Package for CD (Windows XP SP2, Office 2003 SP1)

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Has anyone else run into this problem? I created a short presentation with one audio file timed to run the length of the show. I reviewed it and the end of the slides coincided perfectly with the end of the audio file. After saving it, I used the Package for CD feature and burned a CD.

The timing is off on the file in the packaged folder. The audio ends 2 slides too early! I have checked and checked, re-done it several times and cannot discover WHY this happens. When I play my original presentation, the timing is correct.

I use this feature frequently because I create PPTs to run on computers that don’t always have the latest version of PowerPoint software. This is my only time to experience this problem. The audio file is a .wma file and I usually use .MP3 files. Does anyone know if that could be the difference?

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Barbara,

Powerpoint is notoriously not good at keeping sounds in sync consistently. Particularly when played over several slides.

The best information I know on giving you tips to work around this niggle are at
http://www.soniacoleman.com/Tutorials/Powe…nchronizing.htm%5B/url%5D

Cheers

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Thanks for your reply. After letting 12 hours or so pass, I decided to start fresh. I created a new PPT using the same photos and the audio file converted to .MP3. I saved it and used the Package for CD feature. It worked perfectly!!! Your reply helps me regain my confidence in my PowerPoint abilities.
I know that frustration is a large part of being a computer user; I teach senior citizens how to love their computers.

I have also just discovered the amazing organization in your signature. Thank you again; it’s nice to know there is someone “out there” I can call on for help.

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I used to swear by the older Pack and Go Feature (2000 and earlier). I used this featiure many times and was always confident that it would package the fonts and linked files and dll’s (if necessary) so I could transport my presentation to other PC’s.

Strangely enough, I had to use Package for CD for the first time on my home PC (PowerPoint 2003) last night as I needed to pack a presentation for my wifes work. Of course I could not find Pack and Go, and therefore clicked on Package for CD to see if this was the same feature. I had to read up a little in help and tested the feature by Packaging to my harddrive (so as not to waste a CD). I must admit…I was very pleasantly surprised at the improved options in this upgraded feature! Besides the fact that it automatically included the PPTViewer (to run presentations on a PC without PowerPoint), it also allows you to package more than one presentation into a package. This is awesome, as I always was forced to package one at a time in the older version. Lastly, if you did package more than one presentation, you can opt for how they must play when you click the associated PPTView application icon thats added to the package. The options are to play all the presentations automatically, or just the first one, or allow the user to choose which one to play, or do nothing!!

Awesome improvement to an already great feature.

Cheers

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Thanks for your reply and your comments. I agree with all you said. The new version Package for CD is greatly improved over the previous versions. Perhaps that is why I was so surprised when the timing of my slides was incorrect. I espected the finished product to be as I had created it…and it wasn’t. As long as I record ot each individual slide, there is no problem.
The problem occured when I used one audio file for the entire presentation.

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Hi Barbara,

I tested this theory of yours and set up a presentation of 10 slides and played an MP3 track throughout the show, starting at slide one and timing it to end exactly after the last slide. The slides each has a timing on that calculated to the total time of the track. It worked perfectly before. Then I packaged it and played the packaged version. The timing was out quite a lot. It must be some compression issue as I played the packaged version on the same PC.

As Taj mentions, I don’t know if this can be corrected?

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Thank you, Rudi, for taking the time to reconstruct my problem and verifying that there IS a problem. Your reply validated my complaint and brought a smile to my face this morning.

Now I know there is a programming error and I can stop trying to make the timing perfect.

This Forum has been very helpful to me.

Thanks again!

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