Audio Timing

[mcp6453]

As it will become abundantly clear very quickly, I am an absolute
beginner in PowerPoint 2003. Let me start with some basic questions that
might help me better understand whether PP will do what I need for it to do.

Slide 1 displays for 5 seconds and automatically transitions to Slide 2.
When Slide 2 starts, a 10 second audio clip plays. Is there a way to
cause Slide 2 to transition at the end of the audio clip, or do I have
to set the slide to automatically advance after 10 seconds?

When Slide 2 starts, a 30 second audio clip plays. Ten seconds into the
slide, the audio refers to a video clip that plays from 10 to 20
seconds. Can an audio clip and a video clip play simultaneously?

The final presentation will be on a large TV screen. Therefore, the
movie file (video clip) will have to be high quality (720 by 480). The
source video files are DV AVI. Obviously they have to be converted to
something that the computer does not choke on since I assume that there
is no rendering and the video has to be played in real time. PP chokes
on MPGs and AVIs that play perfectly in Windows Media Player, Windows
Movie Maker, and Media Player Classic.

The course that we are replacing was done with video edited in Adobe
Premiere. The modularity of PP has a lot to offer, if I can get it to
work for this application. Some people here have suggested alternatives
to PP. I would appreciate a recommendation for a program that is geared
more towards video. It is possible that Articulate has a program that
will be better suited, but I know less about it than I do about PPT.

 

[Austin Myers]

As it will become abundantly clear very quickly, I am an absolute beginner
in PowerPoint 2003. Let me start with some basic questions that might help
me better understand whether PP will do what I need for it to do.

Slide 1 displays for 5 seconds and automatically transitions to Slide 2.
When Slide 2 starts, a 10 second audio clip plays. Is there a way to cause
Slide 2 to transition at the end of the audio clip, or do I have to set
the slide to automatically advance after 10 seconds?

Set the slide trasition time to something less than the lenght of the audio
(say 3 seconds). Then insert a drawing object and set its fill and line
color to nothing (makes it invisible) and set it to appear AFTER the audio
with a zero second delay. The result will be that the audio file plays, the
invisible object appears and the transision to the next slide happens a
split second later. (Trasitions won't occure if there is still an animation
to be performed on the slide.)

When Slide 2 starts, a 30 second audio clip plays. Ten seconds into the
slide, the audio refers to a video clip that plays from 10 to 20 seconds.
Can an audio clip and a video clip play simultaneously?

Yes, if your sound card and its driver support it. Most newer sounds cards
do.

The final presentation will be on a large TV screen. Therefore, the movie
file (video clip) will have to be high quality (720 by 480). The source
video files are DV AVI. Obviously they have to be converted to something
that the computer does not choke on since I assume that there is no
rendering and the video has to be played in real time. PP chokes on MPGs
and AVIs that play perfectly in Windows Media Player, Windows Movie Maker,
and Media Player Classic.

No reason that it should choke unless its under powered for the task. As to
possilbe causes and solutions you may want to read this tutorial.

http://www.playsforcertain.com/tutorial.htm#Multimedia_in_Microsoft_PowerPoint

The course that we are replacing was done with video edited in Adobe
Premiere. The modularity of PP has a lot to offer, if I can get it to work
for this application. Some people here have suggested alternatives to PP.
I would appreciate a recommendation for a program that is geared more
towards video. It is possible that Articulate has a program that will be
better suited, but I know less about it than I do about PPT.

There really is no reason PowerPoint can't handle video well *IF* you do a
bit of homework and prepare the video for use in PowerPoint. There are
other applications (flash?) that provide more tools and flexibility but they
have a steep learning curve and any changes you make tend to take a lot of
work and time.

As an FYI: If you have installed Media Player Classic it may well be at the
root of poor video playback in PowerPoint. This is because it installs its
own codecs that may or may not be fully compatible with the Windows MCI
media player. (To understand the MCI player see the above tutorial link.)
I would suggest that you download and re-install Windows Media Player to
reset all the codecs and file associations.

Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

Provider of PFCPro, PFCMedia and PFCExpress
www.playsforcertain.com

 

[mcp6453]

Set the slide trasition time to something less than the lenght of the audio
(say 3 seconds). Then insert a drawing object and set its fill and line
color to nothing (makes it invisible) and set it to appear AFTER the audio
with a zero second delay. The result will be that the audio file plays, the
invisible object appears and the transision to the next slide happens a
split second later. (Trasitions won't occure if there is still an animation
to be performed on the slide.)




Yes, if your sound card and its driver support it. Most newer sounds cards
do.




No reason that it should choke unless its under powered for the task. As to
possilbe causes and solutions you may want to read this tutorial.

http://www.playsforcertain.com/tutorial.htm#Multimedia_in_Microsoft_PowerPoint




There really is no reason PowerPoint can't handle video well *IF* you do a
bit of homework and prepare the video for use in PowerPoint. There are
other applications (flash?) that provide more tools and flexibility but they
have a steep learning curve and any changes you make tend to take a lot of
work and time.

As an FYI: If you have installed Media Player Classic it may well be at the
root of poor video playback in PowerPoint. This is because it installs its
own codecs that may or may not be fully compatible with the Windows MCI
media player. (To understand the MCI player see the above tutorial link.)
I would suggest that you download and re-install Windows Media Player to
reset all the codecs and file associations.

Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

Provider of PFCPro, PFCMedia and PFCExpress
www.playsforcertain.com

Thanks for the information, Austin. I am going to work through your
suggestion. After making the original post, I decided not to use PP, but
then I changed my mind again. We are going to simplify the course and
minimize the use of live action video, unless I can make sense of your
suggestions.

 

[Guest]

Hi there

Just thought I would stick in my two-pennies worth....

Have you looked at producer? It's a free add-in for 2002/2003 (doesn't work
with 2007) that may do what you are after. Microsoft seem to have removed its
home page but these articles should help:
Evaluation guide:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/HA102122751033.aspx?pid=CL100626991033
Downlaod:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...D5-FC75-4F99-94BC-784919468E73&displaylang=en
Article on CBT:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/workessentials/HA012226741033.aspx?pid=CL101211931033

Lucy
--
MOS Master Instructor
www.aneasiertomorrow.com.au

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