When you attempt to view an Audio-Video Interleaved (AVI) file in PowerPoint, you may receive the following error message:

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Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 can only play back movie files (*.avi, *.miv, *.mov, *.mp2, *.mpa, *.mpe, *.mpeg, *.mpg, and *.qt files) that use compression schemes with corresponding Media Control Interface (MCI) compatible codecs.

A codec (Compressor/Decompressor) is an algorithm or scheme used to record digital video or audio. For example, when you transmit video over the Internet, the video must be compressed on the sending end and decompressed on the receiving end. A codec can be chosen based upon the user's audio or image quality and image size preferences.

When you read an AVI movie, a Video for Windows decompressor decompresses the AVI files. If the decompressor does not support the compression method used by the AVI movie, it cannot render the movie onto the screen.

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Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.0 and later versions recognize more codecs and can play most AVI files. You can download the Windows Media Player from the following Microsoft Web site:

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Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

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