PowerPoint 2003 Error when Inserting Video

[Guest]

I've spent 5 days trying to troubleshoot this issue and read the many threads
that have resolved a portion of the issue. Same frustrations many others
have had as these video clips worked on a previous Dell (using Windows ME) in
PowerPoint 2000 but not on the new Dell using Windows XP and PowerPoint 2003.
Here's the scoop if anyone has ideas as i'm about the to end of my rope!

System and software: Windows XP Home; Microsoft PowerPoint 2003; 3.2 GHz
Processor; 1 Gig of memory; Windows Medial Player 10; ATI Radeon Graphics
Card; PowerDVD Software.

Here is what I've done to date:
Tested with MCI Media Player = Videos do play
Checked Registry = All values okay as per Austin Meyers tutorial
Used Safe Mode to test Video Card = Did not fix problem
Changed values on Hardware Accelerator = Did not fix problem
Ensured all software updated (including Direct X)= Did not fix problem
File Paths are all direct from Desktop
Disabled Hyperthread = Did not fix problem

The video clips were created using Dazzle Moviestar.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated -- I'm getting desperate!
Thanks in advance,
Larry

 

[TAJ Simmons]

Larry,

The joys of video and powerpoint (I'm not a fan!)

File Paths are all direct from Desktop

The path length to your desktop could be quite long.

I suggest try something really simple

c:\videos\

Next question is what is the video type?

what is the extension (as this gives us a clue) e.g. mpg, avi. mov .qt. rm.
etc

Assuming they are .avi movie clips from dazzle....

When you save from Dazzle does it give you lots of options about what codecs
and quality and all that stuff?

What are you choosing?

Cheers
TAJ Simmons
microsoft powerpoint mvp

awesome - powerpoint backgrounds,
free powerpoint templates, tutorials, hints and tips etc
http://www.powerpointbackgrounds.com

 

[Guest]

TAJ...Thanks for the prompt reply...I did shorten the path as you suggested
and it didn't fix the issue. So, on to your other ?'s.

Movie Star saves clips and produced movies as .mpg
I believe that there are a number of options of saving -- DVD MPEG-2 or DVD
MPEG-1 (the default is MGP-1). Another problem I have now is Movie Star
won't load properly or even run in Windows XP and there is no longer support
for it. I just want to get the raw and rendered clips (hundreds of them)
that i have to work on the new system. Then i might purchase another video
editing program for future work.

Another item i neglected to mention is that I couldn't get the clips to play
in the MCI Media Player until i installed Movie Star DVD Express (which I
found out in the Dazzel support site). They stated that DVD Express
contained the codec to run the files. Once i installed DVD Express the clips
run fine in MCI Media Player.

Thanks for the assistance,

Larry

 

[TAJ Simmons]

Larry,

Another problem I have now is Movie Star won't load properly or even run in
Windows XP

Some general tips for older software.... start windows in safe mode, to get
them to install.
Have a read on something called "compatibility mode", as you can tell
windows to pretend it's an older version of itself.

in the MCI Media Player until i installed Movie Star DVD Express (which I
found out in the Dazzel support site). They stated that DVD Express
contained the codec to run the files. Once i installed DVD Express the
clips
run fine in MCI Media Player.

This leads me to believe it's a "codec" problem. By installing DVD express,
it's installing the codecs. This also leads me to believe that the files
produced originally are not "true" mpeg files, but some kind of variant. To
which there shouldn't be. An MPEG1 file is an MPEG1 file. Anything else
isn't!

Quick tip... if you have windows XP you probably have windows movie maker.
open the troublesome clips, then save them as WMV.

Cheers
TAJ Simmons
microsoft powerpoint mvp

awesome - powerpoint backgrounds,
free powerpoint templates, tutorials, hints and tips etc
http://www.powerpointbackgrounds.com

 

[Guest]

Thanks again -- I'm about to give up except one more question -- if it is a
codec problem do you think downloading the Nimo Codec packages is a good
idea? Then i could dump the DVD Express codec if it worked. I'm just not
sure if its worth trying or not.

 

[TAJ Simmons]

Larry

Have a search on the internet for something called "gspot" (it's legit
despite the name!)

It can identify what "codec" a particular video clip is using.

Then you just need to make sure you have "that particular" codec installed.
There's no point installing something just for the sake of it.

Cheers
TAJ Simmons
microsoft powerpoint mvp

awesome - powerpoint backgrounds,
free powerpoint templates, tutorials, hints and tips etc
http://www.powerpointbackgrounds.com

 

[Sonia]

Ah. That gives me an opportunity to ask a question. Gspot says that it
identifies the codec for an AVI file. Does it work for MPGs too?

 

[TAJ Simmons]

I'm pretty sure GSpot works for MPG videos clip.

Although when you File > open > it only defaults to avi and ogms and oggs
(oggs )

You can either tell it to look for *.mpg and it will show them in the file
dialog, or you can drag and drop them on the "path" area of gspot.

Click "render" then "status" and it will tell you more about what codec was
used for the mpeg, with some surprising results.... and "ah...that's why it
will not play etc"

Cheers
TAJ Simmons
microsoft powerpoint mvp

awesome - powerpoint backgrounds,
free powerpoint templates, tutorials, hints and tips etc
http://www.powerpointbackgrounds.com