Software Update

Current Version
The current version of PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds Player is 3.5 – released Feb 5th, 2013
If your software has an older (lower) version number than this, then you will want to get your free update here!  

Updating Instructions for users of all previous versions of PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds Player:

1. Do not uninstall the version of PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds software that you have prior to installing this update.
   This update will not install or work if you do not already have a purchased version of PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds installed on your PC.
   
2. Download the new update for PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds Player.
   Click on the link (above, right) to download the PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds Player update file.
   Save the downloaded file to a location such as your "My Download Files" folder, where it will be easy to find when you prepare to install the update.
   
3. Close all running applications to prevent installation problems.
   This is good advice when installing any software from any source.
   
4. Double-click the downloaded file to start the installation.
   
Your downloaded file will be named: PowerPlugs-VideoBackgrounds-3_*-Update.exe
After you double-click on this downloaded file, the installer will extract one or more compressed files from it.
The newly extracted files will be placed, by default, in a directory called C:\Program Files\PowerPlugs\Video Backgrounds.

Update History Overview

    Fixes and other improvements in PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds 3.5:

• VideoBackgrounds is now compatible with Office 2013 and Windows 8.

• VideoBackgrounds is now compatible with Office 2010.

  Version 2.1 makes the following improvements and fixes the following issues:

• VideoBackgrounds is now compatible with Windows 7.

  Version 2.0 makes the following improvements and fixes the following issues:

1. Now supports foreground videos that appear in front of video backgrounds on the same slide.
2. Now supports video backgrounds on wide format display screens.
3. Now supports “Back navigation” in a slideshow (using the Back button in the lower left corner of the slides).
4. Improves the smoothing of the edges of the text and other objects that appear in front of the video backgrounds.

  Fixes and other improvements in PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds 1.9:

1. Enhanced to make it easier to install on PCs running Windows Vista
   

  Fixes and other improvements in PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds 1.8:

1. Eliminated the startup countdown in the case of packed presentations.

  Fixes and other improvements in PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds 1.7:

1. Further enhanced for Vista compatibility. Specifically, the playback of the background videos under Vista was slow and “choppy”. This problem has now been eliminated.
2. Further enhanced for custom animation compatibility. Specifically, the playback of the custom animations under Vista (with video backgrounds playing) was also slow and “choppy”. This problem has also been eliminated.

    Fixes and other improvements in PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds 1.6:

1. Enhanced for Vista compatibility

    Fixes and other improvements in PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds 1.31:

1. Improved campatibility with PowerPlugs: Animator
2. Improved compatibility with custom animation

    Fixes and other improvements in PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds 1.3:

1. Better support for running PowerPoint Custom Animations with Video Backgrounds.
2. Animations are properly synchronized with sounds when Video Backgrounds play.
3. Improved compatibility with PowerPlugs: Transitions.
4. Improved Pack with Effects fidelity.
5. Conflict with PowerPoint Master Slides is resolved.
6. Users with limited Windows access rights can now use Video Backgrounds successfully.
7. Keyboard shortcuts now work properly during slide show, including multiple monitor slide shows.
8. The default transparency value for backdrops is now 30%, which makes text in front of video backgrounds more visible.
9. Full support for PowerPlugs: Animator

    Fixes and other improvements in PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds 1.2:

1. Improved support for the Windows Multiple Monitor feature, including full support for PowerPoint Presenters View, enabling you to use the PowerPoint control panel on one monitor while showing your presentation on a separate monitor or projector
2. Improved reliability of the View Show with Effects tool, including improved playback of the video backgrounds, and easier forward, backwards navigation
3. Improved compatibility with widescreen displays during View Show with Effects
4. Presentations now begin on the current slide when opened using View Show with Effects
5. Playback of AVI videos in slideshows containing Video Backgrounds is improved
6. All PowerPoint custom animation settings are now preserved after View Show with Effects
7. Improved compatibility with PowerPlugs: Transitions and 3D Titles
8. Problems with screen image shifting before 3D transitions have been greatly reduced
9. The problem that caused video backgrounds to sometimes turn gray has been eliminated
10. Improved reliability of Pack with Effects, including the case of non-English versions of Office
11. Made it easier to remove Video Backgrounds once they have been added to a presentation
12. Improved performance of video thumbnail previews and eliminated unnecessary refresh in the Video Backgrounds selection dialog box

Many other minor problems have been fixed as well

    Improvements in PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds 1.1:

1. Dual monitor support – so you can have your presentation on one screen, and your speaker notes for example on another screen.
   Note: This version of PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds Player does not yet support a PowerPoint 2003 dual monitor mode option called "Presenter View." (We plan to release a version of the Video Backgrounds Player in the near future that does support this option.) Nevertheless, the Video Backgrounds Player's current support of PowerPoint's dual monitor feature is still useful for doing things such as being able to read from a Word document containing your presentation outline, or opening an Excel spreadsheet to get key numbers during a presentation, etc. without those things appearing to your entire audience.
2. Added Variable control over the transparency of the backdrops
3. Added Video background normal/slow speed control option
4. Added Foreground video support

1. The incompatibility of PowerPlugs: Transitions and international versions of PowerPoint.
2. Compatibility of PowerPlugs: Transitions with Custom Animation with automatic timing.

     Version 1.01:  Resolved the following issues:

1. For a very small percentage of customers, upon selecting "Add Video Background", the dialog box displays but the required thumbnail previews of video clips do not appear.
2. The PowerPlugs: View Show with Effects tool gives an error message if you have inserted an audio file into your PowerPoint presentation.
3. For PowerPoint 2003 users, the “PowerPlugs: Pack with Effects” tool appears in the floating toolbar, but not in the PowerPoint File menu, as it should.

Additional PowerPlugs products