Windows – What codecs does the Windows 7 & Powerpoint 2010 combination support out of the box

codecmicrosoft-powerpointmicrosoft-powerpoint-2010videowindows 7

Apologies if this question has been asked many times before… but I can't find a duplicate.

I'm helping a colleague prepare a Powerpoint presentation. We have no control over the computer that it will be delivered from (we simply hand the PPT file over beforehand). I am making an assumption that it will be running Windows 7 & Powerpoint 2010, as we are.

As I understand it, Powerpoint will embed and play quite a wide range of video formats, if the relevant codecs are installed on the PC. Because we don't control the PC we need to assume that it has nothing installed that doesn't come automatically with Windows or Powerpoint – but which formats are these?

To put it another way: What video format can we embed in Powerpoint and be confident that it will play on any Windows 7 PC?

Thanks.

Best Answer

Insert your video in PPT 2010 on any computer that will allow it (ie, that has the necessary codecs installed), then use File | Info | Optimize Compatibility

This will convert the video to something that any copy of PPT 2010 should be able to play out of the box.

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