Use MediaConvert’s FRAME_CAPTURE output to generate numbered JPEG stills for a poster candidate or image sequence. For thumbnails that appear during seeking in HLS or another supported streaming format, enable image-based trick-play generation instead. These are separate workflows: AWS documents frame extraction and streaming preview imagery, not a dedicated setting for choosing one arbitrary “poster frame” timestamp.
Choose the right MediaConvert output
| Decision | Standalone FRAME_CAPTURE |
Image-based trick play |
|---|---|---|
| Use it for | A poster candidate or a sequence of still JPEGs | Preview images for seeking during streaming playback |
| Output | Numbered JPEG captures | Tiled thumbnails and, where supported and selected, full-frame images |
| Cadence | A capture rate set as a numerator and denominator | IDR-following, custom interval, or segment-following modes, depending on output type |
| How it is used | Select a JPEG in the surrounding workflow | MediaConvert associates generated imagery with streaming manifests where supported |
| Check before delivery | Capture count, quality, timeline, and which frame you need | Player and manifest compatibility, tile layout, and GOP/segment cadence |
A generated still comes from the encoded output, so check its resolution, crop, aspect ratio, and color against the destination’s requirements. AWS does not specify a universal poster-image format or size in the cited guidance.
Create numbered JPEG stills with FRAME_CAPTURE
In the MediaConvert output settings, choose the video codec FRAME_CAPTURE and configure FrameCaptureSettings. The capture interval is framerateDenominator / framerateNumerator seconds. MediaConvert captures the first output frame, then repeats at that interval. For example, numerator 1 and denominator 3 captures the first frame and then one every three seconds. The JPEGs use a zero-based numbered sequence. See the MediaConvert JobTemplates API reference for the setting definitions.
Limit the sequence and set JPEG quality
Set maxCaptures to cap the number of files and quality to control JPEG quality. Check the current API reference for allowed values when creating production settings; service constraints can change. The following illustrative settings use 100 captures and quality 80, not universal AWS recommendations:
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{
"VideoDescription": {
"CodecSettings": {
"Codec": "FRAME_CAPTURE",
"FrameCaptureSettings": {
"FramerateNumerator": 1,
"FramerateDenominator": 3,
"MaxCaptures": 100,
"Quality": 80
}
}
}
}Validate job JSON against the current API model and the output settings you actually use. For an example of the available CLI/API setting surface, consult AWS’s create-job CLI reference.
Find a still near a desired poster moment
Frame capture is cadence-based, not a dedicated arbitrary-time picker. Choose a sufficiently fine interval to include the moment you want, run the job, and identify the matching JPEG in the numbered output sequence. Do not assume a particular requested wall-clock second maps exactly to a still: input and output timelines, clipping, timecode source, and frame-rate conversion can affect which output frame corresponds to that moment.
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Generate streaming thumbnails for seeking
For supported streaming output groups, enable the image-based trick-play option appropriate to that output. Depending on the format and mode, MediaConvert can create tiled thumbnails, full-frame images, or both, and associate image references with streaming manifests. Available modes and settings vary by output type and API surface; use the relevant current reference rather than transferring dimensions or limits from one format to another. AWS documents the option and its cadence settings in the create-job CLI reference and MediaConvert API reference.
Choose the thumbnail cadence
FOLLOW_IFRAMEfollows IDR-frame cadence, so the output GOP structure affects thumbnail frequency.FOLLOW_CUSTOMuses a requested interval. If that interval does not align with the output frame rate, MediaConvert rounds it to a compatible frame boundary. AWS gives the example that a five-second interval at 29.97 fps is represented by 150 frames.FOLLOW_SEGMENTATIONaligns entries with segment boundaries and requires 1×1 tiling.
Advanced settings can specify thumbnail intervals and tile dimensions. Width, height, and divisibility constraints depend on format and settings; check the matching API reference for your output group rather than assuming HLS, DASH, and CMAF share the same limits.
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Check manifest and player support
For HLS, AWS says MediaConvert creates a child manifest for each image set and adds corresponding entries to the parent manifest. Roku trick mode is one documented application. Confirm that the target player understands the generated manifest references and image layout before using them in delivery. See AWS’s job settings tutorial for the broader job configuration context.
Account for timecodes, frame rate, GOP, and segments
MediaConvert builds output elements using input and output timelines. AWS documents frame-accurate video timecodes in HH:MM:SS:FF form; drop-frame timecode uses a semicolon before the frame number. A time expressed in seconds is not necessarily an exact frame address, particularly if frame rates differ or the job clips or shifts the timeline. Review AWS’s guidance on setting up timecodes when a poster moment or capture sequence must correspond closely to a particular frame.
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When trick-play thumbnails follow IDRs, their cadence reflects the output GOP. AWS describes 1–2 seconds as a typical GOP duration and notes that streaming segment lengths should be multiples of GOP size in its recommended encoding settings. These are encoding recommendations, not a guaranteed thumbnail interval. If seek-preview cadence matters, set a custom interval or coordinate GOP and segment settings, then inspect the generated assets and playback behavior.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common problems
- No JPEG captures appear: Check that the output codec is
FRAME_CAPTURE, thatFrameCaptureSettingsis configured, and that the job completed with the expected output destination. - The capture count is larger than needed: Lower
maxCaptures; the cadence determines how quickly the sequence grows. - The desired moment is not in the sequence: A regular capture interval may skip it. Use a finer interval and check the output sequence, timecode source, clipping, and frame-rate conversion. The documented workflow does not provide an arbitrary timestamp picker.
- Trick-play images are missing or the player ignores them: Confirm that image-based trick play is supported and enabled for the selected output group, then verify the manifest and image layout against the target player.
- Segment-following settings are rejected: Check the required 1×1 tiling for
FOLLOW_SEGMENTATION. - Custom cadence differs from the entered interval: MediaConvert may round the interval to a compatible output-frame boundary; calculate against the output frame rate and inspect the generated images.
- Thumbnails arrive at an unexpected cadence: If following IDRs, check the output GOP; for a controlled interval, use custom cadence and ensure segment and GOP settings are compatible.
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