Inserting local mp4 files into Word

[Jeri Tanner]

This tutorial brought the most success, but though I was able to embed the Windows Media player into the document, in the end I had only audio, no video. And the player instead of staying nice and small when I played the file became ungainly. Anybody have any ideas on what I may be doing wrong? (Waiting particularly for @jw 's answer to this last question!)
Thanks for any help!

 

[Joshua]

Anybody have any ideas on what I may be doing wrong? (Waiting particularly for @jw 's answer to this last question!)
Thanks for any help!

Lacking the omniscience to know who has or has not read your thread yet, along with the inability to know their thoughts apart from the expression thereof, I fail adequately to know if anyone anywhere -at this time- has any ideas on what you may be doing wrong. I sure don’t have a clue. Hope this helps.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

Hope this helps.

It most assuredly does! (Got that out of the way!)

 

[Osnah]

Can you provide a bit more info? What OS are you using? What version of Word? Are you able to run the MP4 file outside of Word and verify that it shows video as well as audio?

 

[Logan]

Can I ask why you are trying to embed a video in a Word document and if there might be an alternative solution to what you are trying to accomplish?

 

[Brian T]

I have some Word documents that contain links to videos pertaining to various subjects, etc.

If the video is online and accessible by a URL, I just paste the URL in the Word document, and when I want to play the video, I just click on the hyperlink.

If the video is stored on my computer, I just simply drag the file from its folder location onto the Word document, and that creates a little icon for that video, with its title, on the Word document. From there I can double-click on that icon, which then launches that video with whatever your machine's default program is for playing video files (but not within the Word document).

Running a video player inside of a Word document is a tricky proposition, as it creates a lot of memory issues (in my experience at least) and hence it's going to act pretty wonky.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

Can you provide a bit more info? What OS are you using? What version of Word? Are you able to run the MP4 file outside of Word and verify that it shows video as well as audio?

I'm using Windows 10, and have a subscription to Microsoft that I don't know the Word version? Yes, the mp4's play fine on whatever thingy my laptop plays them on.

Can I ask why you are trying to embed a video in a Word document and if there might be an alternative solution to what you are trying to accomplish?

I'm working on a family project where I'd like to have paragraphs of narrative and then these videos embedded at spots. I realize it could only be accessed from my laptop, which is a shortcoming but not a deal killer. It seemed the simplest way to do it but now of course, i beg to differ with myself.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

I have some Word documents that contain links to videos pertaining to various subjects, etc.

If the video is online and accessible by a URL, I just paste the URL in the Word document, and when I want to play the video, I just click on the hyperlink.

If the video is stored on my computer, I just simply drag the file from its folder location onto the Word document, and that creates a little icon for that video, with its title, on the Word document. From there I can double-click on that file icon, which then launches that video with whatever your machine's default program is for playing video files (but not within the Word document).

Running a video player inside of a Word document is a tricky proposition, as it creates a lot of memory issues (in my experience at least) and hence it's going to act pretty wonky.

Yes, maybe it's not as straightforward or doesn't work as well as some of the tutorials and Microsoft made it seem.

 

[Logan]

I'm guessing you have an Office365 subscription then? You might try Powerpoint instead. It has a built-in video player, but you could set up a presentation where you have text, then a video on the same or a subsequent slide. Powerpoint is pretty straight-forward to use for the most part.

I don't think Word has a video player natively, so you're trying to work around that by embedding other programs (Windows Media Player) in it to play the videos and that's probably going to create issues.

 

[Brian T]

I'm guessing you have an Office365 subscription then? You might try Powerpoint instead. It has a built-in video player, but you could set up a presentation where you have text, then a video on the same or a subsequent slide. Powerpoint is pretty straight-forward to use for the most part.

I don't think Word has a video player natively, so you're trying to work around that by embedding other programs (Windows Media Player) in it to play the videos and that's probably going to create issues.

That's good advice: the only MS Office product that can handle videos decently is PowerPoint. Word certainly doesn't.

Edit to Add: it's been a few years since I have had to make PowerPoint presentations. I just threw together a couple of slides and then dragged an mp4 file onto a slide, and voila: it immediately created an embedded video player directly on the slide, complete with controls, that plays the mp4 file. Easy peasy! That's definitely the way to go here if you have PowerPoint.

 

[Joshua]

Can I ask why you are trying to embed a video in a Word document and if there might be an alternative solution to what you are trying to accomplish?

It appears you were capable of so doing, yes. Hope this helps.

#JeriStartedIt

 

[Osnah]

I suggest what Logan said. PowerPoint handles video and text very well. I teach weekly from a PowerPoint presentation. Inserting a video is rather seamless. Word is just not well suited to handle videos. At least not as well as PowerPoint does.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

Thanks everyone, and Logan I’ll be brave and delve into PP. I’ve been afraid to try to use it because I just never have, but great to know that’s the solution. I do appreciate all the input, including on those rarely-answered questions that begin with “does anyone” or “may I”… !