics and bring you the best from the world of technology. Now then, let us quickly move to the top five XBox 360 tips and tricks that you XBox 360 fans may very well want to know about.

1. Connect the XBox 360 to dual screens

Oh yes, this one has got to be the best one of the lot. Now you can enjoy all the XBox 360 entertainment off two television screens, instead of merely one! First thing’s first, if you are to try this you would require the composite (yellow-coloured) and component (red, green and blue), dual video cables that are not at all tough to find (Since they come with your XBox 360 console in the box-duh!). As for the trick involved, it’s not a very tough one to exercise really but certainly one that is a tempting prospect. Simply, flick the switch of the cable to the Standard Definition. Now this is where the magic lies, connect the composite to one television and the component cables to the other. Voila! Try it for yourself and admire.

2. Connect the XBox 360 to wireless without the use of an adaptor

So you’re tired of having to loosen the grip off your pockets for the extra goodies that, one feels, should have been in the box on time of purchase of the XBox 360? Not to mention, the official Microsoft wireless adaptor is one of those priced amenities. Now the good thing about this trick that we are about to showcase here is that the cruelly-priced official wireless adaptor is not a necessity for wireless internet connectivity with the XBox 360. Fortunately or unfortunately, a laptop with Wi-Fi is all that you require for this. Simply open Control Panel on the laptop -> Network Connections (with Windows XP)/Network Sharing -> Manage Network Connections (with Windows Vista). Upon seection of Local Area Conection and Wireless Network Connection, bridge connections after right-clicking.

3. Hook up an HDMI cable; however, get Digital Surround Sound

The new XBox 360 units, despite having HDMI output for the sole purpose of optimal video quality, have been designed in such a way that with the standard ports do not allow for connection of the standard component/composite video cable while an HDMI has been connected to the XBox 360. Yet again, do get things done the way you want, or even close to your wishes to say the least, Microsoft demands loosening the grips off your pockets (For the official HDMI cable with audio adapter this time around). Naah, nevermind we would suggest. You must have noticed the large plastic box at the end of the standard video cable. Even if you haven’t, insert some tool (preferably a knife) in the joint and pull it off. Consequences are a tad messy, yet rewarding. Well, atleast you get your wish.

4. Play All Formats of Media Files on the XBox 360

If you are not one of the vast majority of those who only uses its beloved XBox 360 for gaming purposes, but also to listen to songs, watch videos and tinker with other forms of media, you would know of the meaningless limitations that Microsoft imposes on you so as to restrict you from playing video/audio formats of your choice. Tversity comes across as an avid free application which is brilliant solution to all such issues. This one also requires a PC alright, but once again the rewards that one reaps are really well worth it. Be it a simple RM. file or online video URLs from Youtube, this peach of an application will can and convert all your media and ofcourse, allow you easy access to all of it from the comfort of your XBox 360 remote controller.

5. Reset the Video Settings on the XBox 360

We can safely regard this as a tip more than a confidential report. Well, tere would be plenty of you who are in a habit of carrying your XLove (XBox 360) with you to friends’ places and obviously, that would require connecting your XBox 360 to different displays altogether. In such cases, it is often observed that a defected signal is output resulting in no display on the screen or a mere flickering screen. No, don’t cry (Your XBox 360 ain’t dead yet). The only simple thing to try here is to shut down the XBox 360 and turn it back on with the XBox 360 controller. While the XBox 360 console is still in the process of booting, press and hold the ‘Y’ button followed by the right trigger (RT). The video settings have now been reset..Tada!

Closing Comments:

So that’s all we have for you in our Top Five XBox 360 Tips and Tricks. We do hope that each one of these would seem like a pleasant surprise to most of you and more importantly, you get the execution of each one of them right. Our honest advice would be to follow all the instructions carefully because surely, you wouldn’t want to cause any damage to your pretty XBox 360. All in all, you’re all set to umm.. rediscover your XBox 360. Go on, try it for yourself. Peace!

If you have any tips or tricks for the Xbox360, do share them with us in the comments below. If you have questions, add them too.

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Stream Media to Any Device with Pogoplug

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Shobz

I love the fact that technology has gone such a long way that its possible for me to watch my favorite programs on my laptop, stream my favorite music on Spotify or Yahoo Music and check out music videos on YouTube. It has made my life easier and eliminated the need for me to subscribe to all the premium channels on Cable. The great thing about music and video files is that you can stream them easily to your TV via any device. The fact that I had to manually copy movies and tv programs to my USB data drive so I could watch them on TV was a major deal breaker. Fortunately, one does not have to rely on this old fashioned method as now it is possible for a user to be able to stream media directly to the device of his/her choice.

Pogoplug for Streaming Media

Pogoplug is well known for making hardware devices which support media streaming. They have come up with their first hardware free solution which allows for streaming of photos, video music from your computer to wherever you are in the world. The software is available in two versions: Free and Premium ($29- Onetime fee). The free version allows for streaming over your private network while the premium allows a user to stream and share data from devices outside the home network. There is no limit to the number of devices you can install this software on. It is available for Windows (XP, Vista ,Win 7), Mac and Linux.

Pogoplug Setup

The setup goes without a hitch though it does end up installing a virtual network adapter as well as some .NET framework files, followed by a reboot. The rest of the setup involves setting up an account with Pogoplug and registering your Premium License (if you have one). This is when you are prompted to select the folders you want to make available for remote access. Do remember that you don’t have to include every folder as you can simply choose the ones which are required. Once the software is activated you can check the drive which has been mapped for sharing.

I like the way they have designed the interface as it was quite straight forward. The web access interface gives options of streaming video and music to computers as well as the iPad and iPhone. There is also an option to share the files with friends via Facebook and email.

Pros of Pogoplug

Streaming media and remote accessing it is very simple. You can access your shared data easily via a browser.
There is no storage limit as Pogoplug simply turns your system into your own personal cloud.
It is an easy solution for all those people who just want to share files with friends and family.
The streaming process was smooth and did not involve any hiccups. It supports all well known file formats except for MKV.
It supports streaming to the PS3, Xbox 360 and TVs with a Tuner card.

Cons of Pogoplug

This is not an ideal solution for people sharing business sensitive data.
One has to keep his system on all the time to make sure that files can be accessed remotely.
Pogoplug tends to be a bit resource hungry at times when streaming files.

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Free Video, Photo and Sound Editing Software

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Shobz

There is a lot of free photo, video and sound editing software out there but people don’t know where to look. People are usually tempted by offers which claim that the software is free but it turns out to be only for a trial period or it has limited features which are only activated when you buy the full version. Fortunately there is a number of software which is available for free and will let you do what you want to do.

Photo Editors

1 – GIMP

The best part about GIMP is that it can be used both as an installed program on your computer as well as a portable application which you can use via your USB storage device. GIMP is not a bad piece of software as it allows one to edit photos easily and is easily a good alternative to Photoshop. You can download it from here.

2 – Paint.NET

Paint.NET is a great photo editing software which was originally developed as an alternative to Microsoft Paint. It works better than GIMP and also supports several plug-ins. It is easily one of the best free photo editing software packages out there. You can download it from here.

3 – ImageForge

Image Forge can be classified as a free photo editing software as it will let you edit your photos in a basic manner. However if you want to edit it in an advanced manner you need to upgrade it. The fact that it allows for basic editing of images ensures its place on the list. You can download it from here.

4. Picasa

Google has its own image editing product known as Picasa. It is yet another free product by Google which allows users to edit their photos and to easily share them online via their Online Web Albums. The great thing about it is that it allows for easy sharing of photos online, geotagging and name tagging. The photo editor is pretty decent a well.

Video Editors

Avidemux

Avidemux is a great video editor which is free of cost. It has support for a number of file types such as AVI, DVD compatible MPEG files, various Codecs as well as we MP4 and ASF. It also can do basic stuff such as filtering, encoding and cutting. It is available for the major Operating systems such as Windows and Mac OS X as well as for Linux.

AviSynth

AviSynth is a really powerful video editor for video post-production. It allows the user to edit and process videos effortlessly. However the only catch is that it does not provide a GUI as it expects users to use scripts to edit the videos. This is a powerful tool which can only be used by professionals but at least they don’t have to pay a price. You can download it from here.

Wax 2.0e

This is also a free editor which has no problems with installation and works really well. It also has a proper GUI and works well as a professional video editor. However the only catch is that it is not meant for everyone due to the high level of complexity. It does work well but can tend to crash at times. You can download it from here.

Audio/Sound Editing

There is also a great collection of Audio editing tools available for free so that you can edit any of your music files in the MP3, WMA, AAC, OGG, etc. formats. Sometimes music files may have problems such as a hissing sound or sound quality. There are a lot of sound editors but not all of them are free. There are however some sound editors which are available for free.

1. Audacity

Audacity is available on all major platforms such as Windows, Mac and Linux. It has great value as it is available for free and has a great set of tools which work well with all the major file formats such as MP3, WAV, AIFF and OGG. It has great support for editing live audio and conversion of audio.

2. Wavosaur

This is a nice editor which does not need installation and has support for all versions of Windows up to windows 98. It supports a large number of plug-ins. Don’t be fooled by the size of this program as it can easily edit digital files without any problems. You may download it from here.

3. Music Editor Free

The Music Editor Free (MEF) has won a lot of awards for its effortless ability to allow users to edit music and sound. It features on our list because it used to be available for a price and is now being sold as freeware. Download it from here.

These free sound, video and image editors are some of the best free editors available in the market. If you find this article helpful, you can always subscribe to our RSS Feed or follow us on Twitter & Facebook for more.

Sony PlayStation Phone Zeus 1 Caught on Tape

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Rabab Khan

The tech world’s very own Yeti, the PlayStation phone, is quickly crossing over from the world of shadows into the realm of fact.

Recently released videos on Youtube have given us much more than the initial unclear pictures.

You can see the PlayStation icon in this video although it has no contents yet:

Rumors had previously stemmed from leaked images and gained strength from statements such as

“I’m very glad that we work with a company like Sony, who actually knows how to [negotiate games rights]… Sony has an extremely strong offering in the gaming market, and that’s very interesting… Sony is of course a very strong brand, and why shouldn’t we use that? Gaming, including content, is a very interesting proposition.”

from the CEO of Sony Ericsson, Bert Bordberg. Interestingly, Howard Stringer, the CEO of Sony Corporation had let slip that Sony intends to broaden its horizon to include mobile phones. The statement was given at the Mobile World congress in February this year. Mr. Stringer said,

“PSN is no secret weapon. Leveraging PSN we are building a new network service that will connect many more network enabled product including Sony Bravias, Viaos and Blu-ray players. To satisfy the demand for more open systems and to broaden the array of network devices connected to our network services we are committed to extending that service to Sony Ericsson mobile phones.”

Taking the lead from these, it has been deduced that there will be two new announcements form Sony at next year’s Mobile Congress in February 2011. One of these is the PlayStation phone also known as Zeus. As we previously reported, the slider phone will run the Android Gingerbread OS and is being designed in collaboration with Sony Ericsson as the above video shows.

courtesy: Endgadget.com

Much of the PlayStation Phone’s specifications seem to be exactly like the images that were released a couple of months ago. Sporting the signature PlayStation console buttons, d-pad and shoulder buttons, the Zeus 1 is Sony’s way of combating the falling sales of its PSP. Gaming has become casual and more convenient with the ability to play free and featured games on the same device that you use to make calls. Carrying separate devices for both, which the PSP demands, have made most consumers switch to phones like the iPhone. Smartphones also allow for the ease of downloading games and other content, something that the PSP lacks. By allowing users to download games from the Sony store through their PlayStation phone, Sony might just be able to rise from the ashes.

HP Slate – Its Officially Out!

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Faisal Khan

Pinch yourself! No, you are not dreaming. The HP Slate is now official.With all the teaser ads, and the wait, its is finally here. For $799, the HP Slate is yours. HP is now targeting the Slate to businesses, however, if you wish to get one, you can do so from HP’s website.

The first teaser ad for the HP Slate that came out…

and then this one followed…

See, Hear, Touch Enjoy!

After the launch of iPad, everyone was waiting for the Slate to come out – well its here and has all that HP promised. The Sltate is powered by a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor with 2GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD. It includes a Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator for handling 1080p of High-Definition video. Yay! They have even included an HDML output for you to hook it up to your TV.

The screen is sized at 8.9 inches and throws 1024×600 resolution, runs Windows 7 Professional and includes a Wacom active digitizer for taking notes (this is certainly a game changer for Slate as it sets it apart from the competition).

Yes, it does include a front-facing VGA webcam and a 3 magapixel camera on its back. It comes with a USB port, headpone jacks and a keyboard button that instantly displays the keyboard on the screen. It weighs in at 1.5 lbs. HP is not pre-loading the Slate with any software other than the OS, as it is being targeted to the business users and they will choose/opt what they want.