Frame grabber

A frame grabber is a device, typically a peripheral, that captures a single frame from an analog video signal (such as a video camera or ) and stores it as a digital image under computer control. The process of converting the analog signal to digital form is known as digitization.

History
The Quadra AV models released by Apple Computer in 1993, were the first Macintosh models to have built-in frame-grabbing capabilities. Analog frame grabbers have generally fallen out of use as analog media have been supplanted by digital media. Early examples of this transition appeared in 1999 with the introduction of the blue and white Power Macintosh G3 and iMac DV, which could capture directly from a DV signal or "rip" from their built-in DVD-ROM drives.