Nice pics...not sure how it's done! Capturing the pics I mean...

OK, no trade secrets here... I captured snaps off of DVD using VLC (VideoLan Controller - a Freeware application) for Macintosh OS X, on my 17" iMac. The maximum size of the screen captures I can get is a direct result of the size of my screen (1400 x 900 pixels, but when you take into account the "Letterbox" format, the actual height is somewhat less than 900 pixels). So while watching (pun intended) the movie, I stop the DVD when I see a screen snapshot I wish to take, back up to just before the scene, and roll through it in slow or super-slow motion. It's very tricky, and sometimes I have to make two or three attempts to get the exact shot I want, and if there is a scene change immediately after the frame in question it's nearly impossible. In fact it took me many MANY attempts to get the snap of the bloke wearing the Breitling in the audience.

After I have the movie paused on the right picture, I do a command-shift-4, and select the portion of the screen I wish to take a screen snap of. The Mac dutifully saves the image as a .pdf format file, which I then open in Acrobat, copy the graphic and then convert it into a .jpeg which I then upload to my web space. Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty simple, straightforward, and doesn't require any special video card or cables, etc.

I've got Le Mans on VHS somewhere but haven't looked at it for sometime...best thing is to get to Le Mans & see it for real; it is still truly amazing...if you know the back-doors you can get closer to the action than some of these "screen shots".

It's pretty evident in some of the shots in the movie... People sitting in chairs within 5 or 10 feet of cars whizzing by at over 200mph, with no guardrail or _anything_ inbetween. A lawyer's dream in America.

The American release of the DVD has been out for several months now. I also have it on LaserDisk, but I never had it on VHS or Beta. It's one of those movies that if you don't know about it and ask for it by name you don't see it. At $15 to $20 it is a BARGAIN if for nothing else, all of the beautiful photography of the now vintage racing machines. It's amazing to see how low the 917k's and 512's are compared to 911's and 914's (Which are fairly low slung cars by conventional on the road standards. And for what it's worth, Region-Free DVD players are out there, you have to seek them out and may have to "flash the ROM" but they are very useful if you can not get a certain movie, program or show in your region.

Anyone out there want to do it next year? I don't want to make this an advertising spot so please email me direct....

I'd love to, but I doubt I could make the trip. It's a long way from Chicago, even by plane!

I know that this is at the end of a thread so maybe no-one is going to read this - my question is does anyone have a sympathetic contact at Heuer for the servicing of "pre-Tag" items? Specifically I've got a 70s LED desk clock that needs a bit of attention...this is really first generation LED technolgy....I'm just hoping that they have got shelves full of spare parts! Actually I'm sure they have because sensible people would have waited for LCDs...

That's a tough one Adrian... I think from your email address that you might be from .lu... Luxembourg? (makes sense)... In the USA Pro-Time Service is pretty decent when it comes to "older-tech" items, and if they can't fix it themselves, they are good in farming it out to a fellow who can. (Hello H!). But in the Low Countries, I wouldn't know.

I'd recommend you post a fresh listing (in a new thread) with your query and title it something like "LED/LCD Service in the Low Countries" or some such and see if anyone can assist you. If not I would check with TAG-Heuer directly via their website or an authorized dealer for suggestions.

I hope this helps and please feel free to post follow-up's!

-- Chuck