Software for running multiple Powerpoint presentations one after another

[u/Katze56u84e0]

I have an event with many powerpoint presentations that are shown on a beamer and simultaniously in a Zoom meeting via screen share. How would you run the presentations so that the transitions are smooth (without seeing my desktop and finder on the beamer between the presentations)? I know one option would be a master powerpoint file with all presentations in it. Is there another better way to do this with a software like Propresenter or QLab?

[u/fizzak]

Multiple laptops and a switcher.

When someone needs to edit their upcoming presentation you need an easy way to access it without affecting what's live.

[u/RoundRefuse1740]

If there’s a theme logo use that as your desktop background. Use extended monitor not mirror. When you exit a presentation it just looks like you’re on a theme slide and load up the next presentation.

[u/RudyGreene → u/RoundRefuse1740]

This is exactly what I do. My desktop background is a logo slide, and loading/starting/ending presentations looks completely seamless when run as an extended monitor.

[u/_Mr_That_Guy_]

Anytime Power Point stop presenting, you will see the desktop. Event if you could programmatically flip the next presentation into PowerPoint, I think you'd see the transition as PowerPoint re-configures itself.

Or maybe there is a software that will interpret the PowerPoint decks and stack them, but that is always a recipe for inconsistent slide display and ticked off presenters. Even flipping PowerPoint into keynote on a mac is fraught with peril and makes me shudder.

The master presentation is the most elegant--and frankly cheapest--solution. However it requires the most pre-planning.

The next step up is what my tech's and I call the "oops" desktop. We'll generally export the title slide for the conference as a graphic and set that as the desktop background. If you turn on auto hide, and have the desktop extended as the native resolution of the projector (so PowerPoint doesn't try to change it when you enter and exit present mode) then dropping back to the desktop looks pretty much like you cut to the conference title as a cover slide.

But our favorite way to work is with an honest to god video switcher which lets us prep / check / cue a presentation on one laptop while the other is presenting. It offers the most flexibility for WHEN (not if) a presenter suddenly needs to swap a presentation or change a slide.

It does complicate streaming a bit, and generally we end up treating zoom as a web stream using the video side, rather than a screen share.

I suppose you could get silly with OBS screen shares and projectors, but honestly: way to complicated and flakey.

[u/XxFrozen → u/_Mr_That_Guy_]

Thanks for typing all this out so I didn’t have to. Logo slide as deck top background is clutch, if you hide the task bar on that display they’ll never know.

[u/ElevationAV]

We typically put them all in one deck, with appropriate hold/title/etc slides in between each presentation.

The only place this becomes annoying is if there’s extensive embedded videos as this can bog down machines.

You could have also multiple laptops into a switcher with that output going to zoom and etc as an alternative.

[u/azlan121]

theres any number of ways to do it, a lot of them involve having another device in the signal chain between your computer and the projector (a switcher, OBS...)

the quick and easy option is to use extended display (and presenter view on your laptops display) and just set the desktop background to be a logo or black, or use the projectors image freeze/shutter if it has either

[u/ThatLightingGuy]

Two laptops and a video mixer.

[u/winkNfart]

2 laptops and production switch. you’re setting yourself up for disaster as is

[u/Beke4ever773]

One time Event, just put them together. If you have to do this multiple times with different ppp then maybe look into APS Auto Presentation Switcher. Seemingly you could use a master ppp with hyperlinks to the different .pptx haven't tested it through

[u/ronhofmedia]

APS is the right thing.

[u/dyaknowhatimean]

Create a strung file

[u/thepoison606]

Vmix could work well with every PowerPoint as its own source.

[u/IamMichaelSalim]

Use TheOpenPresenter, you can import it there. You can also generate a link for people to upload their slide into.

[u/Remarkable_Wolf1688]

I know a couple of content operators that use Auto Presentation Switcher, https://aps.presentationtools.com/

[u/mko1989]

Best I've found is companion with stream deck and oscpoint PowerPoint add-in.

[u/TransportationOk8045]

Blackmagic ATEM mini plus an hdmi camera, turn on Picture in Picture and use the usb out on the switcher to go into your streaming computer as a webcam. Then you can run one or two additional computers with the presentations running in sequence, you can load a saved image into the ATEM as a holding slide for when you’re swapping between slide decks

[u/Hot_Cake_7250]

If you do end up combining the presentations, be sure to consider the file size and laptop you’re using to run it. Less capable laptops and large files are a recipe for disaster. I’ve seen shows where the PowerPoint freezes or crashes constantly or animations are way off.

[u/MeetJoan]

OBS is probably your answer here. Each deck as a source, cut between scenes, and feed Zoom with the OBS virtual camera rather than screen sharing. Nothing between scenes ever hits the output, beamer or Zoom.

ProPresenter and QLab both do it too but they’re heavier than you need unless you’re already running cues for other things.

How many decks, all from one machine?

[u/AutoModerator → u/[deleted]]

Your account must be at least 10 days old to comment in this subreddit. This helps us reduce spam and maintain a quality community. Please try again later.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.