Image Capture & Editing Software
To prepare JPEG images (e.g., thumbnails, video stills, logos, background images) for use in Brightcove, you will need: Image capture tools and image editing tools. Alternately, you can use the Image Capture tool available in the Brightcove Console.
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows can capture a screenshot to the clipboard by pressing the Print Screen key. You can then paste the resulting image into a blank Windows Paint document, crop, and export as a JPEG.
Mac OS X 10.3+
Mac OS X can capture a screenshot to a file by pressing Command + Shift + 3 to capture the entire screen or Command + Shift + 4 to capture an area of the screen. The resulting image is saved to the Desktop and can be adjusted, cropped and exported as a JPEG using either iPhoto or Preview.
SnagIt (Win)
http://www.techsmith.com/
SnagIt is an image capture tool for Microsoft Windows that can capture a still image from a video player for import into an image editing application. SnagIt also includes tools for cropping and contrast adjustment.
Snapz Pro (Mac)
http://www.ambrosiasw.com
Snapz Pro is an image capture tool for Mac OS X that can capture a still image from a video player for import into an image editing application.
QuickTime Pro (Win/Mac)
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/pro/
QuickTime Pro is an optional upgrade to Apple’s free QuickTime Player and is capable of exporting still images from video in a variety of formats.
IrfanView (Win)
http://www.irfanview.com
IrfanView is a free, lightweight image editing and processing application that makes it easy to paste, crop, and resize screenshots. IrfanvView also includes hand screen capture and batch processing features for resizing and saving multiple files at the same time.
Adobe Photoshop (Win/Mac)
http://www.adobe.com
Photoshop is the industry-standard image editing tool for video production. It includes tools for cropping, resizing, and enhancing images as well as filters for deinterlacing video. Additionally, Photoshop provides a comprehensive set of tools for graphic designers to create custom player backgrounds. Brightcove provides detailed Player Templates in the Photoshop PSD format for creating custom backgrounds (TK Link). Photoshop does not capture images from the screen or export image stills from video files.
Paint Shop Pro (Win)
http://www.corel.com
Paint Shop Pro is a less expensive alternative to Adobe Photoshop. It includes tools for cropping, resizing, and enhancing images as well as filters for deinterlacing video. Paint Shot Pro does not capture images from the screen or export image stills from video files.
IrfanView (Win)
http://www.irfanview.com
IrfanView is a simple and free graphic viewer for Microsoft Windows. It includes tools for cropping, resizing, and enhancing images.
MacOS X users: You can prepare images on a system running Mac OS X, although the Brightcove Console does not yet support uploading assets from Mac OS. (View System Requirements for Brightcove Console).
