PowerPoint Adds SRT File Support for Enhanced Captions and Subtitles

Microsoft Enhances PowerPoint with New Accessibility Features

Microsoft has unveiled an exciting update for PowerPoint, aimed at enhancing its accessibility features. Users can now import SRT files, a commonly used format for video captions, to seamlessly add captions and subtitles to their presentations. This feature enhances the inclusivity of presentations, ensuring that all audiences can engage with the content effectively.

Automatic Conversion for Extended Compatibility

One of the standout advancements is the automatic conversion of subtitles into WebVTT format. This ensures that your presentations maintain compatibility with previous versions of PowerPoint as well as popular web browsers, making it easier than ever to reach a wider audience.

How to Add SRT Files to Your Presentations

Integrating SRT files into your presentations is straightforward. Follow these steps to enhance your video content with accessible subtitles:

Select the embedded video within your presentation that you wish to add captions to.

Go to Playback > Insert Captions (or for PowerPoint on the web, navigate to Video > Edit Captions > Insert captions from file) and select the SRT file you want to include. NOTE: Multiple captions files can be inserted for the same video.

While playing the video, click the captions button at the bottom-right corner to choose a captions track, allowing the text to display as the video plays.

Helpful Tips for Effective Captioning

To ensure you get the most out of this new feature, consider the following tips shared by Microsoft:

Utilize applications like Clipchamp, which support SRT, to create and edit your captions easily.

When generating an SRT file, ensure you select UTF-8 encoding for maximum compatibility across PowerPoint and other services.

If you’re presenting in a Teams meeting, use PowerPoint Live for a more inclusive experience. Participants can enable closed captions independently, providing flexibility and maintaining privacy as captions won’t be visible to others in the meeting. This functionality is also available on the Teams mobile app.

Supported Versions for SRT File Integration

For users looking to take advantage of this feature, SRT support is available in the following versions of PowerPoint:

Windows: Current Channel Version 2411 (Build 18227.10000) or newer.
macOS: Current Channel Version 16.91 (Build 24111020) or newer.
Web: Build 16.0.18306.40500 or newer on both Windows and macOS.

Conclusion

It’s important to note that this feature is being deployed gradually, so it may not be available to all users immediately. This rollout underlines Microsoft’s commitment to making its Office suite more accessible and inclusive. Keep an eye out for these updates to enhance your presentation experience.

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