If you can’t view a video in PowerPoint for the web, there’s most likely an issue with the type of video file. If the video is a Flash or WMV file, you’ll need a player to see it. However, if you’re using a tablet or other device that can’t run the player, you’ll have to open the presentation in the desktop version of PowerPoint (by using the Edit in PowerPoint command in PowerPoint for the web).
Keep your browser up to date
Recent videos are likely to be in a format that plays directly in your browser, as long as your browser is up to date and supports this feature (known as HTML5). So another way to get the video to play is to go to your browser’s website and get the most recent update. If the video still won’t play, your fallback is to open the presentation in PowerPoint.
If the video is a Windows Media or Flash video (.wmv or .flv file), you can play it after you install Silverlight (to play Windows Media) or Flash Player (to play Flash).
You can play video and audio in Reading View and Slide Show View if you have Silverlight installed. You’ll need Flash for videos that are linked from a website. Keep an eye on the file size, because PowerPoint for the web won’t insert large media files. For embedded media, the size limit can be from 50-100MB, and for WAV files the limit is 100KB.
If you use a desktop computer running Windows 8, run Internet Explorer from the desktop (rather than in immersive mode) to use Silverlight or Flash Player. Also, these players can’t be installed on tablets or touch-screen mobile devices; try opening the presentation in the desktop version of PowerPoint to play the video.
Videos that are inserted with a desktop version of PowerPoint
When you add a video to your presentation in a desktop version of PowerPoint, make it easy for people to play in PowerPoint for the web. Embed an MP4 file, and then go to File > Optimize Media Compatibility. This command puts your video in a format that plays directly in browsers that support HTML5.
Unsupported video format in PowerPoint for the web
PowerPoint for the web doesn't play Shockwave Flash (.swf) files. To work around this limitation, convert the file to an .mp4 file encoded with H.264 video (a.k.a. MPEG-4 AVC) and AAC audio. The RealPlayer Converter (for Windows computers) or the Any Video Converter (for Mac or Windows) are free converters that can be found by searching the web.
