Adam Gardner
Adam Gardner

IT Specialist

Technical Writer

Hardware Expert

Crypto Enthusiast

Adam Gardner
Adam Gardner

IT Specialist

Technical Writer

Hardware Expert

Crypto Enthusiast

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Adding Apple iPhone Videos to Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations

iphone_powerpoint_video

Adding Apple iPhone Videos to Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations

May 23, 2022

Introduction

By default, iPhones (iOS) use a High Efficiency Video Format (HEFV), using the MOV file extension to record video. It can produce smaller file sizes with good quality, but compatibility is a problem if you’re not on a Mac.

The ideal solution is to change the video recording format on the iPhone to MP4. This ensures that whoever watches the video or views the video in a PowerPoint presentation will not run into any issues.

Set iPhone to Record Video in Most Compatible Format

  1. Tap Settings
  2. Scroll down and tap Camera
  3. Tap Formats
  4. Tap Most Compatible if it’s not already selected
  5. Exit Settings
Set iPhone Most Compatible Format

Record Your Video

  1. Open the iPhone Camera app
  2. Record your video

Upload Video to OneDrive

  1. Open the iPhone OneDrive app
  2. Click the folder you want to upload the video to and click the + button
  3. Tap Upload
  4. Tap Photos and Videos
iPhone OneDrive App Icon and Upload Button
iPhone OneDrive Photos and Videos

You may need to give the OneDrive app access to All Photos. If you are not prompted for access, skip ahead to the Select Video section

  1. Tap Manage Settings
  2. Tap Photos
  3. Change this setting to All Photos and go back to OneDrive
iPhone OneDrive Manage Settings
iPhone OneDrive Photos
iPhone OneDrive All Photos

Select Video

  1. Tap Videos
  2. Tap the video you want to upload, and tap Done
  3. OneDrive will show that it is uploading and will eventually show complete
OneDrive Select Video
OneDrive Select Video 2
iPhone OneDrive Upload Progress

Attach Video to PowerPoint Presentation

  1. Open the PowerPoint presentation you want to add the video to
  2. Under the Insert tab, choose Video, then This Device
  3. Click on the OneDrive
  4. Locate and click on the video you just uploaded, then click Insert
  5. Save the presentation
PowerPoint Video This Device
OneDrive Personal Icon
OneDrive Insert

Existing Video

For video that’s already been recorded in HEVF and can’t be re-shot, there are two options.

  1. Purchase the High Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC) from Microsoft for $0.99. The problem with this option is every user not on a Mac wanting to watch the video in the PowerPoint presentation will also need to purchase the codec. To purchase, go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/hevc-video-extensions/9nmzlz57r3t7 and follow the prompts (opens the Microsoft store).
  2. Convert the video to MP4 format. There are many ways to do this including converting the video on a Mac, using a conversion website, using a third-party apps, or using the free VLC Media Player. To convert video with the VLC Media Player:
    1. Go to https://www.videolan.org/
    2. Download and install VLC Media Player
    3. Open VLC Media Player
    4. Click the Media drop-down menu and choose Convert / Save…
    5. Click Add under the File tab and open the video to convert
    6. Click the Convert / Save button
    7. Change the Profile drop-down menu to, “Video for MPEG4 1080p TV/device”
    8. Click Browse, select a destination, and give the new file a name
    9. Click Start
    10. VLC Media Player will act like it’s playing a video, but nothing will show. When it’s done, close VLC Media Player

If you’ve converted the video to a new format, delete the old video from the PowerPoint presentation and insert the new one.

Note: If you’re not using PowerPoint and just want to play an unconverted video, just install VLC Media Player and use it to play videos

Troubleshooting

Video Test

If you don’t already have the HEVC installed, the easiest way to check if a video uses HEVF is to open it in Windows Media Player. If the video was recorded using HEVF you will receive the following message:

Microsoft HEVC Codec

PowerPoint QuickTime Error

When adding video to PowerPoint, if you receive a message stating, “PowerPoint cannot insert a video from the selected file. Verify that the path and the file format are correct and also try installing the latest version of the Apple QuickTime player, restart PowerPoint and then try again” that indicates that the video was recorded using HEVF (not Most Compatible).

Check if the Official Microsoft HEVC Video Extensions Utility is Already Installed on Your Computer

  1. Click the Start/Windows button
  2. Click Settings (gear)
  3. Click Apps
  4. Search the list for HEVC Video Extensions
  5. If not found, it’s not installed

Manually Check Which Codecs Are Installed

If you want to view the information on what codecs are installed on your computer, use the following steps:

  1. Click the Start/Windows button, Windows Accessories, then Windows Media Player
  2. If this is the first-time running Windows Media Player, check the Recommended setting radio button and click Finish
  3. Click the drop-down menu Organize, then Layout, then Show menu bar
  4. Click Technical Support Information
  5. Scroll down to the Video Codecs section