You can extract frames from a video in C# using the AForge.NET, OpenCV (Emgu.CV), or FFmpeg libraries. Below are different methods based on these libraries:

Method 1: Using OpenCV (Emgu.CV)

Emgu.CV is a .NET wrapper for OpenCV and is one of the easiest ways to process videos and extract frames.

Steps:

1. Install the Emgu.CV NuGet package:
   Install-Package Emgu.CV
2. Use the following C# code to extract frames from a video:

C# Code Using Emgu.CV

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using Emgu.CV;
using Emgu.CV.CvEnum;
using Emgu.CV.Structure;
class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string videoPath = "sample.mp4";  // Path to video file
        string outputFolder = "Frames";   // Output folder for extracted frames

        if (!System.IO.Directory.Exists(outputFolder))
            System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(outputFolder);

        using (var capture = new VideoCapture(videoPath))
        {
            int frameIndex = 0;
            Mat frame = new Mat();

            while (capture.Grab())
            {
                capture.Retrieve(frame); // Get frame

                if (!frame.IsEmpty)
                {
                    string framePath = $"{outputFolder}/frame_{frameIndex}.jpg";
                    frame.Bitmap.Save(framePath, System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Jpeg);
                    Console.WriteLine($"Saved: {framePath}");
                    frameIndex++;
                }
            }
        }

        Console.WriteLine("Frames extracted successfully.");
    }
}
 

How It Works?

• Opens the video file.
• Loops through each frame and saves it as an image.
• Saves frames in the specified folder.

Method 2: Using FFmpeg (Fast & Efficient)

If you want a simple approach without using C# libraries, you can use FFmpeg.

Steps:

1. Download and Install FFmpeg from ffmpeg.org.
2. Run FFmpeg Command from C#:

C# Code Using FFmpeg

using System;
using System.Diagnostics;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string videoPath = "sample.mp4";
        string outputFolder = "Frames";
        
        if (!System.IO.Directory.Exists(outputFolder))
            System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(outputFolder);

        string ffmpegCmd = $"-i \"{videoPath}\" \"{outputFolder}/frame_%04d.jpg\"";
        
        ProcessStartInfo processInfo = new ProcessStartInfo
        {
            FileName = "ffmpeg",
            Arguments = ffmpegCmd,
            RedirectStandardOutput = true,
            UseShellExecute = false,
            CreateNoWindow = true
        };

        Process process = new Process { StartInfo = processInfo };
        process.Start();
        process.WaitForExit();

        Console.WriteLine("Frames extracted successfully.");
    }
}

How It Works?

• Calls FFmpeg from C# to extract frames.
• Saves frames as frame_0001.jpg, frame_0002.jpg, etc.

Method 3: Using AForge.NET (Basic)

AForge.NET is another option but is slower than OpenCV.

Steps:

1. Install AForge.Video.FFMPEG via NuGet:
   Install-Package AForge.Video.FFMPEG
2. Use the following C# code:

C# Code Using AForge

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using AForge.Video.FFMPEG;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string videoPath = "sample.mp4";
        string outputFolder = "Frames";

        if (!System.IO.Directory.Exists(outputFolder))
            System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(outputFolder);

        VideoFileReader reader = new VideoFileReader();
        reader.Open(videoPath);

        for (int i = 0; i < reader.FrameCount; i++)
        {
            Bitmap frame = reader.ReadVideoFrame();
            if (frame != null)
            {
                string framePath = $"{outputFolder}/frame_{i}.jpg";
                frame.Save(framePath, System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Jpeg);
                Console.WriteLine($"Saved: {framePath}");
                frame.Dispose();
            }
        }

        reader.Close();
        Console.WriteLine("Frames extracted successfully.");
    }
}

Which Method Should You Use?

Best Choice?

✅ Use Emgu.CV for real-time processing

✅ Use FFmpeg for the fastest frame extraction

✅ Use AForge.NET if you need a lightweight solution

Let me know if you need further details! 🚀