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[haggis999]

I make regular PowerPoint presentations to a classical music society, using excerpts from recordings. Our society pays annual fees to the Performing Rights Society (PRS) and Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), so this is all legal and above board. However, I don't play audio and video files within PP, as it doesn't support DSF files and doesn't have any DSP tools. Instead, I play such media via MC (using a batch file).

My latest presentation includes a series of short video extracts from a lengthy work, with an explanatory slide between each video. It would be rather tedious to keep switching between video and PP, so I've created jpegs of those explanatory slides. The associated batch file contains commands to play all the videos and jpeg images, which run consecutively without any manual interaction. 

This works fine, except that I am forced to use the same duration for each jpeg image (as set via Tools/Options/Images/Slideshow/Slideshow duration). That is not ideal, as some of them contain far more words than others. That leads me to the question: Is it possible to change the Slideshow Duration setting via MC commands or the MC core commands?

My initial searches failed to find such a command, so if it does not yet exist I would like to make a request for it to be created.

[JimH]

I assume you know you can start and stop it various ways.   Keyboard space bar, remote OK button, pause, play.  A remote is probably the most comfortable, but any device that has a D-Pad (arrow keys and OK).

[haggis999]

I assume you know you can start and stop it various ways.   Keyboard space bar, remote OK button, pause, play.  A remote is probably the most comfortable, but any device that has a D-Pad (arrow keys and OK).

Yes, I could indeed set a slideshow duration to match my wordiest slide and then manually page forward for the other slides that require less time to view, but I would prefer a more automated solution if possible.

[JimH]

I don't quite understand.  Why don't  you pause it when you want and then resume it.  It will go back to playing with the same duration.

[JimH]

You can set the duration.  It's under Images in options.  Options has a search window.

[JimH]

I notice that you're using a batch file to play.  Why not use a playlist in MC?

[haggis999]

I don't quite understand.  Why don't  you pause it when you want and then resume it.  It will go back to playing with the same duration.

I'm well aware that I could pause or advance any of my information jpegs but experience has taught me that every such manual intervention carries the risk of making mistakes. That's why I would prefer to fully automate the process with a predefined display duration for each image. 

You can set the duration.  It's under Images in options.  Options has a search window.

I mentioned in my OP that I was setting the duration in this manner.

I notice that you're using a batch file to play.  Why not use a playlist in MC?

That was a deliberate decision. I don't want to clog up my MC interface with lots of playlists that will never normally be selected via that interface. I also find it much easier and quicker to create and edit batch files, which are triggered (indirectly) via buttons on PowerPoint slides.

[JimH]

You probably know that you can create a playlist group.

[haggis999]

You probably know that you can create a playlist group.

I made good use of both playlists and playlist groups for my music society presentations before eventually deciding that batch files were a better match for my needs.

Between them, the command line commands and the media center core commands already cover a lot of MC functionality. Is there any chance that Slideshow Duration could be added to the list?