Playing videos linked to Powerpoint in Powerpoint 2007

B

Boris

Hi
I have a PowerPoint presentation to which I have linked several videos (avi
files). The PowerPoint was originally created in Office 2002 version and all
video played (and continue to play) fine (well, perhaps a little dimmer than
I would ideally like but...). However, as I have switched to Office 2007 on
my main machine, I find that one of the videos no longer plays correctly (I
get the audio but just a black, blank frame for the video). The behaviour is
the same whether I try to play the PowerPoint show or just preview the clip
in PowerPoint. The clip in question plays perfectly well in Windows Media
Player (wmplayer) or mplayer2. The clip is in "DX50" format (using the "Nero
Video Decoder", according to wmplayer)...

Any help would, would, as always, be gratefully received.
Best wishes, Boris.

PS
I have a related question that I would like to ask at the same time: how can
you get the full link information (file name and path) from an object once
you have inserted or linked it to PowerPoint? Frequently that would be useful
information to have but the best I can do is to apply some animation to the
object to get its name in the custom animation panel...
 
B

Boris

Hi John,
Many thanks for the very helpful info about the links... I would never have
found it!
About the clip - I do have Nehro installed (the same version as I had on my
previous computer) and so assume I have the Nehro codec - and as far as I am
aware I have the full complement of Div-X codecs. In any case, the clip plays
correctly outside of PowerPoint so I do not think that that can be the cause
(or can it?)... Any other suggestions?
Many thanks for all your help.
Best wishes, Boris.
 
S

Steve Rindsberg

PS
I have a related question that I would like to ask at the same time: how can
you get the full link information (file name and path) from an object once
you have inserted or linked it to PowerPoint? Frequently that would be useful
information to have but the best I can do is to apply some animation to the
object to get its name in the custom animation panel...
Click to expand...

In addition to John's suggestion, this page lists links to several of our
commercial tools that let you work with links and a macro that lets you do it
yourself if you prefer:

Show me the link and let me edit it
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00433.htm

The free FixLinks demo might be all you need; it has a link reporting tool (one
that doesn't chop off bits of long paths <g>)
 
B

Boris

Thanks Steve for the tips and thank you too Austin. GSpot is a great little
tool so I particularly like that.

Now, GSpot suggested that I did not hqave a DivX decoder (though I obviously
did as I could play my clip both in Windows Media Player and in the MCI
palyer). So, I have installed the DivX 6.7 codec, downloaded via MSN (passed
on to DivX) and now have the DIVx codec fully registered in the registry and
GSpot gives the all clear for my video clip. However, it still will not play
when linked in to PowerPoint (now I do not get a black image but an image
frozen on the first frame - in both preview and slide show modes). I have
tried crating a new pptx file with just one slide (the movie clip), with the
movie and the pptx file in my root directory (not the system root but a
different partition root)... I have also tried rebooting several times but
this does not make any differnence either. In fact, the only discernable
difference would apper to be that Windows Media Player no longer suggests it
is using a Nero Video codec but is now refering to DivX... I also tried
installing one of the small XVid codecs but that too didn't work...

Does anyone have any further suggestions - as I say, the clip plays fine in
the MCI player and used to play fine on my old system in PowerPoint XP (on
that system I had the DivX 5. something pro bundle installed but... ...)

Many thanks for all your helpful suggestions.

Best wishes, Boris.
 
B

Boris

PARTIAL SOLUTION
That is, this works but I do not understand why...
Foirts, the MCI player is of course, mplay32 not mplayer2. Mplay32 would not
play the avi clip either, even though I have (re)installed the latest DivX
cnd XviD codecs. Now, here is the strange bit... renaming the clip to .mpg,
instead of .avi, and then relinking in to PowerPoint (or playing in Mplay32)
and hey presto everything works... I guess this must have something to do
with the latest DivX and XviD codecs 'cause, as I said right at the start,
this clip was running fine (as an AVI) in previous versions of PowerPoint
with the DivX 5.3 (?) pro bundle installed....
Now, if anyone can tell me why it works with an MPG extentsion but not an
AVI one (when Mplyer2 and wmplayer don't minf either extension - and indeed
would play the files even before I reinstalled te DivX of XviD), or what I
need to do to repair this seeming annomoly, I would perhaps sleep a little
easier...
Many thanks again for all your help.
Best wishes, Boris
 
A

Austin Myers

That is certainly a strange one although to be honest any time DivX is
involved anything is possible. The problem is that DivX is an open source
codec that anyone can alter/change and you never really know exactly what
its doing.

If you plan on distributing this presentation to other machines I would
suggest converting it to a more standard (WMV) format.


Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

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

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