"PowerPoint cannot insert a video from the selected file" error when you try to insert an MPEG-2 video into a PowerPoint 2013 or 2010 presentation

To work around this issue, use one of the following methods.

Convert the video to a Windows Media Video (.wmv) format

To convert the video into a Windows Media Video (.wmv) format, you can use Microsoft Expression Encoder 4 Pro.

Install a third-party video codec

Install a video codec from a third-party source that supports the video format that is used by the video. To find Windows-compatible codecs, visit the following FOURCC.org website: Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

Use the Windows Media Player control in PowerPoint

Insert the Windows Media Player control onto the slide and then play the video through this control. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Note This workaround does not embed the video into the presentation. Instead, a link is inserted into the presentation. For maximum portability, put the video file in a public folder that all users can access before you add the link to the presentation.