Update: 2020-01-24 Two copies of this guide have been written below. One is for VLC 3.x and the other for older versions.  

I have very few complaints about VLC, but one thing that irks me every time I install VLC I have to change the snapshot settings to something useful because the default settings are unhelpful. (VLC developers if you are reading–please make the following the default!)

Goals

• Save snapshots in the same folder as the video.
• Save snapshots with a time code (timestamp of where in the video the snapshot can be found)

VLC 3.x+ Instructions

These instructions were written specifically for VLC 3.0.3. There was a version just after 3.x where this does not work. Please be advised you may need to update your VLC.

Implementation

1. Go to Tools > Preferences > All > Video > (snapshot area on right side)
2. Set ‘Video snapshot directory’ to a single period character: .
3. Set ‘Video snapshot file prefix’ to be: $N-$T-
4. Set ‘Use sequential numbers instead of timestamps’ to true to shorten the filename length and prevent the current date from appearing in the filename. (Recommended)

Result

Taking a snapshot with a movie file named “Measuring by using standard deviations.mp4” at 1 minutes and 24 seconds will result in a snapshot (in the same folder as the video) named “Measuring by using standard deviations.mp4-00_01_24-00001.png.

Finally. Beautiful and useful snapshot names. I wouldn’t fret about the extra incremental number because it will help prevent duplicates if you take screen shots within 1 second of each other.

Please note that $N will print the name of the media, not the filename. At this time of this writing there is no string format to output the filename. VLC developers if you are reading, please implement a way to output the filename so screenshots will always be guaranteed to be alphabetized adjacent to source files.

Please take a moment to read this!

Did this article help you out?  I'm a tech writer and I do this in my free time. The way I make money is when attractive people like you support me by buying me a beer, or by choosing to keep your data safe with a competitively priced off-site backup solution that I personally use. You can also sign up for Robinhood and Webull and we both get free stocks. (My friend won $168 in JPMorgon stock when I invited her.) Deposit $100 and you typically get more free stock. Want more? Head over to my About Page and try out one of the many links I've listed there.

VLC 2.x Instructions

Implementation

1. Go to Tools > Preferences > All > Search > Snapshot > Video
2. Set ‘Video snapshot directory’ to /$N-$T.png
3. Set ‘Video snapshot file prefix’ to be EMPTY.

Result

Taking a snapshot inside of lesson_08_ruby_on_rails_tutorial_3rd_edition.mp4 at 55 minutes and 55 seconds will result in a snapshot (in the same folder as the video) named lesson_08_ruby_on_rails_tutorial_3rd_edition.mp4-00_55_55.png.  Finally. Beautiful and useful snapshot names. This is simply brilliant and a simple solution to some obvious VLC design constraints.

Please take a moment to read this!

Did this article help you out?  I'm a tech writer and I do this in my free time. The way I make money is when attractive people like you support me by buying me a beer, or by choosing to keep your data safe with a competitively priced off-site backup solution that I personally use. You can also sign up for Robinhood and Webull and we both get free stocks. (My friend won $168 in JPMorgon stock when I invited her.) Deposit $100 and you typically get more free stock. Want more? Head over to my About Page and try out one of the many links I've listed there.