Media Files

Inserting audio files (sounds) and video files (movies) is possible in PowerPoint . Begin by searching for appropriate media files and saving them to your hard drive. You must save your media files with your PowerPoint presentation or else they will not work. It is recommended that you create a folder and save your presentation and media files together. PowerPoint has the ability to insert and play the following types of files. Audio: (Sounds:) File Type Extension Microsoft Wave *.wav Unix Environment *.au, *.snd Musical Instrument Digital Interface *.midi, *.mid, *.rmi Audio Interchange File Format *.aiff, *.aif, *.aifc Motion Pictures Expert Group Layer-3 *.mp3, *.m3u Microsoft Streaming Format *.asf, *.asx CD Audio *.cda Sounds can be added three different ways in PowerPoint. You can add sound as a separate object on the page, as part of the slide transition and as part of the animation of an object on the page. Video: (Movies) File Type Extension QuickTime created with versions one and two of QuickTime; versions three and four are not supported. *.mov, or *.qt Audio Video Interleave *.avi Motion Picture Experts Group *.mpg, *. mpeg, *.m1v, *.mp2, *.mpa, *.mpe Microsoft Streaming Format *.asf, *.asx There are other video formats but these are best suited for use in PowerPoint. Adding Media Files If you get an error message that says, "PowerPoint couldn't insert movie from the selected file," simply create a hyperlink to the video file itself. Create a Hyperlink to a .mov File Select the object or text to which you will assign the hyperlink. On the Insert menu, click Hyperlink. Under Link to, click Existing File or Web Page. Select the movie that you want to play, and then click OK. Locating Media Files When you have located a specific media file on the internet, you will need to save it to your computer's hard drive. You should always store your media files within the same folder as your PowerPoint presentation. To save a file, right click on the name of the file and choose Save Target As, or Save Link As. Provide a logical name and navigate to the desired folder on your computer. Click OK. Audio Files (Sounds) The following web sites offer collections of sounds: Find Sounds MIDI Database of Sounds Kid's Corner Music Video Files (Movies) These web sites offer collections of videos: United Streaming You may sign up for a 30-day free trial. All schools within the Hampton Roads have access to this collection as a result of the WHRO NCLB grant. AltaVista Media Search