Q. Can someone record his own hesped to be played at his funeral? I do not mean a eulogy, where the deceased prizes himself (how crass), but rather a message to family and friends, to be played along the rest of the speeches at his funeral?

A. Messages, letters and tzavaot left by the departed to be read at their funeral are not unusual and there are recorded instances of Gedolim doing so. The idea of the soul of the departed being present at his own funeral is not strange. The Talmud (Shabbos 153a) mentions that Rav instructed to Rav Shmuel Bar Shilas to deliver a warm eulogy, since he will be present then.
However, using modern media techniques such as a large screen to play a pre-recorded video of the niftar, speaking to a future audience at his funeral, is uncommon. There is no question that the presentation can be very powerful, potent and effective in transmitting a proper message to an audience, that may otherwise not be paying much attention. After all having the virtual niftar (it could be even a hologram), speaking next to his casket is definitely an attention getter. It is arguably an outstanding method to transmit valuable and important ideas, zichronos that will remain on the memory of the participants, in honor to the name and merit of the niftar.
This innovative question was presented to a group of known Rabbonim recently, that included Horav Shmuel Kamenetzky, Horav Shlomo Miller, Horav Mordechai Ochs, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Uri Mayerfeld, Horav Kalman Ochs, Shlit’a and others. The consensus, best expressed by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a was that one should avoid this innovation. The reason is that as powerful that the benefits could be, so could the detrimental effects when not used correctly. Years into the future, who is to supervise and then deny, the content of a presentation prepared by a grieving family, that may be against basic Torah principles or contain inappropriate material, life-pictures and music, that should not be played at any levaya.
In addition placing a large screen in a memorial chapel, may project in the mind of the presents the image and spirit of being in an entertainment center, rather than in a most sacred place dedicated to the great mitzva of levayas hames, compared to honoring an extinct Sefer Torah.
The above does obviously not include proper and spiritually arousing video messages left for children and grand children to be played by them in the future.

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a