How to get a full-quality still image from a video
A screenshot of a paused video captures your screen, not the frame. How to save the exact frame at full resolution as PNG or JPG, one at a time or every frame.
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In short: To save a frame at full quality, extract it from the file rather than taking a screenshot. Extract Frames decodes the video and writes the exact frame at its full resolution as PNG or JPG: a single still, one every few seconds, or every frame.
Why a screenshot is worse
A screenshot captures what is on your display: the video scaled to your window, any player controls on top, and your screen's resolution rather than the video's. Extracting the frame from the file gets the picture exactly as it was recorded.
PNG or JPG
PNG keeps the frame exactly, which is right for editing or printing, at 2 to 4 MB per 1080p frame. JPG is a tenth of that and looks the same for thumbnails, documents and sharing.
Every frame, or one per second
A second of video holds 24 to 60 frames, and most neighbouring frames are nearly identical. One per second is what most people want. Every frame is for animation, analysis, or picking the one sharp frame out of a burst.
A whole video on one page
For an overview rather than one frame, Video Contact Sheet puts a grid of evenly spaced thumbnails, with timestamps, in a single image.
Questions
How do I extract frames from a video for free?
Add it to Extract Frames on this site, choose one every few seconds, every frame, or a single still, and pick PNG or JPG. Nothing is uploaded.