How to Get YouTube Video Movies into Your PowerPoint Presentation

If you’ve tried downloading video movies from YouTube to insert into your PowerPoint presentation, then you have discovered this is not a straightforward process, to say the least.

The problem is that movies on YouTube and other Internet video sites are presented in the Flash Video (FLV) format, which displays well in most browsers, but can't be downloaded with a simple right-click.

There are many solutions to this problem, but here’s a tried-and-true process we use at Presentation Tree. There are two stages to this solution.

First, use a web-based downloading tool to capture the movie from YouTube. There are many sites that offer this service free of charge. You can find them simply by typing in “YouTube capture” in Google. We typically use KeepVid. If one site doesn’t work, simply try another.

Second, use software to convert the .flv file into a format that PowerPoint will accept. Once again, there are many options available. Some are free and some cost money. What you want is a program that will convert .flv files into .mpeg format. A very solid free video converter tool that will do this is called SUPER (Simplified Universal Player Encoder and Renderer) and can be downloaded here.

Here is a start-to-finish, step-by-step guide for beginners using the tools mentioned above: 

Step 1: Download Super or a video converter program

Step 2: Create a new folder on your desktop by right-clicking anywhere on the desktop and choosing New>Folder

Step 3: Move your PowerPoint presentation file into this folder

Step 4: Go to YouTube and find the video you wish to capture

Step 5: Copy the URL (ctrl + c) of that page

Step 6: Go to a FLV capture website (we typically use KeepVid)

Step 8: Open the folder, find the download and make sure it has .flv as an extension. (If you use KeepVid you’ll have to add .flv to the end of the file name)

Step 9: Open Super or your video converter program

Step 10: Choose the following settings:

• Output Container: Mpg VCD compliant

• Output video codec: MPEG

• Output audio codec: MP-2

Step 11: Drag the .flv file into the drop window and press the Encode button

Step 12: Super drops the downloaded file on your C drive, so you have to go find it. My Computer>C>(file name.mpg)

Step 13: Drag the .mpg file into the folder you created in step 1

Step 14: Open your PowerPoint file, go to the slide where you will insert the movie

Step 15: Insert>Movies and Sounds>from file

That’s it. Once you go through this a couple of times, it will not be as complex.

Lastly, it is important to make sure that the movies you are using have no copyright or legal restrictions. Google (which owns YouTube) has recently applied a copyright filter on the movies, but there still may be copyrighted material on YouTube that could create a problem for you if you use it without permission. However, there are a vast number of uncopyrighted movies here and on the Internet that are available for use. See also our free PowerPoint tip: Insert Video Into Your PowerPoint show

Like this article? Add it to your favorite social bookmarks.