How to convert PowerPoint into Video for YouTube or iPod

http://www.labnol.org/software/tutorials/convert-powerpoint-video-upload-youtube-ppt-dvd/2978/

All you need a copy of Microsoft PowerPoint (any version), the PPT file, a webcam or microphone (if you want to record audio) and Internet access. OK, let's get started:

Step 1: Open your PPT presentation file inside PowerPoint and switch to Slide Show menu to setup the exact time duration for each slide. You have two choices here:

a) Use Record Narration if you want to include audio in your presentations. Record your voice as your move through the slides and say yes when you are prompted to save the changes.

b) Use Rehearse Timings for silent PowerPoint videos. This option lets you define how long a slide should display on the screen before the presentation move to the next slide.

Step 2: Now go to authorstream.com and upload the PPT file you saved in Step 1. AuthorStream is a PowerPoint hosting service where you can PPT files as large as 1 GB. It's again a good service though not so popular as Slideshare.

Step 3: When you are done uploading the PPT file to the web, Author Stream will convert the PowerPoint file into a MPEG4 video (mp4) that can be directly uploaded to YouTube or you can watch it on an iPod.

This process may take some time but you'll get an email notification as soon as your PowerPoint video is ready for download from the web.

The conversion is not instant but definitely worth the wait. And the quality of video created from PPT files is brilliant.

There's more – other than converting PPT to video, AuthorStream will also create a video podcast version of your presentation that can be directly imported into iTunes. This could a good opportunity for educators who have piles of PPT files on their computer that can be shared with the world.

Update: If you have the budget, you can use a screen recording application like Camtasia Studio to record PowerPoint presentations as video on your desktop.

Free screencasting software like Camstudio may also also record PPT playback but I think the above method is simpler as it takes care of conversion as well as video hosting.