
- How to trim a video (including how to trim a YouTube video)
- Getting your video to play full screen
- Creating a video thumbnail or Poster Frame
- How to compress your videos
- And more!
Embedding Online videos vs. Desktop videos
- Videos from your computer
- Videos from online sources like YouTube
1. Video size
An online video (like a YouTube video) will not increase the size of your PowerPoint presentation. That’s because the video will stream from the web, where it resides. So whereas a 45 MB video embedded from your computer will increase the size of your presentation by 45 MB, a 45 MB video uploaded to YouTube and then embedded in PowerPoint will not increase the size of your presentation.
2. Internet connection
Online videos require a good – STRONG – internet connection to play properly.
That means that if you embed a YouTube video in your PowerPoint and the conference room you are presenting in has a weak internet connection, you are in trouble.
So I highly recommend spot checking the internet quality of the room you will be presenting in before working with any online video in your presentation.
If your internet connection is weak, be prepared to skip the video in your presentation.
3. Playback options
Online videos have limited playback options you can work with in PowerPoint. Notice in the picture below how all of the options in the Playback tab are not available for online videos – they are grayed out.

How to embed a video in PowerPoint

- Navigate to the Insert tab
- Open the Video drop down (within the Media group)
- Choose Video on my PC
- Navigate to where the video resides on your PC
- Select the Video
- Click Insert

How to trim an embedded video in PowerPoint

- Select your video
- Navigate to the Playback tab
- Select the Trim Video command
- Adjust the Green Start Time cursor
- Adjust the Red End Time cursor
- Click OK

How to add a Video thumbnail
Adding a video thumbnail (or what PowerPoint calls a Poster Frame) is super easy.
But this is only applicable to videos you add to your presentation from your computer. That’s because online videos will automatically populate with whatever thumbnail their creator gave it (you cannot edit it or change it in PowerPoint).
There are two types of thumbnails you can add to your videos in PowerPoint:
- Use a frame from your video as the thumbnail (easiest)
- Import your own custom thumbnail image (most flexible)
Neither is better or worse (your video will still play the same either way), it’s just a personal preference.
What is a video thumbnail and why is it important?
A video thumbnail is simply an image that is displayed before you play your video. You will see these on YouTube videos all the time before you click to play them.
In PowerPoint, the thumbnail image can become an important part of your overall slide design theme.
If you don’t add your own thumbnail, the first frame of your video will automatically be used as the video’s Poster Frame.
Adding a Poster Frame is an optional step, but can go a long way to improving the overall design of your PowerPoint slides.
Here are the different ways to add a thumbnail or Poster Frame to your embedded video:
1. Using a video frame as the thumbnail (or Poster Frame)

- Select your video
- Scrub to the video frame you want to use as your thumbnail
- Navigate to the Video Format tab
- Open the Poster Frame drop down
- Select Current Frame

2. Importing a video thumbnail (or Poster Frame)

- Select your video
- Navigate to the Video Format tab
- Open the Poster Frame drop down
- Choose Image from file…
- Select From a File
- Navigate to the image on your computer
- Select the image you wan to use
- Click Insert
How to reset a thumbnail (or Poster Frame)

- Select your video
- Navigate to the Video Format tab
- Open the Poster Frame drop down
- Select Reset
How to make a video play full screen

- Select the video on your slide
- Navigate to the Playback tab
- Click Play Full Screen
Getting an online video to play full screen
Because the Play Full Screen command is not available for online videos in PowerPoint, online videos will play in whatever frame size they exist in on your slide. That means that if you want your video to play full screen during your presentation, you first need to resize the video to fit your entire slide space, as pictured below.
How to compress a video in PowerPoint

- Navigate to File
- Select the Info tab (selected by default)
- Open the Compress Media drop down
- Choose between 1080p, 720p and 480p


- Full HD (1080p): Save space while maintaining overall audio and video quality.
- HD (720p): Quality will be comparable to media which is streamed over the Internet.
- Standard (480p): Use when space is limited, such as when sending presentations via e-mail.
Conclusion
So that’s how to embed a video in PowerPoint, including how to embed a YouTube video in PowerPoint.
You also learned about the different formatting options available to you, which can determine which type of video you want to embed in your PowerPoint presentations in the first place.
When used well, videos are a great way to back up your main points and improve the overall quality of your presentation as they are more engaging than static images.
If you enjoyed the depth of this article, you’ll love our PowerPoint training courses and other free resources. To learn more, visit us here.