PowerPoint and Audio/Video

[Guest]

Does anyone know how to embed video or audio clips into PowerPoint? I don't
mean to have them play in Windows Media Player or another program but to play
directly in PowerPoint. I have students that are turning in PowerPoint
presentations and have included video and/or audio and it is always
troublesome to have to explain that this type of file is generally linked to
their computer and therefore not accessible on my computer when they email
the PowerPoint to me.

 

[Kathy J]

Jim,
The only audio or video files that are embedded into a PowerPoint
presentation file are WAV files. Everything else is linked. However, you are
much less likely to have broken links if you place the audio or video file
in the same folder as the presentation file and then do the link. This way,
as long as both files are present in the same folder, PowerPoint will
(generally) run the files.

For more information, see this entry from Steve Rindsberg's PPT FAQ:
Sounds/Movies don't play, images disappear or links break when I move or
email a presentation
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00155.htm

--
Kathryn Jacobs, Microsoft MVP PowerPoint and OneNote
Author of Kathy Jacobs on PowerPoint - Available now from Holy Macro! Books
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[Geetesh Bajaj]

There is a way to embed, but it is not too elegant:

The Object Packager is a feature that's part of all versions of Windows
since Windows 3.1. It provides a way to embed videos (or anything else)
within a PowerPoint presentation.

1. In your active PowerPoint slide, choose the Insert | Object... option.
This will present you with the "Insert Object" dialog box.

2. In the "Object Type" listing, choose the "Package" option. Make sure that
the "Create New" radio button is checked and click OK. This will present you
with the Object Packager interface.

3. Choose File | Import... , navigate to your video file and cick "Open".
Within Object Packager, click File | Update followed by File | Exit. This
will bring you back to PowerPoint.

4. Right click the object within PowerPoint and choose Custom Animation. In
Powerpoint 2002 and 2003, this will activate the Custom Animation task pane.
Choose Add Effect | Object Animation | Activate Contents within the task
pane.

5. Drag the package icon slightly off and outside the slide area if
required. You can choose the OnClick or After Previous option in the Start
drop down menu of the Custom Animation task pane - but I would rather leave
it at OnClick if the icon has not been dragged off the slide.

Using the technique above, you can embed almost any file in most Microsoft
Office applications - but there are a couple of caveats you need to be aware
of:

1. You will always get a warning message about viruses.

2. Object Packager is not a ery stable application - its looks confirm its
Windows 3.1 ancestry.

3. The files packaged this way will always open in their associated
application - and does not look elegant especially if you are presenting to
an audience.

4. This technique will not work with the PowerPoint Viewer.

Having said that, this is a great way to embed those RealMedia and QuickTime
files that PowerPoint will not play by default.

Related Link:

Create a ZIP EXE with a PowerPoint presentation:
http://www.indezine.com/products/powerpoint/cool/zipexe.html


--
Geetesh Bajaj, Microsoft PowerPoint MVP
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