Scanframe

Scanframe is a desktop application for extracting text from video files using OCR technology. The program plays videos in MP4, MKV, AVI, and MOV formats, allows pausing on specific frames, recognizing visible text on the screen, editing it, and exporting the results in .TXT or .SRT formats. The application includes a Spanish and English interface with support for light and dark themes.

★★★★★

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• Playback of multiple video formats. Scanframe processes video files in MP4, MKV, AVI, and MOV formats. The built-in player displays visual content with standard navigation controls. Compatibility with common multimedia containers ensures operation with material from various sources.
• Text extraction using OCR technology. The OCR engine analyzes paused video frames and detects visible alphanumeric characters in the image. The algorithm identifies text in different sizes and fonts, converting graphical information into editable data. The recognition process maintains the textual structure observed in the frame.
• Editing of extracted text blocks. Each successful OCR detection generates a text block in the right side panel. The blocks contain the recognized content and associated timestamps. The interface allows direct modification of the text in each block to correct recognition errors or adjust the content.
• Export to SRT subtitle formats. The SRT export function converts the edited text blocks into standard format subtitle files. Each SRT entry includes a sequential number, start and end timestamps, and the corresponding text. The generated files are compatible with media players and video editing software.
• Export to plain text TXT files. The TXT export option saves all extracted textual content in an unformatted document. The process preserves the temporal order of the blocks according to their appearance in the video timeline. The resulting files contain only the recognized text, separated by line breaks.
• Project system with progress saving. The .sfpf file format stores the complete state of the ongoing work. Saved projects retain the original video path, the current playback position, and all extracted text blocks. This functionality allows interrupting and resuming work sessions without data loss.
• Precise video navigation controls. The player includes fast forward and rewind functions with configurable increments. The progress bar allows direct scrubbing to specific points on the timeline. Playback controls respond to keyboard shortcuts for efficient operation.
• Management of start and end points for blocks. Each extracted text block requires manual definition of the end point after the automatic start is set. The system associates precise timestamps with the textual content. Configuring the time boundaries determines the display duration in subtitle exports.
• Multilingual Spanish-English interface. The application presents all its interface elements in two available languages. Language selection affects menus, dialogs, system messages, and integrated documentation. The language setting is maintained between application sessions.
• Light and dark interface themes. Scanframe offers two color schemes for the graphical interface. The dark theme uses high-contrast color combinations for low-light conditions. The light theme employs light tones for well-lit environments.
• Application preloader during initialization. A visual indicator shows the loading progress during program startup. This element informs the user about the readiness status of the main components. The loading screen disappears when all modules are ready to operate.
• Cancellation of OCR extraction processes. The text recognition operation includes a manual interruption option. A confirmation dialog verifies the intention to cancel the ongoing process. The function stops the analysis of the current frame and frees up system resources.
• Options bar with quick access. An upper panel concentrates frequent program functions in organized elements. The control layout follows design principles focused on productivity. The bar items duplicate functionalities accessible from the main menus.

The development of Scanframe began in 2025 as a personal project by Eberload. The application is written in Python using libraries such as Tkinter for the graphical interface, OpenCV for video processing, and Tesseract for the OCR engine. The source code is available on GitHub in a public repository.

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