How to export your presentations in HD

You’ve spent all that time and effort creating a beautiful self-running presentation that rivals Martin Scorsese’s best efforts. Your masterpiece is now ready for a full HD release, unfortunately the export to video option in PowerPoint doesn’t quite cut the mustard. How can we get the sparkling HD our video presentation demands?

I like to think of myself as a modest man; a strikingly handsome man with a rapier sharp wit, strong quadriceps, and a chiseled jawline but modest nonetheless. However, even I, possessed as I am with a heaving sackful of modesty have, at times, succumbed to moments of self-satisfaction and pride.

I’m sure you can empathise. Most of you, I dare say, are familiar with that post-Powerpoint glow – the last coat of polish has been added to that big presentation, when the combined emphasis effects and motion paths seem to sing together in a harmonious visual chorus, now is the time when you can take a step back and appreciate your work.

But something’s wrong. When you export it as a video it just doesn’t look right, it looks… dumpy. You need to export this presentation not just as video but as a sparkling HD video. Now, I don’t have the slightest clue what HD means but I know that the Blu-Ray version of ‘Police Academy 6 – City Under Siege’ is the definitive version of what is arguably my generation’s ‘Citizen Kane’. Just try looking at the glorious gurning grid Steve Guttenberg in full HD without breaking down in tears, can’t be done.

But how does one go about applying this magic to a presentation? Well, there do exist programs built for this sole purpose (Moyea PPT is one such example) which is fine, but what if I were to tell you that I came across a method of going beyond the default export settings using nothing but PowerPoint, and a little VB code? [Note, PowerPoint 2016 or later can now simply export in HD or even 4K without the need for this trick.]

Here’s how it’s done

(This example assumes the presentation format is in 16:9 – Which it should be).

The code

Here’s are two VBA macros for exporting your masterpiece as a video with 100% quality in HD1080p and UHD 4K formats:

Sub ExportAsVideoHD()
  With ActivePresentation
    If .CreateVideoStatus <> ppMediaTaskStatusInProgress Then
      .CreateVideo FileName:=Environ("USERPROFILE") & "\Desktop\myVideoHD.mp4", _
                   UseTimingsAndNarrations:=True, _
                   FramesPerSecond:=30, _
                   VertResolution:=1080, _
                   Quality:=100
    Else
      MsgBox "There is another conversion to video in progress.", vbInformation + vbOKOnly, "BrightCarbon VBA Macro"
    End If
  End With
End Sub

Sub ExportAsVideoUHD()
  With ActivePresentation
    If .CreateVideoStatus <> ppMediaTaskStatusInProgress Then
      .CreateVideo FileName:=Environ("USERPROFILE") & "\Desktop\myVideoUHD.mp4", _
                   UseTimingsAndNarrations:=True, _
                   FramesPerSecond:=60, _
                   VertResolution:=2160, _
                   Quality:=100
    Else
      MsgBox "There is another conversion to video in progress.", vbInformation + vbOKOnly, "BrightCarbon VBA Macro"
    End If
  End With
End Sub

To use the macro, check out our VBA code article.

That’s all there is too it, once you have set up this VB Macro it can be used for any other PowerPoint projects that are open.

So there you have it, an appropriately grandiose resolution for your presentations. Hell, If ‘Troll 2‘ –  can receive a BluRay release, why can’t you?

Got something extra you’d like PowerPoint to do?

Check out our PowerPoint automation service which provides you with a custom solution to your specific needs.