Add Movies to PowerPoint Slides – Part 2

If you plan to use video in your presentation, there are four main points to consider for an optimal video experience. In our last tip we discussed two – video resolution and duration/content. Here, we will cover the remaining important factors – video format and delivery.Which video format should you use? It depends on your platform, PowerPoint version, and individual system settings. Because there are a host of variables, it’s always best to account for the greatest common denominator. As a general rule, WMV for PC and Quicktime for Mac offer the most universal solutions. However, knowing the setup of the machine(s) on which your presentation will be delivered can greatly expand your options.PowerPoint for PC best accepts the WMV format because it uses a codec (compression/decompression coding) that is standard on a Windows computer. PowerPoint can also accept AVI and MPEG-1 videos if the user has the appropriate codec installed. An easy way to check is to double-click the video file itself in Windows Explorer. If it plays in Windows Media Player, you’re good to go. Just remember that anyone else you send your presentation to will need that same codec or they won’t be able to view the video. Flash video (FLV) can be embedded in a slide just like a Flash SWF file. Any other types of video, including Quicktime MOV, DVX, XVD, RMV, MP4, and M4P can play in a PC presentation but are not recommended unless you know with certainty that the end-user will have the appropriate codec to view them.Alternatively, PowerPoint can open other video types in their default player with some success. Be aware that this will open a movie player on top of your PowerPoint presentation, and PowerPoint cannot close this window automatically when the video is finished. Having to close an external media player window manually makes this a rather inelegant solution. You can also play a linked online video such as a YouTube clip directly within the presentation if you have a live internet connection.

As always, the best solution to getting the most stable video playback is to go with the formats most commonly preinstalled on standard computers, WMV for PC and Quicktime for Mac.

Finally, think about your manner of delivery. Other than FLV, video files can only be embedded if you’re using PowerPoint 2010 for PC. Flash FLV movies can be embedded on a slide in PC PowerPoint 2003 and higher but the end-user must have the Flash ActiveX control installed on their computer. Keep in mind, the size of the resulting PowerPoint file with an embedded video of any type will be large and may be too unwieldy for some users. In all other scenarios you’ll need to link your videos. In these instances your video file must be saved in a folder along with your PowerPoint deck to preserve the connection. Because PowerPoint can be somewhat fussy about maintaining links, you should store the folder at the highest possible level in your computer’s directory. If you need to send your presentation, you can ZIP the entire folder. When the ZIP file is uncompressed, your files will remain together in your named folder, preserving your links.

If you keep all four considerations in mind – your video’s resolution, length and content, format, and delivery – using video in your PowerPoint presentation can be an impactful way to engage you audience.