Cannot get video to play in interactive PDF

[jeljohnssp]

When I open my interactive PDF to test it I see a warning at the top that says "This PDF content requires Flash Player, which will no longer be suported after December 2020."

The video on the page has the "click to activate" message but nothing happens when I click. The video will not play. 

[JonathanArias]

Video in interactive.pdf format does not work. Does it have to be a .pdf? Can it be publish online as delivery method?

[Frans v.d. Geest]

Yes it does, you have to change the Media preference however in Acrobat 😉

[JonathanArias]

Can it be changed one time to work in both Mac and windows with no issue?

[BobLevine]

I don't have Reader installed but I would imagine this would be there as well.

[Derek Cross]

As mentioned, there are issues with including a video in a PDF, one way around it is to have a hyperlink in your Interactive PDF to an external site like a Youtube, or similar, video. Alternatively use a different format, based on HTML5, such as FXL ePub, Publish Online or in5.

[Frans v.d. Geest · Accepted solution]

You can still embed and view mp4 video in PDF, however no longer in Flash but through the system, on a Mac with Quicktime for example.
You have to change the preference for this in Acrobat under Media to enable this to work! 

This is from my blog showing this, it is in Dutch however:

http://fvdgeest-dtp.blogspot.com/2020/06/interactive-pdf-en-video-en-geluid-na.html

But, how do you make sure your readers of your pdf do the same on their computers? Do you give them instructions? In short, choose a safer way like a link like others here suggested 😉

[JonathanArias]

So in order for it to work each person has to make this change themselves?

[BobLevine]

Yes. This is a user preference as I mentioned originally and why it's fool's errand to even try to work with video in PDF for anything but a very small controlled audience.

[JonathanArias]

I agree, now, can this change be made in both reader and full version of acrobat?

[Diane Burns]

Interactive PDFs have many limitations. If appropriate for your case, don't forget about Publish Online. It supports all of InDesign's interactive features, including video, buttons, MSOs, etc. Here are some great examples: http://bit.ly/PubOnCollection

[jeljohnssp]

Thanks for these!

[fosforuscw]

Beautiful work, Diane. Thanks for sharing. Question: I've updated a document for my client. Created in InDesign 2021. They want animated gifs (screenflows of their software) to play in the exported PDF. I don't think this is possible, so I'm trying to create .mp4's out of the gifs to see if they'll play that way. Whenever I insert (using Acrobat Pro) the mp4s into the exported PDF, I can't seem to get the videos to play. I just get some little weird Flash-looking logo and a play button, but the videos don't play (even after selecting all the appropriate little check boxes in the "Rich Media" dialogue. I understand that I can build animations within InDesign, but that's not really helpful for what I'm trying to do. To your knowledge, is there a way to either embed animated gifs in the PDF (I don't think there is), or if you have suggestions on how to accomplish this, I'm all ears. Thank you! -cw

[Derek Cross]

If InDesign's Publish Online isn't suitable for you, have a look at FXL ePubs or in5 (an InDesign plugin (at extra cost): https://ajarproductions.com/pages/products/in5/

[Derek Cross]

Diane Burns has an excellent step-by-step online video tutorial on creating Publish Online documents on Linkedin Learning (you can get 30-days free access): https://www.linkedin.com/learning/indesign-publish-online-2?trk=learning-serp_learning_search-card&u...

[Andrew Jack5E71]

Your help is truly appreciated Mr. Cross, however, all your suggestions require more money. We pay a hefty monthly fee for the use of the Adobe products and I've searched high and low for support on Adobe. None offer a realistic and free way to create an actual interactie pdf. I've tried everything and the only way my video plays is if you view online with the publish option. This is incredibly frustrating to say the least. 

[Frans v.d. Geest]

That is how it works, iPDF is something you can forget for this kind of things, sorry.

But as said, go to Acrobat Preferences, then 3D and Multimedia (on the left) the change the setting on the right from Flash to something like Quicktime.

[Derek Cross]

To Andrew Jack5E71

InDesign is a professional industry standard publishing tool and IMO if a professional can't afford the (modest) monthly fee they should be looking at another career. Re PDF Adobe don't even own it any more.

It is frustrating that we can't do want you (all of us) want – but you've been offered the current options that are available at this time.

[Champagne]

It's not a modest price when you factor in all the other rising costs due to corporate greed. Your comment needs to be more active and in touch. Please do some research on the economy before making such statements.

[BobLevine]

Are you just hunting around for old discussions to rant? Video in PDF is dead. That much is settled. Your alternatives are up to you and your budget. If you want to have a professional discussion start a new thread. Hijacking years old discussions is going to get you nowhere.

[BobLevine]

There is nothing new about any of these things. Interactive PDF has been dead to me for years. I wrote this more than six years ago. I stand by just about every word of it to this day.

It's okay to say no to interactive PDF (boblevine.us)

[Andrew Jack5E71]

Great option, however your blog is in German and unable to understand. 

[Frans v.d. Geest]

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@Andrew Jack5E71 wrote:

Great option, however your blog is in German and unable to understand. 

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come on, don't insult me now, this is Dutch! 😉

go to Acrobat Preferences, then 3D and Multimedia (on the left) the change the setting on the right from Flash to something like Quicktime.