Do you have a black rectangle with a message showing in the play bar? Here's a few thing to check:



  • Did you insert the file as a picture, video or audio file or into your slide? Here is a guide on how to do this.
  • Is the media file you inserted compatible? These formats and codecs are different for Windows and Mac versions due to how the operating systems are built, so it's worth checking here before you insert. We use Microsoft Office 2010 for Windows here.
  • Did you insert a hyperlink? If you used a link to YouTube, Vimeo or another video sharing site to access your video, clicking on it will open in Internet Explorer 8 here which doesn't support playback either site. If you need to insert your content this way, be sure to have Google Chrome open in the background of the Trust PC. Before you start your presentation, navigate to each slide you have a link on and in the Editing Mode, right click and select Copy Hyperlink from the menu that appears. Navigate to Google Chrome and paste your link into the large address bar at the top of the screen and press Enter. When you get to your link slide in Presentation Mode, then simply use the Alt+Tab keyboard shortcut to switch to Chrome. When you're finished, simply use Alt+Tab to return to your presentation.
  • Did you make sure your video was Embedded? - Office can behave a little differently depending on how large a media file you import. As a general rule of thumb any file smaller than 25MB should embed into your presentation automatically. Files bigger than this are usually "linked" to your presentation file, meaning PowerPoint merely references it from somewhere on your computer. If you move this file elsewhere or otherwise separate the two, PowerPoint will say it can't find it and display a black rectangle. Two workarounds exist for this, one is to transport the media file(s) around alongside your PowerPoint ensuring it doesn't get moved into a different folder, or you can forcibly embed it into your presentation file. You can do this using these guides:
    • Windows Users: Follow this guide first, then double check embedding by performing these steps and choosing the Presentation Quality setting for minimum problems.
    • Mac Users: Follow this excellent guide.
If you have a picture, but no audio, here's a few things to check:
  • Does the video itself contain sound? It may seem an obvious question, but when videos have been converted between formats (eg MP4 to Windows Media) some programs have been known to not convert or remove the audio. Furthermore downloaded videos may be corrupted or copies uploaded without the correct audio. Test your presentation file on another computer such as a laptop.
  • Have You Checked the Audio settings? Firstly, check the room volume control - this may vary in location depending on the room you may be in. Check  your relevant room guide here. If you still hear no sound at this point, the computer/device audio may be the culprit. Check this guide on how to check or change that.