Should I Embed Or Link Videos In Powerpoint

Overall Findings

Link a video in a PowerPoint file when you know you’ll have internet access during the presentation, or if you have limited storage space or bandwidth to transfer the file. If you don’t have access to the internet, or if you need the video file to be accessible wherever the file is stored, embed the video in the PowerPoint file.

Linking a Video in a PowerPoint Pros and Cons

As long as you have permission, you can use a video in your presentation from anywhere on the internet by simply copying and pasting some HTML code. This is convenient because it limits the file size of the PowerPoint project. There’s also no need to worry about file formats or CPU loads. The downside is that the video may not be accessible under all circumstances. To view a video linked to a web address (such as YouTube), you’ll need an internet connection. If there is no internet connection available during the presentation, link a video from a hard drive or server. Any instance of the PowerPoint presentation will require access to that hard drive or server to view the video. If you plan to view your presentation on another computer, save all items associated with the project (for example, sound files, videos, and linked files) in the same folder as the PowerPoint presentation. When the presentation files are in the same folder, it’s easy to copy the necessary files to a USB flash drive or to save the folder to a company network so that others have access to them.

Embedding a Video in PowerPoint Pros and Cons

An embedded video becomes a permanent part of the presentation, just like text and images. With embedded video, you can upload or share a single file with someone without having to worry about whether or not the video will be accessible. The downside is that embedded videos often result in huge file sizes. This can make the PowerPoint project file too large to share or upload easily. You’ll also have to be careful about what file format the video is in. Newer systems may have trouble viewing old or obscure file formats, and vice versa.