DivX, XVID and more on your XBox 360

[bapenguin]

For those of us lucky enough to be running Windows Media Center and owning an XBox 360, one of the frustrations has been the inability to stream DivX or other video file types. Out of the box the 360 only supports WMV and MPG2.

Lucky for us there's a great application called Transcode 360 (http://www.runtime360.com/). This will convert and play your videos on the fly for you. It should work with any file type the host computer supports.

I got a chance to play with it this weekend and it works great.

[jacktion]

No problem. That program sounds sweet.

[bapenguin]

I think you mean "inability".

heh, thanks.

[RevGored]

Whoa, sounds like time for a format/reinstall. This is awesome news, thanks man

[Taco]

I've recently found the joy of transcoding videos and playing them off my Tivo.

[Royal Fool]

I keep hearing from the media that the PS3 is 'going to be a multimedia hub for the home'... but isn't the 360 doing the exact same things, aside from Blu-ray perhaps?

[Gaunt]

I ran across this a little over a week ago and have been getting quite a bit of use out of it. The only problem I've found so far is that once I've watched one video, I've either got to reboot the media center PC, or wait about an hour before I can get it to transcode another one.

I'm not sure if this is an MCE or Transcode360 problem. I'm waiting for the source to be released to see if I can sort it out, since I haven't found anybody else with this problem.

[overdrivechao]

lol to WMV. Incidently, as soon as I softmodded my Xbox, it could play Divx pretty well too. ^^

[UnderHero5]

lol to WMV. Incidently, as soon as I softmodded my Xbox, it could play Divx pretty well too. ^^
Yup. I chipped my Xbox a couple of years ago now. It quickly became the BEST peice of entertainment equipment I own, and probably still is.
I barely even play games on it, but XBMC is a godsend.
I stream everything straight from my PC's with no need for Media Center Edition to be installed, and I can play every format there is with no problem. Best 50 bucks I ever spent.

[motor]

The question is, when is some smart young hacker going to write a piece of software for windows XP that tricks the 360 into thinking you have a media center version of the OS. This artificial (and as far as I can tell it is purely in there to get you to buy Vista) block really needs an underground solution. I'm not even sure if Microsoft could do anything about a software "fix" on your PC since it doesn't involve modding you xbox in any way. (I'd love to see microsft banning your box from live because you have some piece of software installed on a PC in you local network...sign me up for that class action lawsuit!)

[overdrivechao]

The question is, when is some smart young hacker going to write a piece of software for windows XP that tricks the 360 into thinking you have a media center version of the OS. This artificial (and as far as I can tell it is purely in there to get you to buy Vista) block really needs an underground solution. I'm not even sure if Microsoft could do anything about a software "fix" on your PC since it doesn't involve modding you xbox in any way. (I'd love to see microsft banning your box from live because you have some piece of software installed on a PC in you local network...sign me up for that class action lawsuit!)

Honestly though, what can the media center/360 connection do for you that a softmoddded xbox can't? actually, because XBMC is open source, it seems to be the best media player available by a long shot. that and python script support for rss and streaming and you call tell i prefer the OG xbox modded.

[bapenguin]

Honestly though, what can the media center/360 connection do for you that a softmoddded xbox can't? actually, because XBMC is open source, it seems to be the best media player available by a long shot. that and python script support for rss and streaming and you call tell i prefer the OG xbox modded.

I'm guessing the real things are the tight media center integration. The TiVO extension functionality. The built in online video rental system and stuff like that.

Of course the open source stuff is going to be more powerful and flexible, but with apps like this you can see what people are already starting to come up with.

[PantherModern]

I've been using a similar system on my 360 for a that can be found here:

http://www.mperfect.net/mceDivX360/

I really like it, and except for rendering my computer unusable during the transcode process, it works like a champ. I think this system looks a bit easier to use once the codecs get sorted out, so I may have to give it a try. We'll see.

And I second the love for XBMC. Man, that is one sweet entertainment program. I still fire up the modded Xbox and use it sometimes.

[GWhite]

The question is, when is some smart young hacker going to write a piece of software for windows XP that tricks the 360 into thinking you have a media center version of the OS.

Strangely enough there is a piece of software out there that lets a mac fool the XBox360 in that manner, so it is possible.

[Megalith]

Oh hell yeah, I love watching re-compressed video on my HDTV.

[MasterKwan]

Hmm, well recompressed video is ALL I ever watch any more. I need to reformat my media server now...

[overdrivechao]

Oh hell yeah, I love watching re-compressed video on my HDTV.

That's why they lovingly threw in WMV support for you. Props to *** on the worst quality video codec since RM.

Monkeys are eating your brain!
<This has been an automated repose to all dumbass posts by Megalith>

[Beelzebud]

I'll stick with Xbox Media Player and my modded Xbox. It supports EVERY open source codec in existance. I can even stream real media, windows media, and apple quicktime from the internet with it.

[mos]

Question for you guys that use your original xbox as a media center: what network card do you use? Can I just pick up any old wireless adapter and plug it in, or is there a special "xbox adapter" I should buy?

[overdrivechao]

Question for you guys that use your original xbox as a media center: what network card do you use? Can I just pick up any old wireless adapter and plug it in, or is there a special "xbox adapter" I should buy?

I'm pretty sure we can;t talk specifics, but i think routers are great tools for hardware firewalls and internet sharing!

[mos]

Er... Why wouldn't you be able to talk specifics? I'm not asking how to turn my xbox into a media center, I'm asking what device you use to connect your xbox to your network. Seeing as how you need to be connected to a network in order to connect to Live!, I don't see how this is any problem.

[overdrivechao]

Okiedokey then. The device i'm using to connect the xbox to my network is my...router! ya know, like ethernet cables and all that? Yeah, seems pretty simple.

[Zeal]

Just download everything in 1080i 16:9 DTS. Don't be gay.

[mos]

Well thanks for answering my question in a roundabout way, then. Since I pretty much asked if I needed anything special designed specifically for an xbox, or if a regular old connection would work.

[overdrivechao]

Well thanks for answering my question in a roundabout way, then. Since I pretty much asked if I needed anything special designed specifically for an xbox, or if a regular old connection would work.

How do i connect an xbox to a network.

If you know anything about Live or comupters in general you know that comment was itching for a little dig.

[mos]

Sorry, I don't get why. I've never connected my xbox to my network, and I know absolutely nothing about Live. Hell, I didn't even know if there's an expansion slot at the back that I slide a card into, an ethernet jack already built-in, or what. For all I know, it uses a PCMCIA card that you have to buy directly from MS, because it's expects an "xbox card."

Maybe you don't understand my original question: it wasn't "how do I connect an xbox to a network," it was "do I need any special equipment to connect my xbox to a network."

[overdrivechao]

a router. again.

[mos]

You see how a router isn't special? That's my point.

[overdrivechao]

You see how a router isn't special? That's my point.

my router is special to me.