How to Record a Presentation with Webcam, Narration, and More
Nearly 90 percent of people put “quite a bit” or “a huge amount” of effort into their presentations.
But are you getting the most of your presentations?
Whether you’re creating a presentation to report data to your team or you want to know how to video record yourself presenting a PowerPoint, recording your presentation offers a number of benefits.
You can record a presentation in real-time as you present, or do it in advance to leverage the flipped model or make your presentation available on-demand .
While there are a number of ways to record a presentation, I’ll give you my favorite way to record a high-quality presentation in PowerPoint with audio and video.
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How to record a presentation from PowerPoint with audio and webcam
Step 1: Set up your presentation video recording
There are a few different ways to record a presentation if you want it to feel professional and polished.
First, you’ll need a screen recorder and video editing tool. I’d recommend using Camtasia since it lets you record your voice over your slideshow all directly inside PowerPoint.
When you install Camtasia, you’ll have the option to include a PowerPoint Add-in Toolbar. The Camtasia Add-in Toolbar allows you to start, stop, and control your recordings right from within PowerPoint — avoiding the need to switch between applications.
Just open the presentation you want to record and locate the add-in toolbar under the Add-ins tab. If you don’t see the add-in toolbar, you may need to enable it.
To do this, go to File > Options > Add-ins . Click on the Manage drop-down, select Disabled Items, then click Go. If the Camtasia Add-in is listed, select it, and click Enable .
Step 2: Customize your recording options
Now let’s walk through each of the options on the toolbar before we begin recording.
Record audio
If you’re planning to record audio, here’s where you select your microphone . The microphone button controls whether or not audio is recorded as part of your presentation.
When you enable it, you’ll be able to record voice narration using a microphone.
Be sure to speak into the mic to test it, and adjust the volume slider as needed. By leaving this box checked, any system audio that comes out of your speakers will also be captured and added to the Timeline.
Record webcam
If you have a webcam attached to your computer, you can also record camera video during the presentation. This video clip can then be used as a Picture-in-Picture clip, perfect for showing the presenter during the presentation.
For further customization of your recording settings, click the Recording Options button. Other options include recording with a watermark, opening your recording in Camtasia when you’re finished, and selecting your video frame rate.
There are a few more options to further customize the video and audio settings but leaving everything at the default settings should work just fine.
The bottom of this window displays optional hotkeys to start, pause, and stop your PowerPoint recording. You can customize these to whatever you like, but be sure not to select hotkeys that are already being used by your system.
Click OK to close this window and save any changes made to the settings. You’re now ready to record your presentation.
Step 3: Record your presentation
Finally, click the Record button in the toolbar to launch your slides into a presentation mode and start recording.
When you exit presentation mode or reach the end of your slideshow, you can either continue recording your screen or to stop and save your file.
You can also turn any presentation into a video by importing it into Camtasia.
How to turn your PowerPoint presentation slides into a video
Another method is to create a video from your presentation is to import your PowerPoint slides into Camtasia. Then you can create your video in the editor.
Here’s how to turn your PowerPoint presentation slides into a video:
1. Import your PowerPoint slides
First, start by importing your PowerPoint slides directly into Camtasia . Once your media is imported, you can edit and enhance it by dragging your slides into the editing toolbar.
You can now add the images to the timeline, and edit them like any other media in a project.
If you drag them to the timeline, the slides are placed in the order of the presentation, each with a default 5 second duration.
With your presentation on the timeline, use ripple move to create space in between slides to fine tune the timing. To do this, hold shift, then click and drag.
How to edit a presentation video
Add behaviors.
Next, add some interest with behaviors. A behavior is an animation that brings movement to your slides, making it pop on your screen, and adding interest for your viewers. You can use Camtasia Behaviors bring parts of your presentation to life and take it from ordinary to extraordinary.
To add a behavior, click and drag the behavior you wish to use and drag it onto the slide you want to animate. Once added, you can adjust the behavior using the properties tab.
Add annotations
Another attention grabber you can add to your PowerPoint video is annoations. Annotations help draw special attention to important information in your presentation.
To insert an annotation, click the annotation tab on the left side of the screen and drag it into the designated slide. You can then re-position and edit the annotation in the properties tab as needed.
Add quizzes to increase engagement
If you’re making PowerPoint videos for academics or training, implementing quizzes throughout the presentation can get your audience involved, and keep them engaged in your content.
To add a quiz, click the Interactivity tab and choose Add Quiz to Timeline.
Now you have a PowerPoint video!
Now that you’ve seen how easy it is to make a PowerPoint video, it’s time to take all of your PowerPoint slides and turn them into engaging videos.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely! There are a few different ways to record a presentation if you want it to feel professional and polished. First, you’ll need a screen recording and video editing tool. I’d recommend using Camtasia since it lets you record your voice over your slideshow all directly inside PowerPoint.
Click the Record button in the toolbar to launch your slides into a presentation mode and start recording. When you exit presentation mode or reach the end of your slideshow, you can either continue recording your screen or to stop and save your file.
If you’re planning to record audio, select your microphone in the recording options. The microphone button controls whether or not audio is recorded as part of your presentation. If you have a webcam attached to your computer, you can also record camera video during the presentation. This video clip can then be used as a Picture-in-Picture clip, perfect for showing the presenter during the presentation.
The microphone button controls whether or not audio is recorded as part of your presentation. When you enable it, you’ll be able to record voice narration using a microphone. Be sure to speak into the mic to test it, and adjust the volume slider as needed. By leaving this box checked, any system audio that comes out of your speakers will also be captured and added to the Timeline.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2018 and has since been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Justin Simon
Global Content Strategy Manager at TechSmith. I play a lot of golf and watch a lot of football.
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How to Make an Eye-catching Video Presentation in Minutes | InVideo
- video presentation
Video is now the undisputed king of mediums in business communication. HubSpot reports that 85% of companies use videos in their marketing efforts. From webinars to demos, from sales presentations to investor pitches, and from welcome videos to online tutorials, videos are the go-to channel. Clearly, video marketing is on the surge.
And video presentations are among the most widely used formats for video marketing. But how exactly can you create winning video presentations, to begin with?
Simply by signing up to InVideo for business where you get tailor-made template and video editing services on demand so you can spend your time running your business. Sign up for a free demo here.
Video Presentations Q&A
Before we get into the meat of our guide, let’s quickly answer a few commonly asked questions.
1. What is a Video Presentation?
A video presentation is a form of communicating with an audience with the aid of a video or completely using a video. The video could be made of PowerPoint slides , still images, animation, or actual video footage.
2. Why Should I use Video Presentations?
Common reasons for using videos as presentation aids include:
- Overcoming space/time limitations - Using video as a visual aide to drive your point home - Video enables you to compress a lot of information into a digestible size
3. How do I make a Video Presentation?
Thanks to the advancements in technology, making video presentations has become very easy. It has also become more affordable than it was a couple of years ago. While different video makers have different steps to take when making a video , here are the basic steps to follow:
- Come up with a concept for your presentation. - Craft an engaging script . - Decide on the visual assets (and format) you’ll use. - Use a professional video editing app to bring it all together. - Promote the video.
Pro tip: To make things even easier, you could sign up to InVideo for business and get presentations made for your brand using the editing-on-demand services. Sign up for a free demo here .
4. How do you begin a Presentation?
You can open your presentation in 7 ways:
1. Share an anecdote or short personal story. 2. Kick-off with a provocative statement. 3. Present a startling statistic or data. 4. Tell a good clean joke that suits the audience. 5. Ask a loaded rhetorical question. 6. Show the audience a compelling visual. 7. Hook people with a fascinating quotation.
5. How do you Make a Video Presentation with PowerPoint?
Turning a PowerPoint presentation into a video is easy. Just follow these steps:
Step 1: On the File menu, select Save to make sure you have saved all your recent work in PowerPoint presentation format (.pptx).
Step 2: On the File menu, select Save As .
Step 3: Select the folder location where you want to store your PowerPoint Show file.
Step 4: In the Save as type box, choose PowerPoint Show (*.ppsx) .
Step 5: Select Save . That’s it.
Now that we’ve answered a few basic questions, let’s dig deeper into why videos are so powerful.
What Makes Video Presentations so Effective?
Why do they increase the impact of your message?
Well, it’s simple, really – people are visual creatures. This means we take in more information by watching than by reading. Remember the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words”? Besides that, here are 4 other reasons video is so effective:
1. Conveys emotions better
No other communication channel conveys emotions better than video. That’s because video caters to the brain’s visual and auditory systems, helping the viewer pick up on cues like body language, facial expressions, imagery, and music.
2. Cements information better
According to research , people remember 10% of what they hear and 20% of what they read. However, they remember a staggering 80% of what they experienced. In short, visuals are easier to remember than text or audio because they help your audience “experience” your message. It makes video an essential part of creating presentations your audience will remember for a long time.
3. Makes it easier to digest information
Especially when explaining complicated concepts, video is a great way to present information in an easy-to-understand way. Not only is the format easy to take in, but it also makes breaking down concepts easier.
4. Builds relationships fast
I’m sure you know the marketing mantra: people buy from people they know, like, and trust. Nothing beats video in making prospects or your audience know, like, and trust you… fast. Video is an instant relationship builder. It’s the next best thing to live face-to-face communication.
A video is a great tool that has made it easier to communicate thoughts and ideas with people – not just in a room, but even across the globe.
6 Types of Video Presentations You Need to Know
Video presentations come in different flavors, depending on their purpose.
1. Educational Presentations
These are mainly used in teaching and learning sets online or in a classroom setting. These make it easier for the teacher to convey information and the students to grasp the concepts.
Use this template
2. Sales Presentations
The field of sales has evolved tremendously in the past decade. With customers being savvier, sales reps must play the game well if they’re to bag sales. One way they can do that is by creating story-based sales video presentations.
Sell more with pro video presentations
Use 5000+ InVideo templates to get started
3. Investor Pitches
Need to woo an investor? One of the best ways to do that is by using a video pitch. This will help you present your business plan in a visually appealing way so they can easily grasp your business concept.
4. Promotional Videos
Whether you’re promoting an existing product or a new one, video is your best bet for getting eyeballs on your product (or cause). People relate better to what they can see, making video the best medium for presenting your promotions (like product reviews, for example).
5. Employee Training and Onboarding
Video presentations are great for conducting employee training and onboarding. One of the main reasons for this is that video helps reduce the resources spent on these 2 important aspects of employee relationship management.
6. Informational Videos
As the name suggests, the informational/how-to type of presentation serves to pass on important information. Why video in this case? Because it’s more engaging and can pack a lot of information in a short clip.
Pro tip: You can get tailor-made templates to create any kind of presentation for your brand or business using InVideo for business . Sign up for a free demo here .
How to create killer Video Presentations – 4 Tips
Now you know why video presentations are important and which scenarios to use them in. Now to the fun part – tips on creating killer video presentations. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Tip #1 - Know your Audience
The most important aspect of creating a stellar presentation is to know and understand your audience. Even if you use the best video presentation maker , if you don’t target a specific, clearly defined audience, your presentation will flop. Understanding your audience will help you:
A. Communicate effectively
Effective communication involves knowing the language and examples that resonate with your audience.
B. Choose the right visuals
Certain visuals are more impactful when used on a particular audience. Study those that your audience will easily understand and relate to.
C. Connect on an emotional level
No matter the type of presentation, it’s crucial to connect with your audience on an emotional level. And to do that, you need to understand the emotional triggers to push in your video presentation.
Invest in adequate audience research. While it may be time-consuming (and a bit costly), it will pay off in the end.
Idea #2 - Brainstorm video content ideas
Now that you have gathered enough audience data, it’s time to brainstorm some content ideas. Whether you’re creating your talk solo or as a team, 3 crucial questions will lay the foundation of your brainstorming session:
1. What do you want the video to achieve? 2. Which emotions do you want the video to evoke? 3. What will visual elements help your video achieve its goal?
The answers to these questions will help guide your ideas. They are key to creating a killer video that your audience will love.
Tip #3 - Craft engaging scripts
Audience research? Check.
Great idea? Check.
Now we get to another interesting stage of creating great video presentations – crafting an engaging script. Whether it’s a live presentation, a webinar, or even a product review, you’ll need a great script to ensure you keep your audience engaged.
Even if you love creating impromptu videos, having a script for your video presentations is important. And no, you need not be Quentin Tarantino to produce a great video script (although it won’t hurt to learn how to become a good copywriter). Here are 3 reasons a good video script is a must:
1) Helps structure your video
To ensure your video has a smooth and progressive flow, you’ll need a good script.
2) Eliminates “dead spots”
Dead spots, or moments of inactivity, are a great turn-off in a video. They reek of unprofessionalism and can lead to your audience disengaging. The best way to eliminate dead spots is to craft a solid video script .
3) Keeps you on track
It’s very easy to get sidetracked when creating a video . However, with a script, you minimize the instances of going off-topic.
Creating scripts for your videos is a best practice that shouldn’t be overlooked. If anything, invest more in your script than the visuals as a good script can save a video with poor visuals.
Pro-tip: Once you’re confident about your script, it is time to make things even more clear. A storyboard will allow you to break down your video visually, scene by scene, describing what is happening in it.
Tip #4 - Invest in the Right Tools
With video, one thing you should never skimp on is the tools you use, particularly your video editing software. While there is a gazillion free video editing software on the market, it’s highly recommended that you use a professional video editor . And that means going the paid route.
Why should you spend on a video editor when there are countless free options available? Here’s why:
A. Get more (professional) features
Creating professional-looking videos requires a lot of resources and features. Most free video editors lack the features that will enable you to create professional videos.
B. Avoid branding and ads
With video editing software, free is never free. That’s because you pay through being forced to include the video editors brand in your work. In other words, you pay by advertising for them. Besides branding, some free video editors may subject you to irritating in-app ads.
If there’s one thing that’s inevitable when it comes to software, it’s that one time or another you’ll encounter glitches. This is where paid video editors have a great advantage over their free counterparts – you’ll have access to customer support.
From hardware (like cameras) to software (like video editing software), the tools you use will determine the quality of your videos. Invest in professional tools, and your presentations will sweep your audience off their feet because they’ll be more polished.
Pro tip: If you don't have the time or bandwidth to find your way around an editing tool, simply sign up to InVideo for business and get presentations created using tailor-made templates and on-demand editing services. Sign up for a free demo here .
Tip #5 - Adopt Video Presentation Best Practices
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when creating presentations . Most winning video presentations are based on common fundamental principles that work. Here are some you need to know:
1) Create impactful intros (and outros)
Your intro is the most important part of your presentation as it sets the tone for the rest of the talk. If you can’t engage your audience with your intro, you probably won’t get another chance to engage them.
2) Keep it short, sharp, and sweet
No matter how engaging your video is, always remember it’s not a movie. The point is to keep your audience engaged enough to pass on your information, no more no less.
3) Be professional
Don’t throw out your professional etiquette just because you’re on (or using) video. Maintain professionalism in your video presentations by, for example, using clean language and maintaining a good posture.
4) Use quality sound
Sound plays an integral part in presentations. Whether it’s music or speech, make sure it’s crisp, clear, and audible.
By following these (and other) video presentation best practices, success is inevitable. Remember, the presentation is not about you; it’s about your audience. So, ensure that your presentations provide a good user experience for your audience.
Make video presentations in minutes
With customizable InVideo templates
Looking for a great Video Presentation Template? Here’s what you should consider
Templates are lifesavers. They help you create a decent presentation in a snap, even if you are a newbie.
Here are 3 simple questions to help you determine if a template is good:
1) Is it editable? – Are you able to change things like playback speed, effects, or text, so you produce something you like? Stay away from rigid templates that don’t give you the freedom to create with ease.
2) Is it customizable? – Can you design brand-specific clips using your company’s colors, fonts, and styling? Good templates give you wiggle room to include your brand’s specific needs.
3) Is it campaign-specific? – Different videos fit different scenarios. Ideally, you want templates tailored to your current campaign. That way, you have less tweaking to do because the templates are close to what you want.
Pro Tip: Get more tailor-made templates for your video presentations by signing up to InVideo for business . Sign up for a free demo here .
5 Awesome Video Presentation ideas to bring The House Down
Presentation is both an art and science. Get the balance right, and you have the audience eating out of the palm of your hand. Here are some ideas to help you do just that.
Idea #1 - Tickle them with humor
Humor is a powerful learning tool.
According to studies by Physiology Org humor leads to learning because of it:
- Attracts and sustains attention. - Relieves tension and produces a relaxed atmosphere. - Enhances participation. - Increases retention and motivation. - Bonds the student and the teacher.
However, to reap all these benefits, the humor must be appropriate and on-topic. So spice up your presentation with a joke or two. The result? Your audience will laugh and learn.
Idea #2 - Use Relevant Examples
Effective presenters use timely, powerful illustrations.
The word illustration comes from the Latin term ‘illustration,’ which means illumination. So practical examples are like windows of your presentation. They let light in. They help people see or understand the material better.
Here are 5 questions to ask about your illustrations:
1. Are they relevant to the topic? 2. Are they suited to the audience? 3. Are they suited to the time limit? 4. Are they enlightening? 5. Are they well told?
Grab compelling examples from books, movies, TV shows, history, children, current events, and captivating real-life incidents. Use good illustrations ram your points home.
Idea #3 - Wield Questions like a Ninja
Questions are an integral part of learning.
Sharp questions aid learning. Plus, they keep listeners highly engaged.
Ask questions:
- At the beginning of your presentation to draw your audience in. - In the middle of the presentation to revive waning audience interest. - At the end of the talk, so the audience reflects on the material.
Also, allow the audience to ask questions. When your audience asks questions, they switch from passive spectators to active participants.
Idea #4 - Be Minimal
Have you ever sat through a presentation and felt:
- Dazed? - Confused? - Strained?
More than likely, the reason is the presenter drowned you in a blaze of inessential stuff. There was too much going on you couldn’t cope with.
Minimalism is removing all unnecessary material, leaving only the bare minimum needed to put your points across. It means using just enough text, visuals, scenes, or slides to make the point and no more. A minimal presentation is clean and uncluttered.
Simple yet intriguing. Plain but profound. Basic but punchy.
Most importantly, it makes learning easy and enjoyable.
Idea #5 - Connect emotionally with a story
Stories are speakers’ most powerful weapons. That’s because stories play a dual purpose –
- Engage intellectually - Connect Emotionally
And an emotional connection is key to bringing the house down with your presentation. Why?
An emotional connection:
- Endears you to your audience - Makes your presentation memorable - Inspires your audience to take action
By using a relevant story in your video presentation, you’ll ensure that your audience walks the entire journey with you from intro to outro.
6 PowerPoint Presentation tips to wow your audience
No business video guide is complete without PowerPoint, the staple software for business presentations.
Here are 6 golden rules to help you nail your next PowerPoint presentation and leave your audience crying for more:
1. Keep Things Simple
Legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci once said something profound:
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication".
With the plethora of apps and templates at your disposal, you will be tempted to complicate things. Don’t. Keep things simple.
Simple design. Simple colors. Simple story.
People get swamped and confused by complicated stuff but easily absorb and appreciate straightforward material.
2. Good visual contrast
What use is your blockbuster presentation if the audience can’t see it?
You want people to enjoy your presentation, not endure it. If you use dark fonts on dark backgrounds or light fonts on light backgrounds, you’ll strain your audience’s eyes. They’ll struggle to see your lovely slides.
Classic black-on-white color contrast does just fine. You can use colors like red, blue, or yellow for headings and images. If you don’t like black and white, you can use other colors you prefer as long as the contrast of your combination is bold and strong.
3. Use a few words and animations
It’s easy to go overboard with fancy animations and a gushing stream of words. Only use as many words as it takes to get your point across and no more.
Too many words cause the audience to read rather than listen. Remember, your slides are there to compliment your talk, not substitute it. Also, a lot of words will fill up many slides that wear your audience down.
Ruthlessly cut out senseless animations that don’t add value to your talk.
4. Use excellent images
Images are to a presentation, what water is to fish. Without them, your presentation becomes bland. It lacks the needed fizz to keep your audience hooked. But only include relevant images.
Not only that. Above all, make sure all pictures are of high quality. Amateur-looking clip art causes the audience not to take you seriously.
Pro-tip: Get access to millions of stock assets and tailor-made templates with InVideo for business . Sign up for a free demo here .
5. Smooth and fast transitions
While PowerPoint transitions can make your presentation engaging, don’t overdo them, especially the advanced ones. Not only do they quickly drain power on weaker machines, but they also distract the audience. Stick to simpler and faster transitions like wipe or slide.
6. Avoid overloading your slides
In presentations, less is more.
Having a lot going on your screen confuses and overwhelms listeners.
Cramming too much info into your slides is a big no-no. Clutter is your enemy. Strip your slides down to essential words and images. Your audience will love you for it and leave you with many takeaways.
Pro looking Video Presentations – No longer an option
With Industry 4.0 fast coming into its own, going digital is no longer an option for businesses and speakers.
And one of the most important communication mediums in the digital age is video. That’s why you can’t afford to ignore video any more. Whether you’re speaking before a live audience or seeking to disseminate information to a global audience, video presentations are the way to go.
Need a great tool to create stunning video presentations? Then make sure to schedule a demo and see just how much you can do with InVideo for business.
Let’s create superb videos
Best presentation software of 2023
Make perfect slides for speeches and talks
The best presentation software makes it simple and easy to create, manage, and share slideshow presentations.
This is important because presentation software is at the heart of business sales, management, and development. The need to share ideas, concepts, working practices, and workflows can be an essential part of a department, and the ability to present these in a simple and understandable way is essential.
However, while presentation software has been traditionally limited to text and images, it has widened its ability to work with different media such as video and audio .
Therefore it's important for the best presentation software to not simply be easy and simple to use, but also be able to support these additional media so that presentations can be more engaging, lively, and ultimately serve their purpose in educating and updating their intended audience.
There are a lot of different presentation software platforms around, but the range can be confusing. Here we've therefore listed the best presentation software currently on the market, from paid-for, subscription, and even free platforms.
We’ve also rounded up the best project management solutions .
The best office software in the world is: Microsoft 365 (opens in new tab) There are many different office software suites out there, but Microsoft Office remains the original and best, offering an unsurpassed range of features and functionality that rivals just can't match.
Even better, Microsoft 365 (opens in new tab) - previously branded as Office 365 - is a cloud-based solution which means you can use it on any computer, mobile device, or smartphone, without having to worry about compatibility. All your files are saved in the cloud and synced between devices, so you can begin work on a document at home or in the office, then continue working on it on the go.
You can sign up to Microsoft 365 here (opens in new tab) .
1. PowerPoint
Our expert review:
Reasons to buy
For most people, Microsoft's PowerPoint remains the original and best of all the presentation software platforms out there. While other companies have managed to catch up and offer rival products worthy of consideration, the fact is that PowerPoint's familiar interface and ubiquitous availability means it remains a favorite for the majority of people.
On the one hand, it's long been a staple of the hugely popular Microsoft Office suite, meaning that for most users this is going to be the first - and last - presentation software they are going to need to use.
Additionally, Microsoft has made PowerPoint, along with their other office products, available as free apps (with limited functionality) on both iOS and Android for mobile use, meaning it's even harder to avoid them. And this is before we even consider the inclusion of PowerPoint in Microsoft's cloud-based Microsoft 365.
It does everything necessary that you'd expect of presentation software, allowing you to add text and media to a series of slides, to accompany a talk and other presentations. There are easy-to-use templates included to help spice things up a little, but even a general user with little experience of it is likely to find themselves able to use PowerPoint without much trouble at all.
Overall, it's hard to go wrong with PowerPoint, and although Microsoft 365 has a nominal cost, the apps are free to use even if they do have more limited functionality.
Read our full Microsoft PowerPoint review .
2. CustomShow
Reasons to avoid.
Branding says a lot about a business, and it’s something firms need to get right from day one – from a good logo to a suitable font. CustomShow is business presentation software that puts all these elements of branding first.
Using the system, you can design and present customized, branded presentations that reflect your company and the products you offer, featuring the aforementioned logo and custom fonts. As well as this, you get a slide library and analytics to ensure your presentations are a success.
What’s more, you can import presentations into the software, and use it to tweak them further. There’s also integration with SalesForce, and because the platform is cloud-based, you can access your presentations on computers, tablets, and smartphones.
Considering the focus on branding, this offering could be good for marketing and sales teams, and it's used by major companies such as HBO and CBS Interactive.
3. ClearSlide
Just like CustomShow, ClearSlide has a niche focus for companies. The platform is targeted at firms looking to generate successful marketing campaigns, pushing sales via presentations (and more), not least through a range of analytics and metrics to work for sales and marketing.
With the product, you can upload a range of files, including PowerPoint, Keynote, PDF, and Excel. ClearSlide is integrated with other platforms, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and Salesforce.
This system is pretty complex and may offer too many irrelevant features for some businesses, but you can create customized content that reflects your company and the message you’re trying to get out to customers. There are also some good metrics and analysis features, and you can sign up for a free trial before making any decisions.
The real strength of ClearSlide comes from its focus on sales and marketing data, not least being able to track user engagement alongside other metrics.
4. Haiku Deck
Any presentation app will allow you to personalize your slides to at least some extent, but Haiku Deck goes one step further than the competition. It comes with a wide range of themes suited to different needs, and you also get access to 40 million free images from the Creative Commons collection.
When it comes to creating a presentation, you have the option to do so on the web, which means your presentation is accessible across a range of mobile devices as well as desktops. Regardless of the device used, you’re able to select from a variety of different fonts, layouts, and filters to make the perfect presentation.
The great thing about these various customization options is that they’re categorized into different industries and use cases. For instance, you’ll find themes for teaching, cooking, real estate, and startups. Most of the features require you to be online, but hopefully, you’ll have a sturdy net connection wherever you go.
5. SlideDog
It’s all too easy to end up creating a presentation that’s unappealing, and the last thing you want to do is make the audience fall asleep. SlideDog lets you combine almost any type of media to create a rich presentation that’s sure to keep the viewers’ peepers open, avoiding the ‘cookie cutter’ look that makes presentations seem dull.
Marketed as a web-based multimedia presentation tool, it gives you the ability to combine PowerPoint presentations, graphics, PDF files, Prezi presentations, web pages, pictures, videos, and movie clips. You can drag these into custom playlists and display them to your audience with ease.
You’re able to remotely control your presentations and playlists from your smartphone, the web, or a secondary computer, and there’s also the option to share slides in real-time. Audience members can even view your slide from their own devices by clicking a link. That’s a handy feature if you’re looking to create an immersive presentation experience.
SlideDog is probably the cheapest of the presentation software featured, with a free account that will cover the essential features. However, for live sharing and premium support, you need to upgrade.
Read our full SlideDog review .
Prezi is one of the more unique presentation tools. Instead of presenting your graphics and text in a slide-to-slide format, you can create highly visual and interactive presentation canvases with the goal of “emphasizing the relationship between the ideas”.
Presentations can also be tailored to the specific audience, as this is a flexible platform that’s capable of skipping ahead, or veering off into a side topic, without having to flip through all the slides to get to a particular bit.
For business users, there are a variety of handy tools available. By downloading Prezi , you can build and edit presentations with your colleagues in real-time, which is perfect for companies with teams based around the globe.
When you have created a presentation you’re happy with, you can present it live (in HD) and send a direct link to viewers. There are some analysis tools here, too – you can see who’s accessed your presentation, which parts of it, and for how long. The app is available for Mac and Windows devices.
Read our full Prezi review .
Other presentation software to consider
Why you can trust TechRadar Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .
Google Slides (opens in new tab) is part of the Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) office platform intended as an online alternative to Microsoft Office. It may seem a little limited by comparison to PowerPoint, but as it's browser-based that means cross-platform compatibility. Additionally, it allows for collaborative work, and Google Slides really works well here. On top of the fact that it integrates with the rest of the Google Workspace apps, not least Google Drive, and you have a contender.
Zoho Show (opens in new tab) is another of the many, many tools and apps that Zoho has made available for business use. It also operates in the cloud so it's accessible to any device with a browser, and it also allows for collaborative work. You can also easily share the link for users to download, or provide a live presentation online. The updated version has a simpler and easier to use interface and comes with a free version and a paid-for one with expanded features.
Evernote (opens in new tab) is normally thought of as just note-taking software, but it does provide the option to create a presentation you can share online or with an audience. In that regard, it's a little more limited than the other options in not being dedicated presentation software. However, as an easy and handy way to pull together a presentation quickly, it could serve as a backup or last-minute option, especially if Evernote is already being commonly used by you.
LibreOffice Impress (opens in new tab) is part of the open-source suite offered as a free alternative to Microsoft Office, and comes with a powerful array of tools and editing options for your presentation, not least working with 3D images. It's supported by a large community, so it's easy to find an array of additional templates. If there is a limitation it's that it's software you download and install rather than web-based, but any presentations created should be easily portable to the web if needed.
Adobe Spark (opens in new tab) does things a bit differently, as rather than just use images it's geared toward video as well. This makes for potentially more powerful multimedia presentations, especially as Adobe also has a big selection of photos and images available for its users. There is a free tier for core features but requires a subscription for custom branding, personalized themes, and support.
Slides (opens in new tab) comes with a lot of features in an easy-to-use interface, and involves setting up presentations using drag and drop into an existing grid. It's also internet-based so there's no software to download, and it only requires a browser to use and access.
How we tested the best presentation software
To test for the best presentation software we first set up an account with the relevant software platform, whether as a download or as an online service. We then tested the service to see how the software could be used for different purposes and in different situations. The aim was to push each software platform to see how useful its basic tools were and also how easy it was to get to grips with any more advanced tools.
Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar (opens in new tab) .
Which presentation software is best for you?
When deciding which presentation software to download and use, first consider what your actual needs are, as sometimes free platforms may only provide basic options, so if you need to use advanced tools you may find a paid platform is much more worthwhile. Additionally, free and budget software options can sometimes prove limited when it comes to the variety of tools available, while higher-end software can really cater for every need, so do ensure you have a good idea of which features you think you may require for your presentation needs.
We've also featured the best alternatives to Microsoft Office .
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Brian has over 30 years publishing experience as a writer and editor across a range of computing, technology, and marketing titles. He has been interviewed multiple times for the BBC and been a speaker at international conferences. His specialty on techradar is Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, covering everything from office suites to IT service tools. He is also a science fiction and fantasy author, published as Brian G Turner.
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The Best Projectors for 2023
Need a projector for business presentations, fast-paced gaming, or family movie night? We've tested these top-rated portable and full-size projectors to help you find just the right one for home, the office, or the road.
- Best Outdoor Projectors
- Best Short Throw Projectors
- Best Home Projectors
- Best Portable Projectors
Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 4K Pro-UHD Laser Projector
Optoma uhd55, epson epiqvision ultra ls500 4k pro-uhd laser projection tv, hisense 100l5g-cine100a, benq th685p, vankyo leisure 495w dolby audio projector, epson epiqvision mini ef12 smart streaming laser projector, benq x1300i, epson pro ex7280 3lcd wxga projector, epson ex3280 3lcd xga, anker nebula solar portable projector, kodak luma 75 portable pocket projector.
Projectors have come a long way from the days when they were all essentially interchangeable for anything from business presentations to setting up a home theater, and the most useful way to categorize them was by their weight class. Today, you can break them down by any number of meaningful categories, including their imaging technology (LCD, DLP, LCOS, and even laser raster), light source (lamp, LED, laser, or hybrid), and most important, their intended use.
As projectors have become more widely used, they've also become more specialized. A model intended for showing business presentations in rooms with bright lighting, for example, needs higher brightness than one designed for watching movies in a dark room, but it doesn't need the same level of contrast or color accuracy. In this guide, we'll first cover our favorite picks, chosen from models we've tested, for a variety of needs. We'll also explain why we picked each one for that specific use. Then, we'll take you through the factors you should consider when shopping for a projector to help ensure you find the best match for whatever you plan to use it for.
The Best Projector Deals This Week*
- Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K Projector (Opens in a new window) — $1,899.99 (List Price $2,199.99)
- Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 Smart Streaming Laser Projector (Opens in a new window) — $799.99 (List Price $999.99)
- AuKing Mini 7500 Lumens 1080p Projector (Opens in a new window) — $71.99 (List Price $99.99)
- Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 1080p Smart Portable Projector (Opens in a new window) — $499.99 (List Price $629.99)
- LG CineBeam HU715QW Short Throw 4K Laser Projector (Opens in a new window) — $2,496.99 (List Price $2,999.99)
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Best 4K Projector for Top-Quality Home Theater
Why we picked it.
The Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 is pricey, but it's actually a near-bargain for the image quality it delivers. Epson is known for pixel-shifting LCD projectors whose images, thanks to lens quality and video processing, are virtually indistinguishable from a true 4K UHD picture while using only half as many pixels on screen. The LS12000 keeps the same emphasis on top-quality lenses and processing while boosting the pixel count to a full 3,840 by 2,160. The result is more detail than we've seen from any pixel-shifting 4K DLP projector.
And because the image is produced by three LCD chips, you won't see any rainbow artifacts—the flashes of red, green, and blue that single-chip projectors can show. The LS12000 also offers top-tier color accuracy, contrast, and shadow detail, plus sophisticated features that include the ability to adjust the lens easily to give you the same image height when switching between movies with different aspect ratios.
Who It's For
The LS12000 will tantalize serious videophiles who plan to put it in a home theater with dark walls, ceiling, and seating to minimize reflections back to the screen. However, the image quality is good enough that even less-demanding viewers will notice, making it a good home theater projector for anyone. It's also bright enough to serve in a family room, particularly if you plan to watch movies with all the lights off at least occasionally. It doesn't support 3D, however, so if 3D movies are your thing, you'll need to look elsewhere.
- Delivers a full 3,840 by 2,160 pixels on screen
- 2,700-lumen laser light source rated to last the life of the projector
- Supports HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG HDR
- Good color accuracy, contrast, and shadow detail, plus dark blacks for a laser model
- Easy to maintain image height for different aspect ratios
- Three-chip LCD design guarantees no rainbow artifacts
- No 3D support
Best 4K Projector for Gaming
All colors and no lag make a brilliant 4K projector: That's the Optoma UHD55 in a nutshell. Designed for both gaming and home entertainment, the Optoma UHD55 offers 4K resolution (3,840 by 2,160 pixels, via DLP technology and TI's fast-switch pixel shifting), superb color output, and the short input lag that gamers demand. It delivers a faster response at 4K than most projectors can manage, putting it within the range that a serious gamer would consider acceptable. Even better, the lag dropped by roughly half, to 8.6ms, for 1080p/120Hz input.
Gamers and serious esports types will be interested in this model, but the color output is good enough that it would be wasted on just casual play: This model is ideal for users who mean to do equal parts gaming and home entertainment enjoyment on their big screen. For movies, its 4K HDR output is especially worth putting eyes on.
- 4K UHD resolution
- HDR10 and HLG HDR support
- Bright enough for a room with ambient light
- Good out-of-box color accuracy
- Short input lag
- Only one of the two HDMI ports offers the short input lag
- Limited number of streaming apps
Best Ultra Short Throw (UST) 4K Projector
Available with or without a bundled ALR screen, the Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS500 can give you what amounts to a 4K, giant-screen smart TV ranging from 100 to 130 inches (depending on the screen size) for far less than a flat-screen TV of that size. It's pricier than most competing DLP-based UST projectors, but it also offers more, starting with the highest brightness by far of any laser TV projector we've tested.
At 4,000 ANSI lumens, the LS500 can throw a 130-inch image that's bright enough to stand up to the moderate ambient light of a typical family room. It also delivers top-tier color accuracy, contrast, shadow detail, and black level for the category straight out of the box, while menu options allow for professional calibration for your room, should you want to pay for it. And because it's built around three LCD chips, rather than one DLP chip, it's guaranteed not to show rainbow artifacts.
The LS500's high brightness makes it the clear choice if you want a 130-inch screen, particularly if you plan to watch in a family room with lots of sunlight streaming through the windows. The three-chip design also makes it the obvious choice if you, or anyone in your family, sees rainbow artifacts easily and finds them annoying. Beyond that, it's a strong contender if you insist on top-tier image quality, or simply want to buy a projector bundled with an appropriate screen, and know that the default settings were chosen for that screen.
- Laser-phosphor light source rated at 4,000 ANSI lumens
- Epson's Pro-UHD matches the ability to resolve detail of true 4K resolution
- Price includes 100-inch ambient light rejection (ALR) screen
- Three-chip LCD design means no rainbow artifacts
- Android TV dongle includes Netflix app
- More costly than DLP-based competitors
- Android TV not fully integrated
- Dongle supports Wi-Fi connection only
Best Ultra Short Throw (UST) 4K Projector With a Bundled Screen
Billed as a smart laser TV and priced at what passes for entry level for its category, the Hisense 100L5G-Cine100A bundles a 100-inch ambient light rejection (ALR) screen with a projector (the LG5) that offers the best image quality we've seen in its price range. Hisense aims the LG5 at first-time buyers of ultra short throw (UST) projectors, and also sells it as the 120L5G-Cine120A, which comes with a 120-inch screen.
With either version of the bundle, the projector offers a fixed focus designed for the screen size, so positioning the projector to fill the screen automatically gives you optimum focus. Even better, there's no need to customize settings for the screen material, because the default settings are chosen with the bundled screen in mind. In our tests, the projector-plus-screen combo delivered good color accuracy, contrast, black level, and shadow detail straight out of the box. You don't have to be a first-time projector buyer to appreciate that .
Just about anyone who doesn't already own a UST ALR screen and is looking for a low-price UST laser model to serve as a big screen TV should at least consider the L5G. Keep in mind that any projector in this category should be paired with an ALR screen, so when you're comparing prices to models that aren't bundled with screens, add the screen cost in the comparison. When you do, you'll quickly see why the L5G counts as "entry level."
That said, note that it's built around a single DLP chip, which means it can exhibit rainbow artifacts. We didn't see many in our tests, but if you're particularly sensitive to them, be sure to buy the projector from a source that allows easy returns, even if you've already assembled the screen.
- 4K (3,840-by-2,160) resolution using TI's XPR fast-switch pixel shifting
- Good color accuracy, contrast, and shadow detail
- 100-inch ambient light rejection screen included
- Integrated Android TV and built-in TV tuner
- Laser-phosphor light source, rated at 2,700 ANSI lumens
- Fixed focus means you can't upgrade to a larger screen
Best Mainstream 1080p Projector for Home Entertainment
Sheer specs don't tell the whole story of the TH685P. This 1080p projector has almost identical specs to those of its BenQ predecessor, but the TH685P delivers an obviously better image with HDR input. That is a big thumbs-up in a gaming and home entertainment projector at this price. It also surprised us with its onboard audio quality; the sound from the internal 5-watt chamber speaker is quite usable and pumps out high enough volume to fill a large family room.
This unit is a top choice for users who aren't prone to seeing rainbow artifacts, and who both will benefit from its low input lag and its good handling and downconverting of 4K content. (Ideally, you'll operate it in a darkened room.) Also, if attaching an external sound system or headphones isn't an option where you will play or watch, this model's speaker output is a plus.
- Bright 3,500 ANSI lumen rating
- Accepts and downconverts 4K input to native 1080p resolution
- Supports HDR
- Can't read files from USB memory
- Shows rainbow artifacts (red-green-blue flashes)
Best Budget 1080p Home Entertainment Projector
The Vankyo Leisure 495W Dolby Audio is far from the only home entertainment projector in strictly bargain-basement territory, but it's the best we've seen in that price range, at $299 list and selling on Vankyo's website for $179.99 at this writing. It delivers 1080p (1,920 by 1,080) native resolution along with more-than-acceptable color accuracy and contrast for casual viewing. And its design guarantees that it can't show rainbow artifacts.
The 495W was bright enough in our tests to light up a 70-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio, 1.0-gain screen with nicely saturated color in a dark room and remain watchable at that size, though a little washed out, with lights on at night. It doesn't offer built in streaming, but it can mirror mobile devices. Stream to your phone or tablet, and you can view the image at large size using the 495W while taking advantage of its Dolby sound system, which offers surprisingly robust audio.
Anyone looking to spend as little as possible for a home entertainment projector should consider the 495W. It's also a potentially good second projector if you already have a more capable model installed in a home theater or family room and are looking for one to use for ad hoc setup elsewhere. The compact size and light weight—just 3.1 pounds—makes it easy to pack for a weekend trip, move to the backyard to watch a movie, or take to a Thanksgiving dinner to watch football, while the low price makes it easy to justify buying for occasional use.
- Inexpensive
- Robust audio
- Good color accuracy for the price
- Includes HDMI cable
- Supports Windows Cast, DLNA, and Android/iOS screen mirroring
- Cumbersome picture settings adjustment
- Doesn't handle dark scenes well
Best 1080p Room-to-Room Portable Projector for Home Entertainment
Why we picked it.
The EpiqVision Mini EF12 offers a native 1080p resolution and pairs a 1,000-lumen laser-phosphor light source with a three-LCD chip design. In our tests, the 1,000 ANSI lumens was enough to light up an 80-inch screen with nicely saturated color in a family room at night even with lights on and also delivered a watchable image in daytime. The three chips, which project all three primary colors at once, guarantee that it can't produce rainbow artifacts. Two other important pluses are integrated Android TV and a 4.7-pound weight, which makes the EF12 surprisingly light for a laser projector.
For anyone who sees rainbow artifacts easily and considers them annoying, the EF12 is a prime candidate for a 1080p room-to-room portable. Many will also consider it preferable to any current 4K model, by that same note. We found the EF12 delivered good image quality in our tests, and when compared with many competitors that offer higher maximum brightness, it had a brighter image for the picture modes that you'll actually want to use.
- Long-lived laser-phosphor light source
- Native 1080p resolution; supports 4K UHD (3,840-by-2,160) input and HDR
- Three-chip LCD engine (3LCD) for equal color and white brightness and no rainbow artifacts
- Integrated Android TV
- Wi-Fi and two HDMI ports
- Impressive audio options
- Only moderate brightness
Best 1080p Room-to-Room Portable Projector for Gaming
The BenQ X1300i delivers the expected gaming-projector optimizations of a short input lag and high brightness, but it doesn't stop there. It also offers three game modes—first-person shooter, role playing, and sports—that adjust both audio and video for the best settings for each type of game simply by pressing a button on the remote to switch between them. When you're not gaming, it can serve nicely for watching movies and video, thanks to the bundled Android TV dongle, good color accuracy, and more-than-acceptable overall image quality by most people's standards.
Note that we measured the lag at 16.3ms for 1080p/60Hz input, which is consistent with the 8.33ms rating for 1080p/120Hz. We also found the brightness consistent with the 3,000 ANSI lumen rating.
Whether you're serious about gaming and want a native 1080p room-to-room portable gaming projector with the shortest possible input lag, or are a more casual gamer who doesn't demand a short lag, but would love to have it, the X1300i will give you that advantage, along with the multiple game modes. Whichever group you're in, you'll appreciate that the same button on the remote that switches game modes also switches to the best picture modes for movies or video. Even those who aren't interested in gaming may want to consider the X1300i it for its combination of image quality for movies and video plus its high brightness, which is helpful for 3D viewing or a backyard movie night.
- Super-bright LED rated at 3,000 ANSI lumens
- Low input lag
- Excellent speakers and onboard audio processing
- Video/audio presets for three categories of gaming
- Android TV dongle included
- Accepts 4K UHD and HDR input
- Relatively light black level
- Some rainbow artifacts
Best Budget Room-to-Room Projector
The BenQ GV30 offers both lower resolution (720p, or 1,280 by 720 pixels) and lower brightness (300 ANSI lumens) than most room-to-room portables, meaning streaming projectors with good enough audio so you don't need to lug an external sound system with you. It's also less expensive than most, and at just 3.5 pounds, it's the most portable as well, with a finger-size loop that makes it easy to carry. It's shaped pretty much like a 7-inch wheel of cheese, and it offers an innovative magnetic stand that stays in place when you pick up the projector but also lets you rotate the GV30 freely on the stand to adjust image height. The streaming is handled by a bundled Android TV dongle that fits in a hidden compartment.
The GV30 also offers a built in battery, which is unusual for a room-to-room portable, and a drop-proof rating of up to 27.6 inches—the distance from tabletop to floor, or hand to floor when you're carrying it—which is unusual for any projector.
If you want maximum portability in a value-priced room-to-room portable, the GV30 is the obvious choice. There are plenty of smaller, lighter projectors, but they can't match the full-bodied sound coming from the GV30's two 4-watt tweeters and 8-watt woofer, and few include built-in streaming. Although the 720p resolution is low for the category, the low brightness level means you probably won't notice any sense of soft focus or loss of detail at the image sizes you're most likely to use.
- Clever design and outstanding portability
- In most modes, delivers neutral color and acceptable or better color accuracy
- Impressive audio quality and volume
- Includes Android TV dongle for streaming and Chromecast
- Rugged enough to withstand drops from table height
- Does not support HDR or the copy protection on 4K UHD discs
- Brightest mode shows a noticeable green tint
Best Business/Education Projector for Presentations
If you need to make presentations regularly in midsize or large rooms, and may not have control over the lighting in them, the Epson Pro EX7280 3LCD WXGA brings on the brightness. Plus, this 1,280-by-800-pixel unit delivers vibrant, saturated color and a high-quality image guaranteed free of rainbow artifacts (the latter thanks to its tri-LCD design). Even if you're in a room with lots of ambient light, it should do the job: It lit up a 90-inch screen with a suitably bright image in our tests under such conditions. It's also borderline portable, at just under 6 pounds, and comes with a carry case.
Business users and educators who need a bright image above all, and maybe the ability to move the unit from place to place now and then. They'll also project a relatively basic menu of material, given the native resolution. If you never show anything more demanding than PowerPoint presentations with big fonts, and you don't need a widescreen aspect ratio, a lower-resolution projector like this one can serve just as well as a 1080p model.
- Bright enough for a large room with ambient light
- Vibrant, saturated color
- WXGA (1,280-by-800-pixel) resolution
- Only one HDMI port
Best-Value Compact Business/Education Projector
The Epson EX3280 pairs a low price with high-enough brightness to throw a suitably large picture for a midsize conference room or classroom with ambient light. And because it's built around three LCD chips, it can't be plagued by the rainbow artifacts that some people see with single-chip projectors and find annoying. The three-chip design also guarantees that color images will be fully as bright as you would expect from the 3,600-lumen white brightness rating.
Other important pluses include a crisp image to help make text more readable and show more detail in photorealistic images, vibrant color for graphics, and even good color accuracy and color saturation for photorealistic images. The last isn't true of many business projectors.
The EX3280 is aimed at offices and schools on tight budgets. Its XGA resolution (1,024 by 768 pixels) is a little low by today's standards and will necessarily limit its appeal if you need to show complex line drawings with fine detail, for example. And its 4:3 aspect ratio makes it a poor choice for showing widescreen movies very often. But if you simply need readable text in documents and presentations, vibrant color in graphics, and highly watchable film and video on a strictly occasional basis, the EX3280 can handle the job.
- 3,600 lumens; suitable for a midsize to large room with lights on
- Vibrant, eye-catching color
- No rainbow artifacts, thanks to three-chip LCD design
- Light, compact, and easy to set up
- Relatively low 1,024-by-768 native resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio
- No optical zoom
Best Portable Mini Projector (Battery Powered)
The Anker Nebula Solar Portable is our top pick for mini projectors, a category defined by weighing about two to four pounds, being small enough to fit in a briefcase or backpack, and still offering a reasonably bright image. Rated at 400 ANSI lumens, the Solar Portable was bright enough in our tests to light up a 90-inch diagonal, 16:9, 1.0 gain screen in a dark room. Its native resolution is 1080p (1,920 by 1,080), but it behaves like a 4K model with soft focus, connecting at 4K by default and downconverting the image to 1080p. Its home entertainment features include Android TV 9 for streaming over a Wi-Fi connection to your network, the ability to mirror mobile devices, and a built-in battery that's rated to last long enough on a charge to watch a full-length movie.
The built-in Android TV makes the Solar Portable of obvious interest to home users who want a small 1080p projector they can move easily from room to room to backyard, or bring along on a weekend getaway, while still being able to project a larger image than most large-screen TVs offer. Businesses can find it just as useful for a small conference room, while individual road warriors will find it light enough to carry without much effort and brighter than projectors that are smaller still.
- 1080p (1,920-by-1,080) native resolution; accepts 4K (3,840-by-2,160) input
- Supports HDR and copy protection standards used by 4K UHD discs
- Android TV 9 and Wi-Fi built in
- Battery life rated at 3 hours in Battery mode or 1.5 hours in Standard
- Capable autofocus
- Color accuracy is off by just enough to notice
- Does not deliver improved image quality with HDR material
Best Pocket-Size Projector
The Kodak Luma 75 is literally small enough to lose track of if you accidentally cover it with a piece of paper. Basically the size of a 3-by-3-inch pad of sticky notes, it weighs just 5 ounces. But it's big enough to have an HDMI port, which means it can connect to most video sources, including mobile devices to mirror the screen. It's also bright enough to give you a 32-inch 16:9 diagonal image for short sessions in a dark room or an image size in typical office lighting closer to that of a letter-size page. Whether you're showing a business presentation or watching a movie, that's a lot bigger than you would get on your phone, and it comes from a projector that fits easily in a pocket.
Anyone who has a more-than-occasional need to (or has simply wished they could) mirror their phone's screen at a larger image size will find the Luma 75 worth considering. It takes no more effort to carry than a second phone, and it lets you show anything from photos to business presentations to movies without having to pass your phone around or crowd around it. And because you can also show files stored on a USB memory key, you can even use it without a phone.
- Built-in battery rated at 90 minutes per charge
- Unusually sure focus control
- Supports up to 1080p input resolution
- No image adjustment settings
- Low native resolution (640 by 360 pixels)
- Low 30-lumen rated brightness
Best Rugged Outdoor Projector
Billed as an outdoor projector but perfectly useful indoors as well, the BenQ GS50 is designed to survive. Its IPX2 rating for water resistance translates to not having to worry about an unexpected light rain shower or minor splashes, while the drop-proof rating for up to a 2.3-foot fall means it's more likely than most projectors to survive a tumble. It doesn't hurt that it also delivers 1080p native resolution, was bright enough in our tests to fill a 90-inch screen in low levels of ambient light, and even comes with an Android TV dongle.
The more often you plan to watch outside, whether on special occasions like backyard movie nights or regular TV watching by the pool on warm nights, the more appealing the GS50's water and drop resistance will be. Double that appeal if you have big dogs or young children who may be running around where they can jar a table and send a splash of liquid the GS50's way or send the projector itself to the ground. The same considerations about rambunctious toddlers and pets also apply, perhaps even more so, for ad hoc setups for casual watching indoors.
- 1080p resolution
- 500 ANSI lumen rating
- Acceptable color accuracy
- Included Android TV dongle for streaming and Chromecast
- Durable and water-resistant
- Brightest mode has an obvious green tint
- Awkward setup for Android TV dongle
If you've read through our reasons above for why we picked each model, you've probably noticed that the reasons change depending on all sorts of factors, ranging from what you're planning to use the projector for, to your budget, to purely subjective questions like whether you find rainbow artifacts annoying. You need to take all of these issues into account in any buying decision, but a good place to start is with what kinds of images you plan to show.
There are two basic kinds of images to consider: data (meaning text and graphics) and photorealistic (photos, video, and film). Games generally have some aspects of both. Any projector can show any kind of image, of course, but a projector may handle one kind of image well without necessarily doing a good job with the other. You'll want a projector that’s optimized at least for the kind of images you plan to show most often, and ideally for every kind you expect to show.
Data projectors are designed to show images such as business graphics, line drawings, presentations, spreadsheets, and PDF files. They’re optimized for conference rooms and classrooms, throwing a bright enough image to stand up to ambient light on a large screen. Many can handle photorealistic images well enough to project short video clips in a presentation or even an acceptable image for, say, watching a movie in a classroom. But they are rarely good choices for full-length movies if you want anything approaching the quality you expect in a movie theater or when watching on an HDTV. They tend to favor brightness, which is important for standing up to ambient light, over contrast and color accuracy, which matters more for photorealistic images. They also tend to offer few or no options for adjusting color.
Home theater, home entertainment, and gaming projectors are all so similar to each other that one model is often marketed in two or three categories. These home-use projectors focus on color accuracy and contrast, usually adding controls to fine-tune color, reduce noise, sharpen images, and otherwise digitally enhance video and film.
Models listed as home theater projectors are typically optimized for traditional home theater viewing in a dark room. They tend to offer more-accurate color, better contrast, and lower brightness than home entertainment projectors. Most don't include speakers. The assumption is that you'll set up a better external audio system in your home theater than any projector can fit into its case.
Home entertainment models are usually optimized for viewing in a family room or other space with ambient light. Many are also compact enough so you can easily move them outdoors to create the perfect backyard movie night . Compared with home theater models, they tend to sacrifice some color accuracy and contrast in favor of higher brightness. Many include built-in speakers.
Until recently, it was a given for almost all projectors that even if they included speakers, you should plan on using an external sound system to get decent audio quality. However, that's not always true today, largely thanks to two subcategories of home entertainment models. One is what we've dubbed room-to-room portables. There are defined in part by offering robust audio, so you can move them around for ad hoc setup without having to lug a sound system with you too. Most are nearly cubical in shape, about twice as high as traditional projectors. They use the extra height for good-quality speakers, which are often chamber speakers. Most offer high enough volume to fill a large family room with more-than-acceptable sound quality.
The second category with good audio is sometimes billed as the "laser TV" class. These are built around a laser light source; a Smart TV feature, which can either be integrated or supplied as a dongle; and an ultra short throw, which means they can throw a 100-inch or larger image with the projector just inches from a screen. Mount a screen on a wall, and the projector can sit on a table or entertainment center just below it. These laser TV models are wider than most projectors. Virtually all offer audio that's at least comparable to what you would expect from a large-screen TV. Some take advantage of the width to add what amounts to a sound bar on the side facing away from the screen.
Gaming projectors are basically home entertainment models with greatly reduced input lag for speedier reaction time in gaming. Most are small enough to carry easily, and they usually include better-than-typical onboard audio for a projector. A few include separate gaming modes for first-person-shooter, role-playing, and sports games, with each mode automatically adjusting both audio and video settings to optimize both for each type of game.
Do You Need a Portable Projector?
Consider how portable the projector needs to be. You can find portable projectors with sizes and weights ranging from small and light enough to fit in a shirt pocket to large and massive enough to be suitable only for a permanent, usually mounted, installation.
If you want a data projector to carry to business meetings for presentations, or a home entertainment or gaming projector to take to a friend's house or set up in your backyard for a movie night, be sure to pick an appropriate size and weight. If you'll be away from power outlets, check that the projector’s battery life is long enough for your needs.
What Resolution Is Enough in a Projector?
Projectors can scale images up or down, but that's best avoided, since it can distort the image. For any projector resolution up to and including WUXGA (1,920 by 1,200 pixels), you should match the projector’s native resolution (originally defined as the number of physical pixels in the projector's display) to the source you plan to attach it to most often, whether that's a computer, video equipment, or a game console. For projectors with 4K ultra-high definition (3,840 by 2,160 pixels), the calculation is a little different.
Current projectors built around 3,840-by-2,160 imaging chips are still too expensive for most applications. The affordable alternative takes advantage of a technique called pixel shifting. It uses a native 1,920-by-1,080 chip, generates more than one set of pixels for each frame in the video stream, and shifts the position for each set. The result is more pixels per frame on screen than are on the chip. Two sets doubles the number of pixels; four sets quadruples the number to a full 3,840 by 2,160. When done well, just doubling the number of pixels can deliver images that are indistinguishable from quadrupling them, at least at normal viewing distance from the screen.
Even 1080p projectors that can accept 4K UHD input handle it reasonably well. Thanks to the higher resolution having exactly four times as many pixels as 1080p, the only loss in quality from scaling the image down will be the equivalent of a slightly soft focus. If the projector also supports HDR10 (the high dynamic range, or HDR, version that's on discs and some streaming services, including Netflix) or HLG HDR (also supported by some streaming services), it can give you the advantage of HDR for improving image quality, even with 1080p resolution.
If you plan to show data images, you should consider the level of detail in the images. For a typical PowerPoint presentation, SVGA (800 by 600 pixels) may be good enough, and an SVGA projector will be much less expensive than one with a higher native resolution. For very detailed images, however, you’ll want to go up to 4K UHD.
For video, 4K UHD is generally the best choice, assuming you have a 4K UHD Blu-ray player, a 4K-capable streaming device, or another 4K UHD media source. But odds are you'll be watching a lot of 1080p material for the foreseeable future—particularly if you own a library of 1080p discs—and may occasionally be watching at even lower resolutions. So check how well the projector handles scaling up 1080p input.
Which Widescreen Format Is Most Important in Your Projector?
Most projectors today offer native resolutions that qualify as widescreen formats. You'll generally want to match the aspect ratio (ratio of image width to image height) of the projector's resolution to the images you'll be watching most often. You can always show material in narrower or wider formats, too. As long as the resolution is one that the projector can accept, which is something you can check in the projector specs, it will either scale the image to fit in the projector's native aspect ratio, or keep the image's aspect ratio to avoid distortion and add letterbox bars (black bars to the sides for narrower formats, or black bars above and below for wider formats). Almost all projectors today include aspect-ratio settings to let you choose which approach to use.
Note that the ability to show images with different aspect ratios than the projector's native resolution gives you some flexibility in matching the projector to the images you plan to watch. For example, you can use a native WUXGA projector, with its 16:10 aspect ratio, to watch movies or TV with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Keep in mind that if you set up a 16:10 projector to fill your 16:9 screen with the picture, you'll need a sufficiently wide black border at the edges to keep the letterbox bars from showing as brighter areas surrounding the screen.
How Bright Should the Projector Be?
There is no single best level for projector brightness, and brighter isn't always better. For a home theater projector you plan to use in a dark room, for example, 1,000 lumens or even less can easily give you a large, bright image, while 2,000 lumens may be so bright that it's hard on the eyes. On the other hand, for a portable data projector you expect to use in brightly lit locations or a home entertainment projector for your family room, 2,000 to 3,000 lumens is the right range in most cases. For large rooms, you'll want something even brighter.
For any situation, the ideal projector brightness depends on the ambient light level, the size of the image, and the material in the screen you're using. If you're setting up a projector for permanent installation, whether at home or in your office, your best bet is to buy from a knowledgeable seller who can help you pick a projector and screen material that will give you the right image brightness for the lighting conditions in the room at the screen size you want.
If you're trying to choose between two models, keep in mind that a small percentage difference in lumens—2,000 versus 2,200, for example—isn't significant. The perception of brightness is nonlinear, which means a 10% difference is hardly noticeable, and you need far more than twice as many lumens for a projector's image to appear twice as bright. Also, keep in mind that a projector's true brightness is often a little less than its rated brightness, and image quality is generally best in modes that are often as little as 40% of the projector's highest brightness.
Does Contrast Ratio Matter With Projectors?
Contrast ratio—the ratio between the brightness of the brightest white a projector can produce and the brightness of the darkest black—always matters, but the rating for the projector usually won't. All other things being equal, a higher contrast ratio produces more vibrant, eye-catching color, more shadow detail in dark areas on the screen (most important for video and film), and a more dramatic sense of three-dimensionality in two-dimensional photorealistic images.
However, contrast ratings are based on measurements in a dark room, so they don't tell you much about viewing in ambient light, where the darkest black you can get depends on how much light there is in the room. A projector that delivers a high contrast ratio in a dark room because of unusually dark blacks will deliver much lower contrast in ambient light, and a brighter projector that also has a higher black level in the dark will do poorly in a home theater but do well in a living room or office, where the high black level won't be noticeable, while the higher brightness will let it stand up better to the ambient light.
Comparing contrast-ratio specs is somewhere between challenging and pointless. Different manufacturers use different approaches to measuring contrast, and some even measure it differently for different models. There are also other factors—including video processing and auto-irises that change image brightness based on the content of the image—that increase your subjective sense of how good the contrast is but don't affect objective measurements. The best way to find out how good the contrast is for any given projector—short of seeing it yourself—is to look for reviews that discuss contrast in different settings.
How Do You Plan to Connect Your Projector?
To connect a projector to a video source, you obviously need to match the projector’s inputs with the source’s outputs. But given a choice, a digital connection is preferable to an analog connection.
Almost all current projectors include at least one HDMI port, which is the preferred choice for video sources and many computers, unless you plan to connect over a wired or wireless network. Many projectors still offer a VGA (analog) connector for computers and component video, but few new computers have VGA output ports, and few new video sources offer component video.
Keep in mind that the HDMI version matters. Later versions support higher resolutions and more features than earlier versions. Make sure the HDMI version on the projector will let you take full advantage of the image sources you want to use, either by confirming it has the same HDMI version number as the image sources or that the manufacturer says it supports those specific features. You should also check the High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) level. Virtually all 4K UHD HDR movies, for example, require HDCP 2.2 on both the player and the projector.
Note that some projectors' HDMI ports support Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL), which lets you project from older Android devices. This is becoming less common, however, since most newer Android devices can connect directly to the HDMI port via a USB-C-to-HDMI cable. A more useful extra today is that many current projectors support eARC on one of their HDMI ports, for connecting to an external audio system.
Many models also have Wi-Fi connectivity built-in or can provide it through an included or separately purchased wireless dongle that plugs into a USB or HDMI port. Many support projecting directly from USB memory or memory cards.
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A growing number of projectors include internet streaming features, either built-in or through an included streaming HDMI dongle. You can also buy third-party dongles to add streaming to virtually any projector with an HDMI port. Some models, most often portables, offer USB-C ports, which can (but don't always) support DisplayPort and HDMI protocols. Here also, check before buying to make sure you know what video support—if any—the USB-C connector offers.
Which Imaging Technology Is Best in a Projector?
Today's projectors are based on one of four imaging technologies: digital light processing (DLP), liquid-crystal display (LCD), liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS), and laser raster. (Don't confuse laser raster projectors, which actually draw the images using lasers, with the much more common models that simply use lasers as a light source for another imaging technology, like DLP or LCD chips.)
Most DLP projectors and some LCOS-based pico (aka pocket-size) projectors—including both data and video models—project their primary colors sequentially rather than all at once. This can lead to rainbow artifacts, in which bright areas on the screen break up into little red-green-blue flashes for some people when they shift their gaze or when something moves onscreen. Those who are sensitive to this effect can find it annoying, particularly for long viewing sessions.
LCD projectors are free from rainbow artifacts, but they tend to be bigger and heavier than comparable DLP models. Standard-size LCOS projectors, also rainbow-free, offer the best-quality images, but they tend to be bigger and heavier than either DLP or LCD projectors, as well as far more expensive. There aren't many laser raster projectors, so it's hard to make general statements about them. But the one clear advantage of using a laser is that the image doesn't require focusing.
What Kind of Light Source Is Best in a Projector?
There's a growing trend in projectors of moving from using lamps as light sources to using LEDs and lasers. For the moment, at least, there are advantages to each choice.
LEDs and lasers maintain a higher percentage of their initial brightness for longer. All light sources lose brightness over time, but lamps generally lose a large percentage in the first 500 hours of use, and decline slowly after that. LEDs and lasers tend to lose brightness more evenly over their entire lifetimes.
The initial price for a lamp-based projector will be lower, but the total cost can be higher if you keep it long enough to need a replacement for the lamp. If you plan to replace your projector with every new jump in resolution or other image technology, buying a series of lamp-based projectors will be more cost-effective. But if you plan to keep your projector as long as it works, the better buy will be an LED, laser, or hybrid model that won’t need an expensive lamp replacement.
What Is a Short-Throw Projector? Do You Need One?
If you want to cast a large image at a short distance from the screen, either because the room itself is a little small or to minimize the bother of people getting in front of the projector and casting shadows, you’ll need a short-throw or ultra-short throw projector . There are no universally accepted definitions for what counts as “short” or "ultra-short," but most short-throw projectors can cast an image about 6.5 feet wide from 3 to 6 feet away, while ultra-short-throw projectors generally need less than a foot. By comparison, most projectors with standard throws need to be roughly 9 to 13 feet away from the screen for the same image size, and long-throw projectors have to be even farther away.
The downsides of short-throw (and especially ultra-short-throw) projectors are that they are more expensive than traditional models with standard-throw lenses, and they are more likely to have noticeable variations in brightness or focus across the image. Ultra-short-throw models also require a particularly flat and stable screen. Even slight variations in the surface can distort the image and affect focus.
Does Your Projector Need Built-In Audio, or 3D Support?
Not all projectors have audio capability, and for those that do, the audio is sometimes all but useless—particularly with highly portable models. If you need sound for your presentations or for watching video, make sure that the projector has built-in audio that’s clear enough and loud enough to meet your needs. If not, consider using a separate sound system—often a good idea for home theater or home entertainment in any case—or powered external speakers. If you already have Bluetooth speakers, check whether the projector supports Bluetooth.
Then there's 3D. Showing images in 3D for educational, business, and home applications seems well past the boomlet it enjoyed a few years ago. But if you're a fan of 3D movies or have an application that requires 3D, it's still easy to find projectors that support it.
Several 3D technologies are available, so make sure any 3D projector you consider will work with the 3D source you want to use. A “3D-ready” designation usually means it will work only with 3D generated by a computer. If you have a collection of 3D Blu-ray discs, the designation to look for is usually Full HD 3D. And before you go shopping for 3D glasses, be sure to check which kind the projector supports. There are several types, including some proprietary versions.
So, What Is the Best Projector to Buy?
The summary up top, and the spec breakout below, outline our choices for some of the best projectors on the market for the most common situations and use cases. For full projector reviews and our latest coverage of the category, also check out our top models for home use , our picks for 4K projectors , and our favorite portable projectors .
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How to Add a Video to a Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation
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Videos can make presentations even more interesting or exciting. If you’re looking to add a video to your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, it’s easy to do so. We’ll show you how.
Embedding Videos Versus Linking to Videos Supported Video Formats in PowerPoint How to Insert a Video Into a PowerPoint Presentation Manage an Embedded Video's Playback in PowerPoint
Embedding Videos Versus Linking to Videos
In PowerPoint, you can either embed a video or link to a video from your presentation. If you embed a video, your video becomes part of the presentation, which increases the overall size of the presentation file.
If you link to a video, PowerPoint only adds a reference to that video in your presentation. The downside of this method is that you need to send the video file separately if you share your presentation with someone. We have written a guide on how to send PowerPoint presentations with videos , so check that out.
In this guide, we’ll focus on embedding a video in your presentation so you don’t have to worry about sending separate files. And, if you’re looking to add a YouTube video to your presentation , there’s a way to do that, too.
RELATED: How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint
Supported Video Formats in PowerPoint
PowerPoint supports multiple video formats, including ASF, AVI, MP4, M4V, MOV, MPG, MPEG, and WMV. If your video is already in one of these formats, you can quickly add that to your presentation.
If your video is in another format, you can convert it to a supported format and then add it to your presentation.
RELATED: How to Use Handbrake to Convert Any Video File to Any Format
How to Insert a Video Into a PowerPoint Presentation
First, make sure the video you want to add to your presentation is saved on your Windows or Mac computer. Then, open your presentation with PowerPoint on your computer.
On the PowerPoint window, in the left sidebar, click the slide in which you want to add a video.
At the top of the PowerPoint window, click the “Insert” tab.
In the “Insert” tab, under the “Media” section (which is to the extreme right side of the interface), click “Video.”
You’ll now see an “Insert Video From” menu. Here, select “This Device.”
Your computer’s standard “open” window will open. In this window, access the folder that has your video file. Then double-click your video file to add it to your presentation.
You’ll see your selected video in your presentation. To resize this video, click it and use the handles around the video to change its size. Then drag the video to place it at its desired location in your slide.
If you’d like to test the video, at the bottom-left corner of the video, click the play icon.
And you’re all set.
Manage an Embedded Video’s Playback in PowerPoint
Now that you have added a video to your presentation, you might want to change how it plays in your slides. In PowerPoint, you have multiple ways to change your video’s playback.
To access these playback options, first, click your video in your presentation. Then, at the top of the PowerPoint window, click “Playback.”
In the “Playback” tab, under the “Video Options” section, you will find various options to manage your video’s playback.
For example, to change how your video starts to play in your presentation, click the “Start” drop-down menu and select one of these options:
- In Click Sequence : This plays your video in the click sequence. This means if you press the button for the next slide, your video will play.
- Automatically : This option automatically plays your video when the slide with your video opens.
- When Clicked On : Select this option to play your video only when you click it.
The other options are “Play Full Screen,” which opens your video in full screen, and “Loop Until Stopped” that plays your video over and over again until you manually stop it.
Before you close PowerPoint, make sure you save your presentation so that your embedded video is saved with it. Do this by clicking File > Save in PowerPoint’s menu bar.
And that’s how you make your PowerPoint presentations even more engaging by including videos in them. Exciting!
If you don’t want to add a video but you do want audio, you can add music to your presentations . This also helps enhance your presentation quality.
RELATED: How to Add Music to Your PowerPoint Presentation
- › How to Set the Preview Image for a Video in Microsoft PowerPoint
- › 7 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do in PowerPoint
- › How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation From an Outline
- › How to Trim a Video in a Microsoft PowerPoint Slideshow
- › How to Create a Summary Zoom Slide in Microsoft PowerPoint
- › How to Add Videos and Customize Playback in Google Slides
- › How to Lock an Object’s Position in Microsoft PowerPoint
- › The Best Heart Rate Monitors of 2023
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The Best Way To Record A PowerPoint Presentation
Approximately 35 million PowerPoint presentations are given every day.
From classrooms to boardrooms, PowerPoint slides are the go-to medium for sharing supporting content that helps audiences absorb and connect with the concepts and ideas shared in a presentation. Different types of presentations include:
- Business and sales presentations
- Executive communications
- Training and tutorials
- Product demos
- Educational lectures
- Student assignments
But what happens to all of those PowerPoint slides after they are presented? A handful will get shared or archived, either privately on SharePoint or publicly on SlideShare depending on the content and intended audience.
In most cases, PowerPoint slides on their own — without the corresponding presentation — are incomplete and don’t do the best job of communicating the concepts from the actual presentation. Those ahead of the curve share and archive recordings of their full presentations.
So, what’s the best way to record your PowerPoint presentation?
If you’ve ever experimented with recording a presentation, you’ve likely tried one of the following:
- Recorded narration over your PowerPoint presentation in PowerPoint itself
- Used a screen recorder to capture your slides and a voice over
- Used Google Hangouts or another video chat tool to record your slides as you present them
While each of these presentation recording methods will undoubtedly produce a resource that is a step above lifeless PowerPoint slides, they all share one glaring shortfall: They still can’t engage your viewers the same way you could if you were presenting right in front of them.
Experienced business professionals and educators will be the first to tell you that the most effective online presentations show both your PowerPoint slides and you presenting . From eye contact to body language, showing the full presentation makes the viewer feel like they are in the room — it will grab your viewer’s attention and improve comprehension and retention of your key points.
When it comes to employee training, class lectures, or any other communication that’s enhanced through show-and-tell, a multi-stream video of you delivering your PowerPoint presentation is ultimately the best way to share information.
How To Record A PowerPoint Presentation With Audio And Video
With Panopto Express , the most advanced free video and screen recorder available today, it’s easy to record yourself and your PowerPoint slides side-by-side with just your laptop and its built-in webcam and microphone. Just open Panopto Express in your web browser, select the media you want to record, press the red button and present!
Click here to start recording with Panopto Express — you can follow along through each step below to record your own PowerPoint presentation.
Step 1: Prepare Your PowerPoint Slides and Talking Points
As you prep your slides and structure your presentation, think strategically about how your PowerPoint slides will visually engage your audience and support your talking points, without duplicating you plan to say. And we’ll let you in on the single greatest secret to delivering a perfect presentation: record yourself practicing .
Step 2: Select Your Audio and Video Sources
Panopto will automatically detect any connected audio and video feeds, whether you’re using your computer’s built-in devices or an external webcam or microphone that you’ve plugged into your USB ports. Simply toggle the automatically detected audio and video sources to chose the media inputs you want to capture. Be sure to test the audio and video quality before you deliver your full presentation.
You can find more tips for making your webcam recordings look good here .
Step 3: Open Your PowerPoint Slides and Capture the Screen
Open your PowerPoint presentation and put it in “Slide Show” mode. With Panopto Express, you’ll have two options for recording your slides: You can either record your slides by recording your screen or by recording the slides within the PowerPoint application. Click the screen capture icon and make your selection from the dialog window that appears in your browser.
Capture your PowerPoint slides directly from PowerPoint or by recording your screen.
You’ll notice that you can add multiple video sources and capture multiple screens with Panopto Express, which means you have a lot of flexibility to record more than just you and your slides. You can share your screen to show a live walk-through or demonstration along with your slides in another screen, and you can even capture multiple video feeds at the same time. Panopto syncs all of your media in the cloud so you can capture every element of your presentation, no matter the complexity.
Additional recording settings: Click the gear icon in the lower right of your screen to configure additional settings for your recording. Here you can:
- Turn on r ecording in Ultra HD (4k)
- Enable virtual background blur and replacement
- Change the arrangement of your video streams from picture-in-picture to side-by-side
- Activate Smart Camera , which tracks your movement and keeps you perfectly positioned within the frame as you move around
Step 4: Press Record And Start Presenting
After selecting your media inputs in Panopto Express, you’re ready to press the record button and start presenting.
Now that you’ve finished your recording, you’re ready to share it. Panopto gives you several options for sharing.
Share your video privately with Panopto — simply sign-up for a free Panopto Basic account and share your video by email. Or upload your video directly to YouTube or to Google Classroom .
Watch A PowerPoint Presentation Recorded With Panopto
Presenting in a Live Video Conference? You Can Record That Too!
Today, many more presentations are given remotely via video conferencing applications, like Zoom or Webex Meetings , than are delivered in-person. You can also use Panopto Express to record and share a live presentation you’re giving in a video conference.
You’ll find step-by-step instructions in our latest blog:
How To Screen Record ANY Online Meeting >
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Published: May 04, 2020
Categories: collaboration training communications sales video recording presentations.
- Add, change, or remove transitions between slides Article
- Animate text or objects Article
- Use the Morph transition in PowerPoint Article
- Insert a video from YouTube or another site Article
- Add or delete audio in your PowerPoint presentation Article
- Record your screen in PowerPoint Article
Record your screen in PowerPoint
You can record your computer screen and related audio, and then embed it in your PowerPoint slide—or you can save it as a separate file.
Open the slide that you want to put the screen recording on.
On the Insert tab of the ribbon, select Screen Recording .
Tip: PowerPoint automatically records the audio and the mouse pointer, so by default those options are selected on the control dock. To turn them off, deselect Audio and Record Pointer.
Select Record . Use Pause as needed and Stop when you're done.
Note: Unless you pin the Control Dock to the screen, it will slide up into the margin while you record. To make the unpinned Control Dock reappear, point the mouse cursor at the top of the screen.
Your video is added to the slide. Right-click the video frame, select the Start icon and pick how you want your video to start: In Click Sequence , Automatically , or When Clicked On .
You can change the look of the video by right-clicking the video frame, select the Style icon, and pick another shape.
Important: To use the screen recording feature in PowerPoint 2013, install the February 16, 2015 update for PowerPoint 2013 .
On the Insert tab, click Screen Recording .
On the Control Dock, click Select Area (Windows logo key+Shift+A).
The minimum size area you can record is 64x64 pixels.
Tip: PowerPoint automatically records the audio and the mouse pointer, so by default those options are selected on the control dock. To turn them off, deselect Audio (Windows logo key+Shift+U) and Record Pointer (Windows logo key+Shift+O).
If you have already done a screen recording during your current PowerPoint session, your prior area selection will appear on the screen. You can proceed with recording if that selection area suits you, or you can click Select Area to start over.
Click Record (Windows logo key+Shift+R).
Tip: Unless you pin the Control Dock to the screen, it will slide up into the margin while you record. To make the unpinned Control Dock reappear, point the mouse cursor at the top of the screen.
To control your recording:
Click Pause to temporarily stop the recording (Windows logo key+Shift+R).
Click Record to resume recording (Windows logo key+Shift+R).
Click Stop to end your recording (Windows logo key+Shift+Q) (shown below).
When you are finished recording, save your presentation: File > Save . The recording is now embedded on the slide you selected in step 1.
To save the recording itself as a separate file on your computer, right-click the picture on the slide that represents the recording, and select Save Media as . In the Save Media As dialog box, specify a file name and folder location, then click Save .
Save your screen recording as a separate file
Right-click the video frame, and select Save Media as .
In the Save Media as box, choose a folder, and in the File name box, type a name.
Select Save.
Trim your video
Right-click the video frame, and select Trim .
To determine where you want to trim your video footage, in the Trim Video box, select Play .
When you reach the point where you want to make the cut, select Pause . Use the Next Frame and Previous Frame buttons to specify precise timing.
Do one or more of the following:
To trim the beginning of the clip, select the start point (shown in the image below as a green marker). When you see the two-headed arrow, drag the arrow to the desired starting position for the video.
To trim the end of the clip, click the end point (shown in the image above as a red marker). When you see the two-headed arrow, drag the arrow to the desired ending position for the video.
Select OK .
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Open the slide that you want to put the screen recording on. On the Insert tab of the ribbon, select Screen Recording. On the Control Dock, choose Select Area (or if you want to select the entire screen for recording, press Windows logo key+Shift+F). You'll see the cross-haired cursor .