Xbox as media extender

RuggieBear

Not sure if this belongs here or in modded consoles and apologies if this has been asked countless times before but is it possible to use an xbox (modded) as a media extender with MCE 05

Have the computer in the bed room but want to be able to watch stuff on the Tv in the living room....how do i do it?

8T8

Not possible as far as I'm aware via unofficial methods, Xbox Media Center {XBMC} simply isn't capable of that last time I used it anyway.

There was an official extender package for MCE & the Xbox but it supposedly wasn't all that great, for instance you had to load it via disc every time.

Anyway if you want live TV that is the only way I believe, more info here.

Also one possible problem I think the above was NTSC only, while not a problem running on a modded Xbox I'm not sure how it would work with a PAL TV stream, best bet is to Google and see if anyone else tried it & how they faired.

RuggieBear

thanks for the reply.

i wonder if i installed XBMC and had all my media on some form of NAS could both MCE and the xbox with XBMC share it but have independent tv recording??

Maybe i should just builda cheap MCE which is what i was orginally planning on doing

Should i wait for VISTA MCE (or whatever it might be called)?

8T8

i wonder if i installed XBMC and had all my media on some form of NAS could both MCE and the xbox with XBMC share it but have independent tv recording??

I don't see why not (though I confess I'm no network guru).

Should i wait for VISTA MCE (or whatever it might be called)?

There are fairly decent free alternatives to MCE like GB-PVR etc that run under Windows, as for Vista MCE well that will bring improvements over the XP MCE but your probably best waiting until OEM copies appear as it is not worth the asking retail price.

RuggieBear

does it have a "My movies" equivalent?

Best thing about MCE imo (and it's not even a Microsoft product):)

SouperComputer

i wonder if i installed XBMC and had all my media on some form of NAS could both MCE and the xbox with XBMC share it but have independent tv recording??

Yes and no. Recording TV to a NAS or network file share from MCE is tricky, unsupported and buggy. Honestly, dont even bother wasting your time.

However, you can just make the MCE PC a NAS by simply sharing the recordedTV directory. XBMC now play DVRMS files (codec used for recorded TV)

http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/132176.aspx

RuggieBear

SouperComputer wrote:

Yes and no. Recording TV to a NAS or network file share from MCE is tricky, unsupported and buggy. Honestly, dont even bother wasting your time.

However, you can just make the MCE PC a NAS by simply sharing the recordedTV directory. XBMC now play DVRMS files (codec used for recorded TV)

http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/132176.aspx

Awesome!!!!

now i just need to find someone who can install XBMC on onto my xbox (I can't get my head round the xbox and its system structure:o )

SouperComputer

RuggieBear wrote:

Awesome!!!!

now i just need to find someone who can install XBMC on onto my xbox (I can't get my head round the xbox and its system structure:o )

im pretty sure there are a couple of guys who do softmodding on adverts.ie

Failing thatm the console modding forum should be able to help you softmod it, providing you dont want to chip it.

8T8

It's actually quite easy if the console has already been modded basically it involves enabling an FTP server on the Xbox, you use your FTP client to log in and copy across the program files. The bios is hard coded to load certain .xbe files in the root of the C:\ so once in place it auto loads the XBMC dash.

A lot of the advanced mod chips towards the end of the Xbox scene had built in FTP clients in the bios so no need to use a bootable installer CD and run the FTP client from that.

RuggieBear

8T8 wrote:

It's actually quite easy if the console has already been modded basically it involves enabling an FTP server on the Xbox, you use your FTP client to log in and copy across the program files. The bios is hard coded to load certain .xbe files in the root of the C:\ so once in place it auto loads the XBMC dash.

A lot of the advanced mod chips towards the end of the Xbox scene had built in FTP clients in the bios so no need to use a bootable installer CD and run the FTP client from that.

I've tried a few times but i just can't seem to set up an ip nor a ftp on an xbox

I'll ask on console modding

RuggieBear

Sorted.

More or less set up as SouperC advised. Cheers guys.

Also big thanks to Irish GrumPy who helped me with the xbox side of things.

I can now record tv via my MCE and then share that folder and watch the recording on the big tv in the lounge via XBMC.

Now i just have to get myself a longer network cable so the xbox isn't in the middle of the living room floor:eek:

SouperComputer

Now i just have to get myself a longer network cable so the xbox isn't in the middle of the living room floor

Meh, put a coffee table over it and it can be a "feature" of the room

RuggieBear

SouperComputer wrote:

Meh, put a coffee table over it and it can be a "feature" of the room

lol

the girlfriend would kill me!!!

Now to persuade her to allow me to get a projector....:)

slayer91

Hello,
Great to hear you got this sorted out. If I understand the posting correctly, you have a MCE PC upstairs which is coneected to your TV signal. Your are recording live TV to the PC and feeding down stairs to a moDded XBOX(not a XBOX 360). The xbox is connected to the TV.
Can you tell where you got the mods on the xbox done. ???

Regs

LiamK

SouperComputer

slayer91 wrote:

Hello,
Great to hear you got this sorted out. If I understand the posting correctly, you have a MCE PC upstairs which is coneected to your TV signal. Your are recording live TV to the PC and feeding down stairs to a moDded XBOX(not a XBOX 360). The xbox is connected to the TV.
Can you tell where you got the mods on the xbox done. ???

Regs

LiamK

Just to clear this up, he cannot view live TV on the Xbox, only recorded TV.

For modding, search boards for "softmoding" or visit: http://modchipsireland.com/news.php. Basically a mod gives you more freedom with the code\software you can run

You will then need to install XMBC (XBox Media Centre). I think modchips might do this for you if you ask nicely.

After that, share your Recorded TV folder on the MCE PC, map it on the Xbox and away you go.