How do you test and troubleshoot videos and audio in your slides before presenting?

To test and troubleshoot videos and audio in your slides, play each file on the presentation device to check for compatibility and quality. Ensure your audio settings are correct and adjust if needed. Have backup copies ready in case of technical issues during the presentation.

Try previewing your slides in presentation mode to test and troubleshoot the audio and video content. Verify that files are correctly embedded and in the correct format before checking for compatibility problems. Check the video playback and audio levels, and make any necessary corrections. To guarantee flawless playing and prevent technical hiccups during the live presentation, do a test run with the presenting equipment and internet connection.

I usually embed my files so I don't have to worry about connectivity issues suddenly occurring during my teaching calls. Like the article said, embedding files makes your PPTX file quite large, which can cause your machine to slow down and affect the call quality. To mitigate this, I break my presentations into two or even three different slide decks. Switching to a new slide decks provides a natural inflection point in the presentation where I encourage the participants to stand up, stretch, and move around for 60 seconds or so before they return to their seat and the screen. This helps to keep them engaged with the overall presentation, especially if it's longer than 30 minutes.

Before presenting, I thoroughly review the video and audio clips on my slides. I make sure they start automatically to avoid awkward pauses while presenting. Sometimes I give a delay or an on-click animation where I need to emphasize a key messaging or an important part of a slide. To avoid loud music and sound effects all of a sudden, I Set volume levels consistent across slides to ensure a smooth flow. This process eliminates last-minute surprises and ensures my presentations are polished and professional. #presentationdesign

It is important to check sound and quality as close to real situation as possible. If you are presenting in a large room, you have to make sure that you have a speaker system beyond your laptop. Too often have I been in presentations where the audio can only be heard by the first 2 rows! If you need to use a big screen, check how visible te video will be. Do you need to change the light in the room? It is a bit easier for when you are doing online presentations, but still test on different browsers and screen settings (for example laptop vs mobile) to ensure quality is good.

A PDF can be a great backup in case of technical/compatibility issues. Keep a PDF version of your presentation on a thumb drive.

Restarting you computer and only opening the necessary software can help with your presentation. When I speak and do a live demo or include a longer video, I often upload that to Loom as a backup. If I can’t load the file, I’ll share a short link or QR code with the audience.

Practice can be the perfect opportunity to pull it all together while testing all aspects. I like to take my setup to another room, test the technology on a different system. I'll practice my delivery while actually running the technology. If online, I may practice using both a Zoom and a Teams call using my laptop and switching to a secondary monitor. To understand where bumps may occur and how I'll solve issues, I'll emulate situations such as transitioning from a PPT to a pdf or from wired to wireless. I also try to change perspective and revisit my audience - asking myself if I have addressed their needs rather than mine. The end result should be I'm less stressed and more excited about the presentation.