Comments

MEP wrote on 2/16/2003, 9:41 PM
The best method that I have found is to render my project as a MPEG1. Then save the project to the drive that the powerpoint program is going to be on. Create a slide with a black background then go to Insert/Movies and sound/ movies from file, find your MPEG file and insert it. At that point you will have to extend the upper-right hand corner and lower left hand corner to the edge of the slide. This will give you a slight letter box effect. Then to play the slide, simply move the mouse up to the middle of the slide and click the left mouse button. The slide should beging playing. You can automate the play, but I have found that clicking is better and more controllable. Good luck.

MEP
vicmilt wrote on 2/16/2003, 9:44 PM
Digitize at NTSC DV default 720x480 29.97fps - best resolution.

Render as (under File>Render As:
Type - Video for Windows (.avi)
But you'll need Custom Render settings as follows -
See tabs at bottom of scree:
PROJECT: 1. Save as PP 640 - click box - Stretch video to fill output frame
VIDEO: Frame size: NTSC Square pixel 640x480 (you can play with this later)
Video format: Cinepak - screen will change
Now set frame rate at Multimedia 15fps
Set quality to medium and leave the rest at their defaults
AUDIO: IMA ADPCM - Sample rate 22,000 Bit rate 8

When you make your Powerpoint make a frame around the 640x480 video - do not stretch.

These settings will work on practically every modern computer around, but now you can experiment with changing the settings bigger and better, until you freeze up your computer. It will basically depend on OS speed and RAM. If you don't know what machine you will be playing on, (which means you'll be playing off of a CD), I'd make a safety backup at 480x360 "just in case". I'd also make sure to test the presentation package BEFORE THE SHOW (kill, if necessary).

Good luck.
vicmilt wrote on 2/16/2003, 9:47 PM
I agree with MEP that MPEG is better - but (obviously) only if your playback machine supports MPEG - everything around will support Cinepak, so if you don't know, then go the cinepak route.
DallasVideo wrote on 2/16/2003, 10:19 PM
Hello Vicmilt,
Can I digitize at a different resolution from your recommendation if I'm outputting to powerpoint? I'm trying to minimize file size so I can copy the entire project to CD for archiving. My files are approaching 900 meg when I capture two minutes of video from my camera. I was hoping to capture smaller files since I'm using powerpoint for my final output.
vicmilt wrote on 2/16/2003, 10:29 PM
The old rule of "garbage in = garbage out" still stands.

The Cinepak compression that you will use to Output your finished video will be TINY compared to your digitize resolution. Unless you are desparate for Digitizing space, use the max (which I suggested). Unless you are close to an hour of length, you will have tons of room on your CD. At the end of the edit, AFTER everything is seen and approved - you can erase the digitized original.

If you need to archive your original edit, you can save the entire project with only the footage you have actually used in your edit, by: File>Save As and clicking the box that says, "Copy and trim media with project". This selects only the footage that you need (at the original digitized resolution) and you can save this on a couple of CD's, as required.
snicholshms wrote on 2/16/2003, 10:32 PM
You might also download PowerPoint Producer from Microsoft...it's free and simplifies integrating video with PP.
pb wrote on 2/17/2003, 12:04 AM
Hi,

My group makes videos for Power Point pretty well five days a week and have done hundreds of them. Your safest bet is videoCD standard MPEG1 (we used media Cleaner 4 or 5 until Vegas 3 came along). You can stretch the 352 X 240 to about 704 X 480 without too much distortion, assuming your source material was clean. I've never used anything other than BetaSP/SX or miniDV/DVCAM as the source so have no about VHS or Hi8 results.

If your Network/LAN machines have Media Player 7.1 or 6.5 with the 7.1 playback patch you can use WMV files. It's simple: click insert->insert movie->insert movie from file and set the property to playback on click. Just make sure the video files are in the same directory as the other media assets and the PPT file. Any Windows computer 3.1 and up supports MPEG1, btw.

Peter