Jake Ludington's Digital Lifestyle

Luke asks, "What is best software for converting PowerPoint presentations to AVI and other video formats? Best shareware?"

I partially covered this topic in a previous article on converting PowerPoint PPT slideshows to WMV. The two primary options for converting PPT slideshows to AVI or any video format are to either invest in software that connects to Microsoft PowerPoint or to use a screen recording application to record your slideshow as it plays on your screen. Using separate software gives you more control over the video file format including AVI and MP4, while screen recording software typically offers similar video format options.

After converting many PowerPoint presentations, I have yet to find an application that combines all the features I want into a package that's priced in a budget that makes sense for most projects. The plug-in solutions generally copy most parts of a PowerPoint slideshow while failing to capture some transitions and completely bypassing any imbedded video, which is what makes screen recording an attractive alternative.

For many years there was a great plugin at a pricey $199. That solution is no longer available.

The option I prefer for converting PowerPoint to AVI is to play the slideshow on my screen while using screen recording software to capture the slideshow. If you don't have any embedded video clips in the slide show, an app like SnagIt.

The key to choosing a solution for converting PowerPoint to AVI is to make note of which elements of your presentation you need to convert to video. If you simply need to convert slides and a few simple transitions, SnagIt does an outstanding job of recording your screen.

PPT2Video Pro does a great job of converting PowerPoint slideshows in a long list of formats including support for outputting HD video and iPhone and iPod ready files. For heavy duty conversion of complex PowerPoint presentations, using a screen recording app like Camtasia to capture every transition and maintain full motion video throughout results in a movie quality conversion of your slideshow to AVI.