VLC Media Player has always been the best media player for PC. It supports most video file formats and offers you many features and options. VLC also has a feature that lets you play any video frame-by-frame.

You can use VLC frame by frame to capture VLC Snapshots or to view the details of fast-moving videos. Whatever it is, here’s what you need to do.

1. Use the Keyboard Shortcut to Move Video Frame-by-Frame

By default, you can use a hotkey to play your video frame by frame. You need to play the video and press the ‘E’ key on your keyboard.

Pressing the E key will immediately pause the video and will let you move the video frame by frame. Press the E key whenever you want to move a frame.

If you prefer to avoid pressing the ‘E’ key, you can change the hotkey from the VLC Media Player’s Preferences.

1. Open the VLC Media Player on your Windows computer.

2. When the media player opens, click on the Tools option.

3. From the list of options that appears, select Preferences.

4. Switch to the Hotkeys on the Simple Preferences window.

5. Under the Action, find the Next frame. Double-click on the Next frame and press the new key you want to assign. Once done, click on the Save button.

You can assign any hotkey of your choice to move the video frame by frame on the VLC media player for PC.

2. Enable the Advanced Controls

The advanced controls, when enabled, add a toolbar to the bottom of the VLC Media Player. And you get a ‘Frame by frame’ button in the toolbar. Here’s how to enable the Advanced Controls in VLC Media Player.

1. Open the VLC Media Player on your Windows computer.

2. When the media player opens, click on the View button, as shown in the screenshot below.

3. From the list of options that appears next, check the Advanced Controls option.

4. You will find a new toolbar at the bottom of the VLC Media Player. The new toolbar will have the Next frame button.

5. Play the video and click on the frame-by-frame button to move the video one frame.

6. If you want to customize the toolbar, select Tools > Customize Interface.

7. You can drag and drop the Frame by frame button to Line 2 if you prefer.

Also Read: How to Use Gestures to Control VLC Playback

This guide is about how to play videos in VLC frame by frame. If you can’t find the Frame by Frame button on VLC, ensure you use the latest software version.