Microsoft releases enhancements for live camera embedding ‘Cameo’ in PowerPoint presentations

Microsoft announced enhancements to the “cameo” functionality in Microsoft PowerPoint for both Windows and Mac platforms.

A cameo in this context refers to a small video feed, often from a camera, that can be embedded into PowerPoint slides. This feature is particularly useful for presentations where you want to include live video content within your slides. Microsoft 365 subscribers can access cameo on the desktop app for Windows and macOS.

Here are the introduced enhancements:

1. Camera Preview and Source Control: Users can now turn the camera preview on or off and change the camera source while in Slide Show View or Presenter View mode. This allows for greater control over when and how the cameo appears in your presentation.
2. Improved Design and Consistency: Fresh cameo designs have been added to align with the overall theme of your PowerPoint presentation. With a single click, you can now easily insert these cameo designs into all your slides, creating a cohesive look throughout the presentation.
3. Personalized Cameo Styles: Users can insert a cameo on a single slide, customize its format, and then apply the same format to all slides with a single click. This ensures that the cameo maintains a consistent style across all slides.

You can learn more about how to apply this in your presentation here.

If you are utilizing these additional features, it has been reported that the camera may not appear when using the cameo. This could be because another application is using the camera. In this case, you may need to select a different camera or disable the camera for the other application.

These enhancements are available to Beta Channel users running specific versions:

• Windows: Version 2307 (Build 16731.10000) or later
• Mac: Version 16.76 (Build 23081101) or later

These updates aim to give users greater flexibility and control when integrating live camera feeds into their PowerPoint presentations. It’s a great way to make presentations more engaging and dynamic by incorporating real-time video content directly into your slides.