PowerPoint 2000
 Movie Troubleshooter

What are CODECs?

CODECs are COmpressor/DECompressor formulas that compress audio and video data so that movie file sizes are smaller. An uncompressed movie file could easily take more than 20 megabytes (MB) of space per second. So to make movie files manageable and feasible for everyday use, a CODEC compresses the movie file after it has been recorded by removing redundant information. Later, when you play the movie, the CODEC decompresses the movie file.

Different movie architectures such as Windows Video, QuickTime, MPEG, and others, use different CODECs to compress and decompress information. The CODEC that is used to compress a movie is also necessary to play back the movie.

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What types of movies can Microsoft PowerPoint insert?

The types of movies that Microsoft PowerPoint can insert depend on a Microsoft Windows component called MCI (Media Control Interface). When you play a movie in PowerPoint, PowerPoint passes the request to MCI. MCI interacts with the Audio and Video CODEC managers, finds the correct decompressor and appropriate driver to decompress the movie, and passes that information to Windows. 

To find out what types of movies MCI is configured to play, follow these steps. 

For Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows 98

  1. On the Start menu, click Run.
  2. Type Sysedit, and then click OK.
  3. On the Windows menu, click C:\Windows\Win.ini
  4. On the Search menu, click Find.
  5. Type [mci extensions] and then click Next.

    You now see the MCI section of the Win.ini file. In this section, there is a list of file name extensions, followed by a word such as MPEGVideo or AVIVideo, for example:

    AVI=AVIVideo

    This entry means that Windows uses the driver that is configured to handle AVIVideo to interpret files with an .avi extension. 

  6. On the Windows menu, click System.ini
  7. Type [mci] and then click Next.

    You now see the MCI section of the System.ini file. In this section, there is a list of MCI file handlers, and the drivers with which they are associated. So continuing with our previous example, you can see the following entry in the MCI section of the System.ini file:

    Avivideo=mciavi.drv

ILLUSTRATION: 

Please click any step below for a more detailed explanation.

 

 

 When you insert a file with an .avi extension into PowerPoint, and attempt to play it, the following process takes place:

  1. The Audio-Video Interleaved (AVI) file is inserted into PowerPoint and activated (played). PowerPoint passes this request to Windows, and gives Windows the file name and coordinates of the movie. PowerPoint uses the standard Windows interface, also called MCI. <Back to diagram>
  2. Windows receives the request to play the movie and passes this request to MMSYSTEM.DLL through WINMM.DLL. (WINMM.DLL ensures compatibility between 16-bit and 32-bit multimedia services, and then passes the request to MMSYSTEM.DLL.) <Back to diagram>
  3. MMSYSTEM.DLL attempts to locate the proper CODECs for the movie file by making requests to the Audio and Video Compression Managers. The Audio and Video Compression Managers keep track of the various CODECs that are installed on your computer. The Compression Managers return the proper CODEC information to MMSYSTEM.DLL. <Back to diagram>
  4. If the proper CODECs are installed, MMSYSTEM.DLL forwards the information to MCI (Media Control Interface). If the CODEC information is missing or invalid, MMSYSTEM.DLL returns an error. <Back to diagram>
  5. MCI searches the WIN.INI file to determine what type of media file the AVI is. In this case, AVI=AVIVideo. <Back to diagram>
  6. MCI then searches SYSTEM.INI to determine what type of driver handles AVIVideo media files. In this case, AVIVideo=mciavi.drv. <Back to diagram>
  7. MCI passes the request and CODEC information to the appropriate media driver listed in the WIN.INI file. <Back to diagram>
     
  8. The driver instantiates a window on top of the PowerPoint presentation, by using the CODECs and coordinates passed to it, and plays the movie in front of PowerPoint. <Back to diagram>
  9. The AVI file appears to play in the slide show, when in actuality it is being played by a multimedia device driver in front of the presentation. <Back to diagram>

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If a file type is listed in Media Control Interface (MCI), will all files with that file name extension play in PowerPoint?

No.

Two things are necessary to play movie files in PowerPoint. The first is proper representation in Windows Media Control Interface (MCI). However, the proper CODEC (compressor/decompressor) for the movie must also be loaded. Windows includes a set of 32-bit software CODECs for both video and audio, but you are not limited to these. As new CODECs become available for particular audio and digital video needs, they can be added. 

Many multimedia programs include their own CODECs. If you install a multimedia program for making movies, and then create a movie, you can play that movie on that computer because the multimedia program has installed the proper CODECs to handle movies that it creates. However, if you open that same movie on a different computer that does not have the multimedia program installed, you cannot play the movie. 

For example, if you have an AVI file that was compressed with a Cinepack CODEC, it will most likely play in PowerPoint, because Cinepack is a widely used, standard CODEC. 

On the other hand, suppose a friend gives you another AVI file that plays great on his computer. He created it at home using a special capture card with Motion JPEG support, and the capture card uses JPEG compression. This AVI may not play on your computer, because you don’t have the same JPEG CODEC that is on your friend’s computer.

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How are new types of movies added to PowerPoint’s insert capability?

Various programs, both Microsoft programs and third-party programs, install new movie types, as well as new CODECs.  

For example, when you install an updated version of the Windows Media Player, it registers the ASF file format with MCI, and installs and configures the proper CODECs for handling the ASF file type. After that, you can use ASF movies through the Insert menu in Microsoft PowerPoint.

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How does PowerPoint use CODECs?

PowerPoint uses CODECs by passing movie requests to Windows. Windows passes the request to MMSYSTEM.DLL. MMSYSTEM.DLL queries the Audio and Video Compression Managers, which access the CODECs directly. If the CODEC does not exist, is the wrong version, or is damaged, MMSYSTEM.DLL returns an error. You see the MMSYSTEM error in PowerPoint when this occurs.

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How come some movies of a particular type will play, but others wont?

This usually happens for one of two reasons: either the movie file is damaged, or the movie that won’t play is compressed with a different CODEC than the movie that will play. To fix this problem, you must determine which CODEC you need, and install a program that installs the proper CODEC. The only alternative is to recompress your movie file with a CODEC that is common to the Windows platform, such as those in the following list:

  • BMP

  • Cinepak

  • DV-NTSC

  • DV-PAL

  • Intel Indeo Video R3.2

  • Intel RAW

  • None

For more information about how to recompress movie files, particularly .mov files, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

Q266983 PPT2000: QuickTime Movies Play on Some Computers, Not Others

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Why test movie files in Media Player?

You can test files that don’t play in PowerPoint by playing these files in Media Player. This is because Media Player uses Media Control Interface (MCI) calls similar to the ones that PowerPoint uses. If a file doesn’t play in Media Player, then there is something wrong with MCI, a necessary CODEC is damaged or missing, or the movie itself is corrupted. If the movie does play in Media Player, but not in PowerPoint, then there may be a problem with PowerPoint, or a program conflict between PowerPoint and another program or device driver. 

NOTE: Media Player (Mplayer.exe, or Mplay32.exe on Microsoft Windows NT or Microsoft Windows 2000) is a different program than Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player can play many types of movies that Mplayer.exe cannot. You can use this as a workaround to insert unsupported media files in PowerPoint. For more information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

Q240923 PPT2000: How to Play Movies in PowerPoint with the Windows Media Player Control

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Why do some movies play in Windows Media Player (WMP) that won’t play in PowerPoint?

Windows Media Player is updated more frequently than PowerPoint. It was revised more recently, and therefore supports a wider variety of file formats than PowerPoint supports through MCI. Windows Media Player does not use Windows MCI to play all of its media files, and can support CODECs that are not MCI-compliant. 

You can insert Windows Media Player objects into PowerPoint. For more information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

Q240923 PPT2000: How to Play Movies in PowerPoint with the Windows Media Player Control

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What does Active Movie have to do with all of this?

Another step in troubleshooting media files with PowerPoint is to reinstall Active Movie. Active Movie is included in the Microsoft Office 97 CD, in the ValuPack foler. 

PowerPoint doesn't use ActiveMovie directly. PowerPoint plays movies by making requests to MCI through Windows.  However, the installation of ActiveMovie adds and registers additional MCI components that allow PowerPoint to play back some QuickTime movies as well as MPEG1 and MP3. (It installs a small set of CODECs.) Basically, ActiveMovie adds MPEGVideo components to Windows and registers which multimedia files (by file extension) should use the MCIQtz.drv driver. If you install or reinstall ActiveMovie, you can generally restore entries in the WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI files to their default settings, and ensure that the MCIQtz.drv file is installed correctly.

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Who makes CODECs, and how can I install a particular CODEC?

Various companies make cODECs. Some are installed with Windows, while others are installed by application programs. When you install a CODEC, if it is MCI-compatible, you should be able to play files associated with that CODEC in PowerPoint. Not all CODECs are MCI-compatible.

The following list contains many common CODECs and programs that install them. The third-party contact information listed here is provided to help you find the technical support you need. This contact information is subject to change without notice. Microsoft in no way guarantees the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

  • Cinepak - Supermatch Cinepak Video CODEC is included with Windows 95 and 98. Other versions of the Cinepak CODEC are included with versions of Apple QuickTime v3.0 and later.
  • Intel Indio 3.1, 3.2, 5.5, 5.11 - Intel Indeo R3.1 and 3.2 is included with Windows 95 and 98. Indeo CODECs are available for download from the Ligos company. (The Ligos Company acquired the rights to Indeo technology from Intel.)
  • MPEG Layer III (MP3) - The MP3 CODEC is installed with Windows Media Player 7.0, as well as many other programs.
  • Motion JPEG (MJPEG) - The MJPEG CODEC is installed with Apple Quicktime 2.5 and later.
  • RealVideo G2 - This CODEC is available with the RealPlayer.
  • Sorenson - Sorenson CODEC is included with Apple QuickTime versions 3 and 4.
  • Windows Media Video (WMV) - The WMV CODEC is installed with Windows Media Player 7.0.

For the availability of CODECs not listed here, please search the Internet for the name of your CODEC to acquire more information.

The third-party products discussed here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

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Last Reviewed: Tuesday, February 13, 2001