Movie clips in PPT (97 SR2)

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Is there an issue with using .mov files in PowerPoint on a laptop with a Kodak Infocus viewer? We have an ppt file that is about 25mb and includes 3 movie clips, all are .mov format and two of the clips are 12mb and one is 3mb. When we run the larger clips, the clip stutters and eventually the program freezes up. We are using a Dell Latitude laptop with 20gig hard drive, 256 mb memory, running on Win2K. We can run the clips fine on a Dell tower which has 512mb of memory, but is otherwise the same as the laptop. Would .avi be better? How do you convert a .mov file to .avi?

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I think you will find the AVI will be smaller, though how much is strictly a guess. There is (or at least was a year ago) a Microsoft utility that was available as a download that would let you convert from several different formats to .avi format. One factor that is likely to be different between your laptop and the tower is the hard-drive speed, and the memory difference may also contribute to it.

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There are too many variables to guess the issue. The variables are: hard-drive speed, processor speed, system bus speed, video card speed, video card memory, RAM, display response, (and that’s just the PC side); cable quality, LCD engine and more on the projector side.

Normally this type of problem is plain old throughput, with ALL of the above making a contribution. Picture this; You have a pitcher of koolaid, you’re going to pour in into a 5 gallon drum with no lid. Should go quickly, no? I forgot to tell you that your pouring into a funnel with a 1/4″ tube 12 feet from the drum.

You are the laptop main processor. You have the ability to pour and control the pitcher. The drum is the projector. In between we have a chocked old video card and an old slow system bus. So no matter how fast you can pour (process), the pipe between can only handle so much data. Once the processor starts pouring, the processor will pour at whatever rate it chooses, regardless of the pipes ability to accept the koolaid (data). So, you’re pouring quicker than the funnel and hose can carry koolaid to the drum. Thus, some flows over the sides to the ground. What ends up in the drum (projector) is less than what was sent; your picture is choppy.

This is a vast over-simplification and skips some information. Suffice to say your Dell notebook is NOT the ‘same’ as the desktop in your comparison. I’ll bet on a better video card, Video memory combo and faster system bus on the desktop. I also doubt that hard-drive speed will have much to do with it. Much like real-estate, PC to projector is about three things: Throughput, Throughput, & Throughput.

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