Problems with MPEG2

[Jeffrey Hornstein MD]

Hi,
I am having a problem getting MPEG2 videos to run in powerpoint 2000 (win xp
pro) They work fine in my desktop, but when I move presentation to laptop
they won't work! Mplay32 shows something happening (no errors and slider is
moving) but there is no video playing. I have tried loading codecs and was
able to play mpeg2's in windows media player, but still not in powerpoint.
I've spent hours on this problem and I need to get presentation working for
monday. Any help would be appreciated!

also the notebook is a panasonic with no dvd drive or software for a drive
installed


Thanks
JeffH

 

[Sonia]

Did you move the video to the laptop? It's possible that the links have been
broken. See:

Sounds/Movies don't play, images disappear or links break when I move or email a
presentation
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00155.htm
--

Sonia Coleman
Microsoft PowerPoint MVP Team
Autorun Software, Templates and Tutorials
http://www.soniacoleman.com

 

[Jeffrey Hornstein MD]

Thanks for the quick reply

Actually I moved the videos to the laptop and started a new presentation on
the laptop to avoid just that problem! It still didn't work!

As an update, I installed an mpeg2 codec (Stinky's MPEG2 codec) on the
laptop and now I get the mpeg2 playing perfectly in mplay32.exe. But, when
I insert it into a new powerpoint on the laptop the first frame is there,
but when I intruct it to play, the box just goes black for the duration of
the video and then returns to the first frame when it is over.

Thanks
Jeff

 

[Echo S]

I was going to suggest that if it's not a link issue, it may be a codec
issue, but you're way ahead of me. MPEG2 is not as universal as MPEG1. One
MPEG2 codec that's been recommended here is at http://www.elecard.com IIRC,
you must pay the registration fee (maybe $20 or so?) to remove the elecard
watermark from the movie display.

I see from your mplay32.exe comment that you've probably read
http://www.soniacoleman.com/Tutorials/PowerPoint/multimedia.htm So you know
that if the MPEG2 plays in mplay32.exe, it *should* play in PPT. Since
you're at the point where it plays in mplay32.exe but *not* in PPT, check
here: http://www.echosvoice.com/tshoot_video2.htm

If nothing there resolves it, I'd probably go the path of least resistence
and convert the MPEG2 to MPEG1 or WMV or something that generally seems to
be a little more compatible with PPT.

 

[Jeffrey Hornstein MD]

Here's the wierd thing
I put the MPEG-2's in with the insert object function/ insert video clip and
they work fine! I don't know why I can't insert as a movie, but I can live
with that. The only problem is they flash off and then on once when I play
them.

But now I can't insert an AVI movie I need. When I try to put it in with
insert object/video clip I just get a screen with black diagonal lines and
the message: "cannot find vids-mjpg decompresser" and when I try to insert
it with insert movie, nothing happens at all! The screen doesn't change at
all.

This is unbelievably frustrating!

Thanks for the help
Jeff

I was going to suggest that if it's not a link issue, it may be a codec
issue, but you're way ahead of me. MPEG2 is not as universal as MPEG1. One
MPEG2 codec that's been recommended here is at http://www.elecard.com IIRC,
you must pay the registration fee (maybe $20 or so?) to remove the elecard
watermark from the movie display.

I see from your mplay32.exe comment that you've probably read
http://www.soniacoleman.com/Tutorials/PowerPoint/multimedia.htm So you know
that if the MPEG2 plays in mplay32.exe, it *should* play in PPT. Since
you're at the point where it plays in mplay32.exe but *not* in PPT, check
here: http://www.echosvoice.com/tshoot_video2.htm

If nothing there resolves it, I'd probably go the path of least resistence
and convert the MPEG2 to MPEG1 or WMV or something that generally seems to
be a little more compatible with PPT.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

Thanks for the quick reply

Actually I moved the videos to the laptop and started a new presentation on
the laptop to avoid just that problem! It still didn't work!

As an update, I installed an mpeg2 codec (Stinky's MPEG2 codec) on the
laptop and now I get the mpeg2 playing perfectly in mplay32.exe. But, when
I insert it into a new powerpoint on the laptop the first frame is there,
but when I intruct it to play, the box just goes black for the duration of
the video and then returns to the first frame when it is over.

Thanks
Jeff



have
been or
email a and working

 

[Terry Irwin]

Try this on your laptop.

Open Windows Movie Maker (Start>All
programs>Accessories>Windows Movie Maker). Import your
video.

Now drag the movie clip from the top storyboard to the
bottom timeline.


Now "Save" the movie "for playback on your computer",
choosing to save it in the same folder as your
presentation, with a new name. Go back to your
presentation, delete the faulty movie and add a new movie,
choosing the updated version.

Hope this helps

-----Original Message-----
Here's the wierd thing
I put the MPEG-2's in with the insert object function/ insert video clip and
they work fine! I don't know why I can't insert as a movie, but I can live
with that. The only problem is they flash off and then on once when I play
them.

But now I can't insert an AVI movie I need. When I try to put it in with
insert object/video clip I just get a screen with black diagonal lines and
the message: "cannot find vids-mjpg decompresser" and when I try to insert
it with insert movie, nothing happens at all! The screen doesn't change at
all.

This is unbelievably frustrating!

Thanks for the help
Jeff




http://www.elecard.com

http://www.soniacoleman.com/Tutorials/PowerPoint/multimedia
..htm So you

know

that if the MPEG2 plays in mplay32.exe, it *should* play in PPT. Since
you're at the point where it plays in mplay32.exe but *not* in PPT, check
here: http://www.echosvoice.com/tshoot_video2.htm

If nothing there resolves it, I'd probably go the path of least resistence
and convert the MPEG2 to MPEG1 or WMV or something that generally seems to
be a little more compatible with PPT.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com

Thanks for the quick reply

Actually I moved the videos to the laptop and started

a new presentation
on

the laptop to avoid just that problem! It still didn't work!

As an update, I installed an mpeg2 codec (Stinky's MPEG2 codec) on the
laptop and now I get the mpeg2 playing perfectly in

mplay32.exe. But,
when

I insert it into a new powerpoint on the laptop the

first frame is
there, black for the duration
of possible that the links
have break when I move
or

tried loading codecs
and get presentation
working

.

 

[Echo S]

Here's the wierd thing
I put the MPEG-2's in with the insert object function/ insert video clip and
they work fine! I don't know why I can't insert as a movie, but I can live
with that. The only problem is they flash off and then on once when I play
them.

Insert/Object forces the video to play with Windows Media Player (or
whatever your default video player is, I believe). As long as you can live
with that, then no worries, and if I were you, I'd consider this one
resolved.

Oh, the flash is specific to MPEGs. At this point, I'd consider that the
least of the issues and just go with it.

But now I can't insert an AVI movie I need. When I try to put it in with
insert object/video clip I just get a screen with black diagonal lines and
the message: "cannot find vids-mjpg decompresser" and when I try to insert
it with insert movie, nothing happens at all! The screen doesn't change at
all.

That AVI probably came from your digital video camera. Taking a tip from TAJ
Simmons at http://www.powerpointbackgrounds.com/powerpointtips.htm, just
rename the AVI to MPEG, and it should work.

This is unbelievably frustrating!

Yeah, I know.

 

[Jeffrey Hornstein MD]

Your absolutely bang on!
Changeing to MPEG made it run perfectly!
I am gonna leave well enough alone with the insert object/clip rather than
movie, but I'd still like to know why on my desktop I can insert movie, but
on laptop I must insert object?

Anyway,
Thanks for all the help
Jeff

 

[Echo S]

If your movie plays in mplay32.exe on both systems, then I would bet that
the reason it works on one but not on the other has to do with something
listed here: http://www.echosvoice.com/tshoot_video2.htm

 

[Austin Myers]

Actually I moved the videos to the laptop and started a new presentation on
the laptop to avoid just that problem! It still didn't work!

As an update, I installed an mpeg2 codec (Stinky's MPEG2 codec) on the
laptop and now I get the mpeg2 playing perfectly in mplay32.exe.

Good that narrows the problem down a BUNCH.

But, when I insert it into a new powerpoint on the laptop the first frame is there,
but when I intruct it to play, the box just goes black for the duration of
the video and then returns to the first frame when it is over.

PPT uses a different mode for screen display than does the desktop. If the
file plays in mplay32 but NOT in PPT the problem is almost certainly in the
video drivers and or Directx. Update both and I'll bet the problem is
solved. Oops, one more, try adjusting your video hardware acceleration.

Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

 

[Sonia]

One other reason that it may not play is if the path to the file is too long?
Did you store the video file somewhere in My Documents?
--

Sonia Coleman
Microsoft PowerPoint MVP Team
Autorun Software, Templates and Tutorials
http://www.soniacoleman.com

 

[Jeffrey Hornstein MD]

Well, I turned off Hardware accelleration, and chopped the file name - NO
DIFFERENCE!
Anyway, it's Saturday night and I haven't started the presentation yet!
I'm gonna have to leave the playing with microsoft's toys for now.

Thanks for all your help
Jeff

 

[Sonia]

Take a look at the length of the full path to the file, not just the file name,
e.g.,
C:\Documents and Settings\Sonia\My Documents\My Virtual Machines\WinServer
2003\WinServer 2003 Hard Disk.vhd

Does it exceed 120 characters?

 

[Echo S]

Good that narrows the problem down a BUNCH.



PPT uses a different mode for screen display than does the desktop. If the
file plays in mplay32 but NOT in PPT the problem is almost certainly in the
video drivers and or Directx. Update both and I'll bet the problem is
solved. Oops, one more, try adjusting your video hardware acceleration.

I've given the link to http://www.echosvoice.com/tshoot_video2.htm twice
already in this thread. It covers those as well as the path length issue
Sonia mentioned. (Oh, it looks like I should probably add updating video
drivers themselves to that page, though.)

Perhaps third time's a charm?

 

[Jeffrey Hornstein MD]

Actually, I've done everything on that page.
Made no difference

Thanks
Jeff

 

[Jeffrey Hornstein MD]

The path is d:/airway movies/movie.mpeg

Jeff

Take a look at the length of the full path to the file, not just the file name,
e.g.,
C:\Documents and Settings\Sonia\My Documents\My Virtual Machines\WinServer
2003\WinServer 2003 Hard Disk.vhd

Does it exceed 120 characters?

 

[Terry Irwin]

Have you tried my tip of using Movie Maker - I usually
find that works?

Terry