Powerpoint issues

April 28, 2010 10:05 AM

Background summary -- Powerpoint - dual monitors (monitor + projector) We've bought little music videos (mp4 I think) and they play fine in a powerpoint show. But if we edit the thing in moviemaker to shorten it maybe or if we play something off of youtube then the resulting file won't play

we've basically treated it as a problem with powerpoint and developed coping mechanisms. But that's getting old, besides it can't be a powerpoint problem because these other files work. Is there something that can be done?

posted by notned to Technology (4 answers total)

Response by poster: "won't play" meaning plays only audio no video
posted by notned at 10:28 AM on April 28, 2010

Audio but no video sounds like a missing video codec for the particular video format you are trying to play. Have you tried installing a freeware codec pack like K-Lite?
posted by burnmp3s at 10:41 AM on April 28, 2010

PowerPoint using Windows Media on a Windows machine failed on me before. All Microsoft, nothing worked. A different codec did work. Alternative is to use an external player but that is a pain. Multiple monitors also throws some uncertainty into the works, some systems won't play video on both screens no matter what you do (and it may depend on file size or bitrate or something else entirely).

Might help if you gave us some indication of PowerPoint version, platform, machine specs, etc.
posted by caution live frogs at 11:11 AM on April 28, 2010

Response by poster: I'll double check on the K-lite.

Powerpoint 2007- WinXP - 2 or 3 year old e-machine w/ 1 gig of RAM

some kind of special video card to drive the two monitors
posted by notned at 11:20 AM on April 28, 2010