Support
1. What are my tech support options?
2. How much do updates cost?

Usability

1. How easy is the PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds product to use?
It's incredibly easy to use PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds! First of all, using an industry standard installer program, it seamlessly installs into PowerPoint with just a few simple clicks. And it works right inside of PowerPoint, so you never have to leave PowerPoint to apply moving backgrounds to your slides. And its user friendly dialog box works just like you would expect a PowerPoint dialog box to work, making it all very easy to figure out and use

To assign a video background, use the "Add Video Background" command which appears on the floating palette (shown below). Or use the equivalent “PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds” command in the PowerPoint Insert menu.

When you click on either of these commands, a dialog box (shown below) appears which allows you to easily select and preview a video clip to be played as the background for the presentation. After selecting the desired video, you can click 'Apply' and the video clip will be assigned to the background on only the currently selected slide (the 'Apply' option is available to users of PowerPoint 2002 or higher); or click 'Apply to All' to have the video clip background display on all the slides in your presentation. Just two or three clicks. That's really all it takes!

You can add semi-transparent or opaque backdrops to slides with moving backgrounds to overlay the videos and, thus, emphasize the text and graphics in your slides. The "Select Backdrop Style" tab allows you to choose different backdrop shapes, styles, borders and colors to overlay the video backgrounds on your slides. When you click on a backdrop, you will see a preview of it in the blue rectangular area shown below:



To play your PowerPoint Slide Show with moving backgrounds, use the "View Show With Effects" command which appears on the floating palette below. The equivalent command “PowerPlugs: View Show with Effects” is also located in the PowerPoint Slide Show menu, the second item from the top. (If you press just "View Show" or "Slide Show", the presentation will play, but without moving backgrounds.)

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2. What video backgrounds are available for PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds?
At the time of this writing, CrystalGraphics includes over 1,000 background videos with its PowerPlugs: Video Background Annual Subscription. These videos are very high quality video background loops and clips created for television by the most talented artists in the business, and optimized for use on today’s personal computers. They are available to subscribers in the WMV format. They range in resolution from 640x480 to 800x600 and range in frame rates from 15 fps to 30 fps with fixed or variable frame rates. In addition, PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds Player works with any WMV or MPG compressed video and most AVI videos. In other words, it does not restrict you to videos you buy from CrystalGraphics.
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3. Are the videos included in the PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds Annual Subscription royalty free?
Yes, they are royalty free, but not copyright free. These video clips are original, copyrighted video material created by professional and talented animators who focus on creating moving backgrounds for broadcast television. You may not give or sell these video clips to anyone else. However, you may use them in your PowerPoint presentations royalty free.
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4. Can I use my own video clips with PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds?
Yes, you can import and use your own video clips as backgrounds. PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds Player supports the following video formats: AVI, WMV and MPEG (TIP: In our experience, WMV works the best).
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5. Can I insert or overlay PowerPoint text when PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds is set as the background for my slides?
Yes. That's the power and the beauty of PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds! You can overlay still or animated text or graphics over the video background and create TV style presentations very easily. And, since PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds works in the actual PowerPoint environment, you can go back and edit your text any time you want.
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6. What are 'backdrops'?
Backdrops in PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds are opaque or semi-transparent rectangles or other shapes which PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds can insert into the slides of your presentation behind your text, but in front of the video backgrounds. The resulting effect emphasizes the text displayed on your slides.
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7. How many backdrops are available in PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds?
There are 24 backdrops included with PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds. They vary by shape and border style and you can select the backdrop color to your choice. You can also turn their transparency on or off.
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8. Can I use PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds with presentations that I have already created?
Yes. PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds can be used on previously created presentations as well as presentations you are creating from scratch.
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9. Can I use PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds with the 3D effects produced by PowerPlugs: Transitions and/or 3DTitles?
Yes. PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds is fully compatible with the real-time 3D rendered effects of PowerPlugs: Transitions and PowerPlugs: 3D Titles.
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10. Can others view my PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds when I send my presentation to them?
Yes. Using PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds' "Pack With Effects" tool, you can pack up your enhanced presentation and take it "on the road" or send it to someone else for viewing. (The destination machine should have PowerPoint 2000 or above installed.) Please read the Video Backgrounds Online Help for additional information about the handy Pack With Effects tool.
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11. Can multiple users install and use PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds?
Yes. CrystalGraphics offers discount pricing for multiple user licenses of PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds. Please contact our sales staff for more details.
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System Requirements

1. Will PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds run on my PC?
Yes, when your computer is configured in the following way(s) –
Windows operating systems: 2000, XP, Vista, 7 & 8
PowerPoint 2003 - 2013 (32-bit)
Pentium III or faster processor
System RAM: 128 MB or more
Video RAM: 32 MB or more
10 MB available disk space for PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds Player
About 1 MB available disk space for each PowerPlugs: Backgrounds clip

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2. How large is the PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds program?
PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds Player requires just 10MB of hard drive space.
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3. Can PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds be run from a network / virtual drive?
No. PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds must be installed onto the local hard drive of an individual PC and run from that PC regardless of whether the host application, PowerPoint, is running via a network or virtual drive.
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Support

1. Technical Support Options
a. CrystalGraphics customers automatically receive unlimited access to our Online Technical Support FAQs which list the typical technical support problems that users encounter, along with our best information regarding their solutions. This service is available free of charge.

b. If you are a CrystalGraphics customer and have read through all the common questions and answers in the technical support section of the CrystalGraphics website, and your issue is still not resolved, you can contact CrystalGraphics Technical Support via email 24 hours per day for a customized answer to your unique issue.

c. If you should need telephone-based technical support assistance within 30 days after your purchase, you can call us toll-free at 1 800-504-6148 . For customers calling from outside the U.S. and Canada, please dial +1 800-504-6148. Telephone-based technical support is available Monday through Friday, 8:30AM - 2:00PM Pacific Time. Note: Some locations outside the U.S. may not be able to connect directly to this toll-free number. In this case, please call +1 408-496-6175, extension 271 and leave a message that includes your name and contact information such as your complete email address and a phone number (include your country & city code numbers) along with a description of the problem you are experiencing. A technical support representative will make every effort to promptly return your call and assist you.

Click here to return to CrystalGraphics Support Center
Click here to return to CrystalGraphics Home Page
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2. How much do updates cost?
Updates of the PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds Player software are, at this time, FREE! You can check the current version available and download free update patches, if any, available on our CrystalGraphics technical support pages any time you want to. It's our pleasure to serve you!
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