MPEG movies will not play to the end

[Guest]

I have made some mpeg videos that I use in PowerPoint presentations. I
succcessfully used these videos before with PowerPoint XP. Now with
PowerPoint 03, the same videos will not play completely to the end, stopping
about 1 second before the end. The videos will play correctly ito the end in
Windows Media Viewer or if I go START-->RUN-->mplay.exe and open the file.
It is my understanding that PowerPoint uses mplay.exe to play movies. Other
videos that I created continue to play OK in the PPT presentation. I tried
deleting and re-inserting the videos. I have this problem on 2 computers, so
the issue is not computer-specific.

 

[Austin Myers]

I have made some mpeg videos that I use in PowerPoint presentations.

Can you describe what tools you used to do this and the source of the video?



Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

PowerPoint Video and PowerPoint Sound Solutions www.pfcmedia.com

 

[Troy @ TLC Creative]

Also the CODEC used, as some variants of DivX do not play nice with
mplay.exe.

--
Best Regards,
Troy Chollar
TLC Creative Services, Inc.
www.tlccreative.com
troy at tlccreative dot com
==============================
A Microsoft PowerPoint MVP
==============================

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your replies. An example of the video I have trouble with is
MPEG2 640_480 without sound, which I created from DV captures using Pinnacle
Studio 8. It lasts 12 seconds , 3.71 MBytes. I no longer have Pinnacle on
my computer, so I don't have any more informtion on the codec. Under
"Properties" for this clip, it says that the Video codec is InterVideo Video
Decoder when played in Windows Media Player. It plays fine using mplay.exe
when I play it outside of PowerPoint.

 

[Austin Myers]

Jack, do me a small favor. Download and try using PFCMedia
(www.pfcmedia.com) I know it sounds like I am harking my wares but I really
do believe it would resolve your problem. If not I sure want to know!

Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

PowerPoint Video and PowerPoint Sound Solutions www.pfcmedia.com

 

[Guest]

I installed your product. It does work, although the image quality is
noticeably reduced. Unfortunately, some other movies in the presentation no
longer play at all. I suppose they could be converted, but I don't want to
lose the quality. I don't see an uninstall option. PFCMedia does not appear
in the "add or remove programs". How do I undo this installation?

 

[Guest]

I found the uninstall in the PFCMedia folder. When PFCmedia was installed, I
was also having problems with the slide master backgrounds not appearing
correctly in the editing window. The slideshow displayed OK. After
uninstalling, there was a "serious error the last time the addin PFCMedia was
opened", and I had to diaable it from within PowerPoint. Everything is back
to the way it was now.

I find that the newer Office versions don't work well with some add ins. I
had trouble with the Adobe Acrobat Professional and Google Desktop add-ins
interfering with Word. It might be best if there was a way to do the movie
conversions outside of PowerPoint, and then insert them in the usual way.

 

[Austin Myers]

I installed your product. It does work, although the image quality is
noticeably reduced.

Really? I ask as that is not the case I've seen or that others have
reported.

Unfortunately, some other movies in the presentation no
longer play at all.

Then there is something "wrong" with your Windows or Office install as
PFCMedia has nothing to do with playing the video files.

I suppose they could be converted, but I don't want to

lose the quality. I don't see an uninstall option. PFCMedia does not appear
in the "add or remove programs". How do I undo this installation?

Explained fully in the Help.


Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

PowerPoint Video and PowerPoint Sound Solutions www.pfcmedia.com

 

[Austin Myers]

Jack, I am at a loss as we have never seen problems like you are describing.
Is it possible for you to share one of your videos with me for testing?

Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

PowerPoint Video and PowerPoint Sound Solutions www.pfcmedia.com

 

[Guest]

Video sent. Thanks.

 

[Austin Myers]

Didn't show up Jack. If it's more then 5 meg my ISP will bounce it.



Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

PowerPoint Video and PowerPoint Sound Solutions www.pfcmedia.com

 

[Austin Myers]

Contact me at this email address. (e-mail address removed)

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I find that the newer Office versions don't work well with some add ins. I
had trouble with the Adobe Acrobat Professional and Google Desktop add-ins
interfering with Word. It might be best if there was a way to do the movie
conversions outside of PowerPoint, and then insert them in the usual way.

It's always a good idea to pound the perps as well.
Let Adobe know that their add-ins are causing you trouble.

Maybe if Adobe got enough complaints about the way their addins want to take
over the world, they'd fix them. Or maybe they'd just keep ignoring us like
they've done for several versions already. Sigh.

If every add-in writer who follows the published standards had to also program
around the quirks and offenses of the addins that are ill-behaved, there'd be
nothing but ill-behaved add-ins available.

 

[Austin Myers]

I tend to agree with the Adobe PDF add in. It seems to nix every additional
add in I have tested. sigh...


Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

PowerPoint Video and PowerPoint Sound Solutions www.pfcmedia.com

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I tend to agree with the Adobe PDF add in. It seems to nix every additional
add in I have tested. sigh...

ScanSoft seems rude too, as I recall.
Reports of problems fall on deaf ears.

 

[Guest]

Austin helped me one-on-one via chat, and we got the PFCMedia to work. It
converts the problem MPEG2 files to a WMV file, which play without a problem.
The files are a lot smaller, which is a benefit. Thanks!