Use MediaConvert’s FRAME_CAPTURE output to create numbered JPEG stills for a poster candidate or frame sequence. For seek-preview thumbnails packaged with supported streaming outputs, use image-based trick play instead. These are different workflows: MediaConvert’s cited settings describe recurring frame captures and streaming preview images, not a dedicated control for selecting one arbitrary poster timestamp.
Choose the right MediaConvert output
| Decision | Standalone FRAME_CAPTURE |
Image-based trick play |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | JPEG stills for a poster candidate or a sequence of frames | Preview imagery for seeking during supported streaming playback |
| Output | Numbered JPEG captures | Tiled thumbnails and, depending on mode, full-frame images |
| Cadence | Set with a numerator and denominator | Can follow IDRs, a custom interval, or segment boundaries, depending on output support |
| How it is used | Select a JPEG in the surrounding publishing workflow | MediaConvert associates generated imagery with streaming manifests where supported |
| Primary checks | Capture limit, quality, timeline, and the desired frame | Manifest and player compatibility, tile layout, and GOP/segment cadence |
A poster frame is typically one representative still shown before playback; trick-play thumbnails are a repeated set used to preview positions while seeking. For a still to publish separately, generate JPEG captures and choose the appropriate file. For seek previews, configure the streaming output’s image-based trick-play settings.
Create JPEG captures with FRAME_CAPTURE
Configure the output
- In the MediaConvert job’s output settings, add or select an output and set its video codec to
FRAME_CAPTURE. - Set
FrameCaptureSettings. The capture interval in seconds isFramerateDenominator / FramerateNumerator; MediaConvert captures the first output frame before repeating at that interval. - Set
MaxCapturesto cap the number of JPEG files, and chooseQualitywithin the bounds in the current API reference. - Run the job, inspect the numbered JPEG sequence, and select the still that best fits the destination’s poster use.
For example, numerator 1 and denominator 3 means the first frame, then one capture every three seconds. A settings shape might look like this:
{
"VideoDescription": {
"CodecSettings": {
"Codec": "FRAME_CAPTURE",
"FrameCaptureSettings": {
"FramerateNumerator": 1,
"FramerateDenominator": 3,
"MaxCaptures": 100,
"Quality": 80
}
}
}
}The values in this example are illustrative, not universal AWS recommendations. Validate the structure and current setting constraints against the [AWS MediaConvert API reference](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/mediaconvert/latest/apireference/jobtemplates.html) for the job you are building.
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Target a particular moment
Frame capture follows a regular cadence rather than a dedicated arbitrary-time poster picker. To get a candidate near a desired moment, choose a sufficiently fine capture interval, then identify the corresponding numbered JPEG. Do not assume the file will match an exact wall-clock timestamp without checking the job timeline and output frame rate.
MediaConvert assembles outputs on input and output timelines. AWS documents frame-accurate timecodes in HH:MM:SS:FF form; drop-frame timecode uses a semicolon before the frame number. Clipping, timecode source, and frame-rate conversion can affect which output frame corresponds to a requested moment. See [MediaConvert timecode settings](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/mediaconvert/latest/ug/setting-up-timecodes.html).
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Generate streaming trick-play imagery
Select the supported mode and cadence
For a supported streaming output group, enable the image-based trick-play option appropriate to the output. Available modes and values vary by output type and API surface; the current [MediaConvert CLI command reference](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/mediaconvert/create-job.html) and [API reference](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/mediaconvert/latest/apireference/search.html) describe the relevant settings.
FOLLOW_IFRAMEfollows IDR cadence.FOLLOW_CUSTOMuses a requested interval.FOLLOW_SEGMENTATIONaligns images with segment boundaries and requires 1×1 tiling.
Custom intervals that do not align with the output frame rate are rounded to a compatible frame boundary. AWS’s example notes that at 29.97 fps, a five-second interval is represented by 150 frames. Thumbnail dimensions and tile dimensions have format- and setting-specific limits, including divisibility requirements; check the current reference for the precise output type rather than copying limits from another format.
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Check manifests and player support
For HLS, AWS documents that MediaConvert creates a child manifest for each image set and adds corresponding entries to the parent manifest. Roku trick mode is one documented application. Before deployment, confirm that the target player understands the generated manifest references and image layout; output generation alone does not establish compatibility with every player. See [AWS’s recommended encoding settings for video quality](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/mediaconvert/latest/ug/recommended-encoding-settings.html).
Coordinate cadence with GOP and segments
When trick-play images follow IDRs, their cadence reflects the output GOP structure. AWS describes a typical GOP duration as 1–2 seconds and recommends that streaming segment lengths be multiples of GOP size. These are encoding guidance, not a promise of a particular thumbnail interval. If seek-preview spacing matters, use a custom interval or coordinate GOP and segment settings, then inspect the generated assets and playback in the intended player. See [AWS’s MediaConvert job settings tutorial](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/mediaconvert/latest/ug/setting-up-a-job.html).
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Check the still before publishing
- Confirm the captured frame’s resolution, crop, aspect ratio, and color characteristics suit the destination’s poster requirements; there is no universal poster-image specification established here.
- Check that the selected JPEG depicts an appropriate moment and is not an unintended black frame, transition, or title card.
- For streaming previews, inspect both the image assets and manifest behavior in the target player.
- Do not confuse an image overlay with frame extraction: an overlay inserts a graphic over video rather than extracting a still. AWS’s [output overlay guide](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/mediaconvert/latest/ug/setting-up-output-overlays.html) covers that separate operation.
Troubleshooting
No JPEGs or fewer files than expected
Verify that the output codec is FRAME_CAPTURE, that the job completed successfully, and that the capture interval and MaxCaptures are consistent with the input duration. The maximum is a cap, not a target number of files.
The selected frame is not at the expected time
Check the input and output timelines, timecode source, clipping, output frame rate, and capture cadence. A regular interval produces candidate frames; it does not guarantee a capture at every arbitrary timestamp.
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Trick-play images appear at unexpected intervals
If the cadence follows IDRs, inspect the output GOP settings. If it follows a custom interval, account for frame-rate rounding. If it follows segment boundaries, confirm the mode’s 1×1 tiling requirement and inspect segment timing.
Images exist but seeking previews do not work
Check that the selected output mode is supported for the output group, that manifests contain the expected image references, and that the player supports the manifest and image layout. Validate format-specific dimensions and tile constraints against the current AWS references.
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