Black Flash on Loading Video Clips

[Guest]

Does anyone know how to get rid of the horrible black flash while Powerpoint
is loading a video clip ? Microsoft refuse to address this problem, but it
must be possible to program around it in VB for applications. I am prepared
to pay for a solution to this problem.

 

[Troy @ TLC Creative]

Hi John,
Can you describe your black flash (across entire screen, movie area popping
from captured first frame image-to black-to movie, or other).

I am guessing you are referring to just the movie box area (assuming you are
not running movie full frame). When the movie is inserted PPT captures the
first frame image, but then when the movie is played it looses the first
frame capture, goes black and then kicks into the movie - very distracting.

In most cases I resolve the problem by placing either a black box with faint
grey text of the movie name/topic (so it can be referenced on printouts) or
a graphic. When the movie plays it will automatically jump to the top,
thereby hiding my added box and this masks the jump from
capture-to-black-to-movie.

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

 

[Guest]

Yes, the balck flash is in the video box only. Thanks for your suggestion but
it doesn't work. I don't want to use the colour black (horrible !). I have
tried covering the video with graphic objects in the blue background colour
but the black flash leaps in front every time.It must be possible to suppress
the display of the video until it has "got going" or to start it off-screen
and move it on-screen by using suitable VB code. The problem apparently is
the horrible, obsolete mplay32.exe. Microsoft acknowledge this problem but
refuse to do anything about it.

 

[Guest]

This technique works for us.

Additionally select - 'hide while not playing' in the multimedia tab of
custom animation properties. Positioning an object in front of the video
clip as Troy suggests. This helps smooths out the entry of the video when
hide is used.

 

[Guest]

Max,

Thanks for responding.

I have tried selecting the "hide while not playing" option (many times
before, but again on getting your reply) and find that it actually makes
things worse. As to positioning an "object" in front of the video clip, what
do you use ? I have tried a box (rectangle) of the same colour as the
background and I have also tried having the movie clip fade in from and fade
out to the same colour - nothing works. If you have really cracked this one
it must be something else that you are doing. Any chance you could send me an
example ? We are so desperate to get this resolved that I am prepared to pay
for assistance on this.

John Medhurst
Quaylane Consulting
Faversham, UK
"Johann"

 

[Guest]

I don't know if this will help, but I position the clip off the slide and
select 'zoom to full screen' in the 'edit movie object' menu accessed by rght
clicking the clip. This makes the 'flash' happen off the slide and the clip
still plays full screen. If however you are not playing the clip full screen,
then I am not sure as I have not been able to solbe that particular one!