Is it better to embed or link to a video in a Powerpoint presentation?
Should you link or embed video into aPowerPoint presentation?
If you want to insert a copy of a video into the presentation, embed it.
Overall Findings
Best for sharing video that someone else made.
Allows you to access any video from the web.
No need to worry about file formats or CPU loads.
Presentation will require access to the internet or a host storage drive.
Best for sharing video that you made.
Video lives permanently within the PowerPoint project.
Increases the file size of the project, which makes sharing and uploading a challenge.
May have issues with CPU load or file compatibility.
Linking a Video in a PowerPoint Pros and Cons
Video is viewable wherever you have internet access.
No need to worry about processing power or file compatibility.
Requires internet access whenever or wherever the file is opened.
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.
Any instance of the PowerPoint presentation will require access to that hard drive or server to view the video.
Drastically increases PowerPoint file size.
Systems may not always be compatible with video file formats.
An embedded video becomes a permanent part of the presentation, just like text and images.
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.
