Repeating Video Playback

[Guest]

So, here's the situation:

I want to play certain video clips from a DVD in a PowerPoint presentation
in separate slides. Obviously, I'm dealing with .VOB files.

I am unable to insert these .VOB files into my slides as Movie or Video
Files as they do not play in the MCI Player (also known as Media Player 5.1).
I'm left with the option to insert the .VOB files as Windows Media Player
objects and of course, they play, but with the positional bar at the bottom
along with Play, Stop, etc... buttons.

Looking past the annoyance of the positional bar, the main issue with this
particular PowerPoint presentation is that if I put different video objects
in multiple slides and then run the slide show, I run into a little glitch.
The first slide with the video runs through fine aside from the video
defaulting back to the main menu of the DVD after the clip is finished. The
second slide with the video (be it directly after or after several slides
without video) plays the first video object as opposed to the one that was
assigned.

Now, if you hit play on the second video clip and the stop it. Go back a
few slides and then return to the second video clip slide, and then hit play,
it plays the correct video file.

The same issue with all video clips (except the first one) exists as they
repeat the previous clip and then plays the correct clip.

Has anyone else had this sort of problem before or perhaps knows a solution
to this?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Guest]

Another thing that I should say is that I am able to cheat the system by
renaming the .VOB files to .MPG and then simply adding them as Movie Files.
This will remove the positional bar and allow the clip to be added to the
slide as it should be.

 

[Austin Myers]

So, here's the situation:

I want to play certain video clips from a DVD in a PowerPoint presentation
in separate slides. Obviously, I'm dealing with .VOB files.

I assume you have ripped the VOB files to your hard drive???

I am unable to insert these .VOB files into my slides as Movie or Video
Files as they do not play in the MCI Player (also known as Media Player

5.1).

Correct, at least not without lots of issues.

I'm left with the option to insert the .VOB files as Windows Media Player
objects and of course, they play, but with the positional bar at the bottom
along with Play, Stop, etc... buttons.

Or convert the VOB files into something a little more PowerPoint friendly.
But regardless of conversion, you can turn off the Play,etc. buttons in the
WMP by right clicking it and selecting properties. Then set the uiMode to
"none". Note that none MUST be in quote marks.

if I put different video objects in multiple slides and then run the slide

show, I run into a little glitch. The first slide with the video runs
through fine aside from the video

defaulting back to the main menu of the DVD after the clip is finished.

The second slide with the video (be it directly after or after several
slides

without video) plays the first video object as opposed to the one that was
assigned.

Again, right click the WMP and select properties. And the very top of the
properties window you will see "Custom". Select it and you get a button on
the right side, click it and you get a Window that allows you to change
almost all the settings. There is an "Advanced" tab, select it and you will
see "Current Position", here you can define where the video will start
playing from. There is also a setting for "Current Marker". If you place a
marker in the video file (VOB) you can jump directly to that marker.

Do a bit of experimenting to see how this may be used for your purpose.

Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

Solutions to Multimedia in PowerPoint www.pfcmedia.com

 

[Guest]

I assume you have ripped the VOB files to your hard drive???

Nope, straight from the DVD. Could that be causing conflicts?

Or convert the VOB files into something a little more PowerPoint friendly.
But regardless of conversion, you can turn off the Play,etc. buttons in the
WMP by right clicking it and selecting properties. Then set the uiMode to
"none". Note that none MUST be in quote marks.

Thanks. Actually, "none" with quotations marks caused an error. It worked
fine without them though.

Again, right click the WMP and select properties. And the very top of the
properties window you will see "Custom". Select it and you get a button on
the right side, click it and you get a Window that allows you to change
almost all the settings. There is an "Advanced" tab, select it and you will
see "Current Position", here you can define where the video will start
playing from. There is also a setting for "Current Marker". If you place a
marker in the video file (VOB) you can jump directly to that marker.

Would this also work in the case of multiple files? The second "objects"
that I'm talking about are .VOB files as opposed to positions in just one
file. It sounds like this marker thing works for just one specific file.

I'm actually investigating this for someone else, so that's why I'm asking
strange questions as opposed to trying it out myself.

Thank you for your help though.

 

[Austin Myers]

Nope, straight from the DVD. Could that be causing conflicts?

Yup, it sure will. The thing is a commercial DVD has DRM (digital rights
management) included in each of the VOB files. (Usually Macrovision) along
with regional settings. Each time you fire a VOB the WMP looks for the
associated IFO file. While each VOB *usually* has it's own IFO file, they
almost always refer back to the first IFO file for DRM settings. That IFO
file says oh no you don't, you have to view the spash screen the FBI waring,
and anything else that the content provider decided you should see.

If you have a standard DVD player in your living room you'll see the same
behaviour. You can't jump to Chapters and Titles until you see the required
viewing. So to answer your question, WMP is written to respect the content
providers requirements and it will always "rewind" back to the begining.

Would this also work in the case of multiple files? The second "objects"
that I'm talking about are .VOB files as opposed to positions in just one
file. It sounds like this marker thing works for just one specific file.

Honestly, every DVD is different and it depends how the creator set it up.
There can be multiple IFO files, there may only be one, but no matter how
it's built WMP will simply follow along as instructed. You see, the first
IFO tells the DVD player (WMP or even your DVD player in the living room)
how to play the DVD, what language to use, wide screen, Dolby, etc., etc.
Part of that of course is the DRM requirements. It also builds the "Menu"
you see.

Some DVD's use the Chapter - Title schema while others reverse it and use
the Title -Chapter schema, and occasionally they also play some tricks with
changing the audio channel somewhere during playback. Why? Well ummm, to
keep people from doing exactlly what your trying to do. <g>

Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

Solutions to Multimedia in PowerPoint www.pfcmedia.com