When you add a video to your Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow, the first frame of the clip displays by default until you play it. However, if that’s not the thumbnail you want on your slide, we’ll show you how to change it.
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Use a certain image as a preview image for a video
Go to the Video Format tab and select the Poster Frame drop-down arrow. Choose “Current frame”.
You will then see the image that displays for the video on your slide update to the specific image you chose. As you can see in the example below, this is a much nicer thumbnail for video.
Use an image as a video preview
Maybe you want to show a completely different image for the video thumbnail, like your company logo. Go to the slide containing the clip and click on the video.
Open the Video Format tab, select the Poster Image drop-down arrow and choose “Image from File”.
You can choose an image on your computer, a stock image, an online image, or an icon. Find the image you want to use, select it and click “Insert”.
You will now see this preview image for your video instead of the first image. When you play your video during the presentation, the clip plays normally.
Reset video preview image
If you decide later that you prefer to use that first image as your preview image after all, it’s easy to change it.
Select the clip and go to the Video Format tab. Click the Poster Frame drop-down arrow and select “Reset”.
The preview image then reverts to the default first image.
When you present a video in your slideshow, the content normally speaks for itself. But making sure the image displayed on the slide before the video plays can be just as important as the clip.
For more help with visuals in your PowerPoint presentation, learn how share a slideshow with embedded video or how to record your screen and insert this clip.