CineForm AVIs from within Powerpoint? at DVinfo.net

Richard Leadbetter · April 27th, 2006, 04:34 AM

Hi everyone,

A client has come to me asking for a presentation interspersed with one minute video clips in HD. My immediate thought was simply to run CineForm HD AVIs for the video clips as individual slides within PowerPoint, with more conventionally built slides in between for the text-y bits.

Then the thought occurred to me that I could actually make each slide itself a CineForm AVI. This would allow me to produce beautiful, discreet animation effects in the background and also allow for a professionally rendered intro transition for each slide.

Right now I only have Powerpoint installed on my laptop so no full-speed CFHD playback for me. Before I see about migrating my Powerpoint activation to my desktop with all the palava that entails, has any one done this already?

For what it's worth, the presentation will be 720p/30 and the PC doing the playback will be a mid-range CPUd dual core machine with a decent video card.

EDIT: Am actually thinking now that a simple app that cycles through a playlist of AVI files at the press of a button with each flagged for looping/not looping may be a simpler option. Would still be intrigued to learn of CFHD usage within Powerpoint though.

David Taylor · April 27th, 2006, 08:18 AM

Richard, FWIW, I just put a 720p30 clip into a PPT slide and it plays just fine on my 3.2 GHz P4 HT laptop.

david.

Seth Bloombaum · April 27th, 2006, 10:16 AM

Well, I'm better with Powerpoint and not very experienced with Cineform, and this is just opinion.

Regardless of what your client may say, powerpoint projects have a life of their own. Everybody expects that they are infinitely reusable, infinitely revisable by presenters, and will run on their P4-2.4GHz laptop with a standard config.

I'd look at conversion to WMV hidef, and keep the text in Powerpoint. At least that's how it would work best in my market, mostly corporate sales and training presentations.

Keep Cineform for intermediate work (acquisition soon to come!) and use a distribution codec for distribution. And use powerpoint text for text slides!

You might be able to reinvent the powerpoint presentation, but reinventing how people want to use it is harder.

Richard Leadbetter · April 27th, 2006, 11:31 AM

I think there's a fair degree of assumption in that post - the client hasn't even mentioned Powerpoint. He is simply looking for the most professional way of getting his message across in an exclusively high definition video games-centred presentation. Video files expertly rendered will have far more of a professional impact than a traditional Powerpoint presentation.

On the subject of WMV, Microsoft recommend the Windows Media Professional Exhibitor V2 software (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...VideoProd.aspx) for this kind of job rather than Powerpoint.

BTW I have found the CineForm codec to be a far more reliable performer overall than Windows Media - far less stressful on the CPU than WMV, far less dropped frames/sudden jerks, and there is an astoundingly obvious quality differential too.

Seth Bloombaum · April 27th, 2006, 06:23 PM

You brought up powerpoint, but OK - I take your point.

Well, yes - for representing computer-based video games HD is where it's at.

But I will say that WMV integrates very nicely in powerpoint, and is capable of hidef, and looks good at lower datarates, and doesn't require more that a recent stock laptop to look good.

I've spent a lot of time optimizing presentations to run on medium-level machines... But if you're working in an environment where you can spec and control the playback devices and the presentation software, more power to ya'! Cineform is indeed a very good look.

Thanks for sharing the link on Pro Exhibitor, that might come in handy sometime...

Alex Raskin · April 27th, 2006, 10:48 PM

I have to say I'm with Seth on this one...

MS WMV files, encoded at HD resolution of 1280x720p30 at 7Mbs bitrate, can be easily played on 1.8Ghz laptops with 5400 HDD.

They look fantastic projected on theater-size screens.

This is based on my own experience delivering a 1.5 hour HD presentation at the convention half year ago.

April 27th, 2006, 04:34 AM	#1
Richard Leadbetter Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 323	CineForm AVIs from within Powerpoint? Hi everyone, A client has come to me asking for a presentation interspersed with one minute video clips in HD. My immediate thought was simply to run CineForm HD AVIs for the video clips as individual slides within PowerPoint, with more conventionally built slides in between for the text-y bits. Then the thought occurred to me that I could actually make each slide itself a CineForm AVI. This would allow me to produce beautiful, discreet animation effects in the background and also allow for a professionally rendered intro transition for each slide. Right now I only have Powerpoint installed on my laptop so no full-speed CFHD playback for me. Before I see about migrating my Powerpoint activation to my desktop with all the palava that entails, has any one done this already? For what it's worth, the presentation will be 720p/30 and the PC doing the playback will be a mid-range CPUd dual core machine with a decent video card. EDIT: Am actually thinking now that a simple app that cycles through a playlist of AVI files at the press of a button with each flagged for looping/not looping may be a simpler option. Would still be intrigued to learn of CFHD usage within Powerpoint though. __________________ Company Website: Digital Foundry Ltd Video Games HD Blog: Digital Foundry@Eurogamer Last edited by Richard Leadbetter; April 27th, 2006 at 06:42 AM.

April 27th, 2006, 11:31 AM	#4
Richard Leadbetter Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 323	I think there's a fair degree of assumption in that post - the client hasn't even mentioned Powerpoint. He is simply looking for the most professional way of getting his message across in an exclusively high definition video games-centred presentation. Video files expertly rendered will have far more of a professional impact than a traditional Powerpoint presentation. On the subject of WMV, Microsoft recommend the Windows Media Professional Exhibitor V2 software (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...VideoProd.aspx) for this kind of job rather than Powerpoint. BTW I have found the CineForm codec to be a far more reliable performer overall than Windows Media - far less stressful on the CPU than WMV, far less dropped frames/sudden jerks, and there is an astoundingly obvious quality differential too. __________________ Company Website: Digital Foundry Ltd Video Games HD Blog: Digital Foundry@Eurogamer

April 27th, 2006, 08:18 AM	#2
David Taylor Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Solana Beach, CA Posts: 853	Richard, FWIW, I just put a 720p30 clip into a PPT slide and it plays just fine on my 3.2 GHz P4 HT laptop. david.

April 27th, 2006, 10:16 AM	#3
Seth Bloombaum Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,420	Well, I'm better with Powerpoint and not very experienced with Cineform, and this is just opinion. Regardless of what your client may say, powerpoint projects have a life of their own. Everybody expects that they are infinitely reusable, infinitely revisable by presenters, and will run on their P4-2.4GHz laptop with a standard config. I'd look at conversion to WMV hidef, and keep the text in Powerpoint. At least that's how it would work best in my market, mostly corporate sales and training presentations. Keep Cineform for intermediate work (acquisition soon to come!) and use a distribution codec for distribution. And use powerpoint text for text slides! You might be able to reinvent the powerpoint presentation, but reinventing how people want to use it is harder.

April 27th, 2006, 06:23 PM	#5
Seth Bloombaum Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,420	You brought up powerpoint, but OK - I take your point. Well, yes - for representing computer-based video games HD is where it's at. But I will say that WMV integrates very nicely in powerpoint, and is capable of hidef, and looks good at lower datarates, and doesn't require more that a recent stock laptop to look good. I've spent a lot of time optimizing presentations to run on medium-level machines... But if you're working in an environment where you can spec and control the playback devices and the presentation software, more power to ya'! Cineform is indeed a very good look. Thanks for sharing the link on Pro Exhibitor, that might come in handy sometime...

April 27th, 2006, 10:48 PM	#6
Alex Raskin Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,435	I have to say I'm with Seth on this one... MS WMV files, encoded at HD resolution of 1280x720p30 at 7Mbs bitrate, can be easily played on 1.8Ghz laptops with 5400 HDD. They look fantastic projected on theater-size screens. This is based on my own experience delivering a 1.5 hour HD presentation at the convention half year ago.