'save as web page' issue

[Lance]

If anyone can help with this problem, it would be GREATLY appreciated.....

I'm trying to help a faculty member with a ppt 'save as web page' problem,
but it has me stumped. About 20-40% of the pc's we've tested will not play
any html slide pages that contain sound. The page just stays black (the bg
color of the page) and continues to act as if it is loading the page.

*Note: this isn't a problem with the animation file formats (I read about
those) or with the PPT presentation itself (I can play it fine in PPT 2002
on my PC). This is just related to saving as a web page and making the
resulting HTML both PC and Mac compatible.

The instructor is using Powerpoint X on his Mac. When he saves the ppt as a
web page, it plays fine on his computer. However, many PC's will not play
the file. It would probably be easier to diagnose if ALL pc's wouldn't play
the file. For example, I do web development here at work and also at home.
Both my work and home PC's have the same browsers, same version of Office,
same security settings, etc. installed. But, the ppt web page created by
Powerpoint X will not play on my work PC, but will play on my home PC.
No.... idea.... why.....

I tried saving the PPT as a web page from my machine (Win XP Pro with Office
XP). However the HTML created did not seem to include the code necessary for
Macs (i.e. the <embed> tags for the sound files). So while the slides play,
the "play sound" button does nothing on Macs.

When I go into my PC browser's security settings for active-x, I have
everything set to either "prompt" (for unsafe or unsigned activex controls)
or "enable" (for signed and safe activex controls) with the overall setting
"Run activex controls and plugins" set to "enable". This is my usual
setting, and other than this ppt problem I haven't found anything online
that won't run or play. If I change the "run activex controls" setting to
"prompt", then suddenly it will ask me "Do you want to allow software such
as ActiveX controls and plug-ins to run?" and if I choose "yes", it will
load and play the sound. This confuses me even more, since I don't see why
it won't go ahead and play them when I have it already set to "enable". The
faculty member who created this file also has a PC laptop, and on it the
security settings listed above are set to "disable" and "prompt" instead of
"prompt" and "enable", but the slides with sound play fine for him without
any onscreen prompts. ?!?

Are we missing something obvious here? I would like to think that we won't
have to save the presentations in two separate web pages, one for Macs and
one for PCs. And if it's saved via "pack and go", the ppt file is over 39mb
so it's a little too large to just post online as a ppt file.

Here is the link to the web page created from the Mac with PPT X:
http://cheminfo.chem.ou.edu/~mra/LectureNotes/UnitOne/Basic Concepts.htm

Here is the page created from my PC:
http://cheminfo.ou.edu/test/mrappt/Basic Concepts_files/frame.htm


Any suggestions or tips would be helpful.


Thanks,
Lance Goins

 

[TAJ Simmons]

Lance,

Maybe this info on getting sound to play with powerpoints HTML output will
help you
http://www.powerpointanswers.com/article1018.php

Cheers
TAJ Simmons
microsoft powerpoint mvp

awesome - powerpoint backgrounds,
free sample templates, tutorials, hints and tips etc
http://www.powerpointbackgrounds.com

 

[Lance]

I don't think that will help us. The sound files are portions of the class
lecture, and almost every slide page has it's own sound file. So getting one
sound to play continously won't help us.

We don't have a problem getting the sound to keep playing. It's that it
won't even load the page in the first place if it has sound that is our
problem.

 

[Steve Rindsberg, PPTMVP]

See comments inline:

If anyone can help with this problem, it would be GREATLY appreciated.....

I'm trying to help a faculty member with a ppt 'save as web page' problem,
but it has me stumped. About 20-40% of the pc's we've tested will not play
any html slide pages that contain sound. The page just stays black (the bg
color of the page) and continues to act as if it is loading the page.

*Note: this isn't a problem with the animation file formats (I read about
those) or with the PPT presentation itself (I can play it fine in PPT 2002
on my PC). This is just related to saving as a web page and making the
resulting HTML both PC and Mac compatible.

The instructor is using Powerpoint X on his Mac. When he saves the ppt as a
web page, it plays fine on his computer. However, many PC's will not play
the file. It would probably be easier to diagnose if ALL pc's wouldn't play
the file. For example, I do web development here at work and also at home.
Both my work and home PC's have the same browsers, same version of Office,
same security settings, etc. installed. But, the ppt web page created by
Powerpoint X will not play on my work PC, but will play on my home PC.
No.... idea.... why.....

I tried saving the PPT as a web page from my machine (Win XP Pro with Office
XP). However the HTML created did not seem to include the code necessary for
Macs (i.e. the <embed> tags for the sound files). So while the slides play,
the "play sound" button does nothing on Macs.

When I go into my PC browser's security settings for active-x, I have
everything set to either "prompt" (for unsafe or unsigned activex controls)
or "enable" (for signed and safe activex controls) with the overall setting
"Run activex controls and plugins" set to "enable". This is my usual
setting, and other than this ppt problem I haven't found anything online
that won't run or play. If I change the "run activex controls" setting to
"prompt", then suddenly it will ask me "Do you want to allow software such
as ActiveX controls and plug-ins to run?" and if I choose "yes", it will
load and play the sound. This confuses me even more, since I don't see why
it won't go ahead and play them when I have it already set to "enable". The
faculty member who created this file also has a PC laptop, and on it the
security settings listed above are set to "disable" and "prompt" instead of
"prompt" and "enable", but the slides with sound play fine for him without
any onscreen prompts. ?!?

Are we missing something obvious here? I would like to think that we won't
have to save the presentations in two separate web pages, one for Macs and
one for PCs. And if it's saved via "pack and go", the ppt file is over 39mb
so it's a little too large to just post online as a ppt file.

Here is the link to the web page created from the Mac with PPT X:
http://cheminfo.chem.ou.edu/~mra/LectureNotes/UnitOne/Basic Concepts.htm

Here is the page created from my PC:
http://cheminfo.ou.edu/test/mrappt/Basic Concepts_files/frame.htm

If you poke at the html for the bits that invoke the sound in each case,
you'll find them wildly different. I don't know enough to give you a
diagnosis, but you migth want to post this in the Windows side of the PPT
newsgroup. A few of the regulars speak fluent Javascript and may be able to
help more.

My hunch is that the Mac side wants to use Quicktime to play back the sound.
Some PCs have it, many don't. That could be the problem right there.

Another suggestion: the link should probably be to:
http://cheminfo.ou.edu/test/mrappt/Basic Concepts.htm

and I'd avoid spaces in filenames like the very plague.

And finally, if you get Kameron Schlachter or Givenchy Kinkaid in any of
your classes, tell them you're watching them for me. ;-)

 

[Lance]

Thanks Steve. The general consensus I've received from various sources is
that the Quicktime tags equal trouble for PC's.

I used to do some work with Flash, and it always had to have two sets of
tags in the page to get it working in various browsers, one <object> tag
along with an <embed> tag. I might have to come up with something similar to
overcome this problem.

 

[Steve Rindsberg, PPTMVP]

Thanks Steve. The general consensus I've received from various sources is

that the Quicktime tags equal trouble for PC's.

Anything that requires QT will, guaranteed, not work on a substantial number
of PCs. I have no idea how widely installed it is, but it's not included
with the operating system or with most apps, and a lot of PC users refuse to
install it. Earlier versions had a habit of taking over everything; not
sure whether it's become more civilized of late - I understand it has, but I
haven't a spare PC at the moment to offer up as a sacrificial lamb. ;-)

I used to do some work with Flash, and it always had to have two sets of
tags in the page to get it working in various browsers, one <object> tag
along with an <embed> tag. I might have to come up with something similar to
overcome this problem.

That will solve some issues with different browsers, but if the PC doesn't
have QT installed, it's not going to play QT. Can you save the sounds as
WAV w/o QT compression?

 

[Lance]

ahhh... "waves w/o QT compression" will probably do the trick. Thanks.

Also, QT does still try to force itself onto most media types when it's
installed on a PC, and wants a place in the system tray, and won't quit
starting up unless you specifically tell it to, and then sometimes it still
starts up...

 

[Steve Rindsberg, PPTMVP]

Also, QT does still try to force itself onto most media types when it's

installed on a PC, and wants a place in the system tray, and won't quit
starting up unless you specifically tell it to, and then sometimes it still
starts up...

Thanks, Lance. I'll continue waving it off ...