360+windows7 = media center heaven in HD

00sully

Lads, thought I'd share this with you. First off, forget wireless for this setup its not good enough, even on wireless-N. I've been trying to get the best media streaming on the go since the xbox came out and I now have it. I have used in the past

Tversity: worked ok, but transcoding on the fly was a pain and meant no HD - also the library setup was poor I thought
Transcode360: Never really tried it for long enough as Tversity was fulfilling my needs
Stock 360: By enabling media sharing in Windows Media player 11, I could watch vids (through myXbox->Videos->PC) and play music when the xvid and divx support came to the 360 I think last year or before. I then chucked tversity since no longer needed to transcode. This was fine altho a bland interface with folder browsing to get to your files.

enter Windows 7 and Divx+ (yep streaming MKV (.264) flawlessly to 360 )

setps:
1. Install DivX Plus Tech Preview: MKV on Windows 7 from http://labs.divx.com/preview
2. Install this plugin for you windows media center: http://www.mediabrowser.tv/gallery This is essential to get that coverflow goodness for all your movies. Media browser scrapes your collection and adds posters, dvd box, synopsis etc... all viewable from the 360 media extender! Adds browsing by genre, year etc.. to movies
3. Add your 360 as a media center extender through xbox - get the code and enter into media center (tasks->add extender)
4. This will create a user account on your pc under "C:\Users\MX1-Pc-Name" (or whatever you windows install drive is).
5. This user needs to be given permission to "C:\ProgramData\MediaBrowser" folder - read and write.
6. right click folder above, click "share with", click "add user" and add the user mentioned in step 4 above which is unique to your pc.This is to allow your 360 to see the mediabrowser plugin which works that extra little bit of magic
7. Test an MKV file to see if it works. Mine was intially missing audio so I had to install these codecs:
http://shark007.net/win7codecs.html (32 bit pre-requisite on my 64bit win7)
http://shark007.net/x64components.html (ONLY FOR 64bit CAVEAT)
Audio will now work.
8. If you haven't go the coverflow effect or your movies are missing meta data, use Ember Media Manager to sort your movie collection - this is a slight pain if your collection isn't named or organised correctly but there is a big payoff trust me get that here: http://embermm.com/

Bam! you are good to go. Finally a decent media center setup, I would say the perfect one now I can stream HD! Enjoy

MayoForSam

Thanks for this, I have been using Tversity quite happily for the last while but it's a bit clunky and certainly not pretty.

Being able to stream HD MKV to my 360 is the final box ticked that makes me think it would be worth the effort to upgrade to W7 and get WMC running on my PC.

.E_C_K_S.

I have windows 7 on my computer but I am pretty sure it doesn't have that media centre installed only media player? Will it not work do you think? Thanks!

00sully

what version of windows 7 do you have? According to MS it's available in Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-IE/windows7/products/features/windows-media-center

MKV streaming won't work in Windows Media Player unfortunately not unless MS update the 360's capabilities.

.E_C_K_S.

00sully wrote: »

what version of windows 7 do you have? According to MS it's available in Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-IE/windows7/products/features/windows-media-center

MKV streaming won't work in Windows Media Player unfortunately not unless MS update the 360's capabilities.

I have windows Home premium so hopefully it will work! I will give it a go now:D Thanks!

.E_C_K_S.

When I try to download media browser it won't allow it even though I have home premium, ah well! Might try tversity

Shiminay

I made a clean Win 7 Ultimate 64 install on this machine a couple of months ago and when I was setting up the Media Center Extender it crashed and has never worked since. Have tried un-installing and reinstalling Media Center to no avail. TVersity simply doesn't work in any kind of usable way when you have over 2TB of media. Am following the steps above whilst at the same time hitting up Microsoft for a fix for this

Thanks a million for the tip though, we should probably get this stickied!

Xyo

I get to the point of actually playing an mkv file but then it crashes I am on wireless tho

00sully

Xyo, the fact thats its recognising the mkv is positive tho. You can test if your bandwidth is sufficient in xbox media center settings - tasks - tune network and see if the HDTV section has green bars.

Kharn, I had similar problems on a win7 32bit install. Did a fresh 64bit pro install and they dissapeared. I suspect some program was interfering with it. Can you run MediaCenter in windows?

This really is worth the struggle to get up and running!

00sully

walshy, what do you mean it won't allow you to download it? Do you mean install it? when you press the windows button at the bottom right, type in "media center" and see if media center comes up?

-=al=-

i only set up windows media via wifi on my laptop with vista to my xbox works but is very slow

i cannot get my xp machine to share media via wifi on windows media player 11, its doing my head in!

i dont really have much to stream but its nice to have it connected and no it works, took me ages to get media center on the xbox/laptop =/ .. how the hell does WMP stream to the xbox via wifi!

Shiminay

00sully wrote: »

Xyo, the fact thats its recognising the mkv is positive tho. You can test if your bandwidth is sufficient in xbox media center settings - tasks - tune network and see if the HDTV section has green bars.

Kharn, I had similar problems on a win7 32bit install. Did a fresh 64bit pro install and they dissapeared. I suspect some program was interfering with it. Can you run MediaCenter in windows?

This really is worth the struggle to get up and running!

It's windows that it keeps crashing on I spent an hour on a live chat to a Microsoft tech on Friday night trying to solve it but to no avail. I have to contact someone in Ireland's XBox support section this week to see what's what. At least the case is saved and I don't need to start a new one and go through all the basics again. Short of doing a Win 7 re-install, I'm not sure what'll fix it.

dunworth1

-=al=- wrote: »

i only set up windows media via wifi on my laptop with vista to my xbox works but is very slow

i cannot get my xp machine to share media via wifi on windows media player 11, its doing my head in!

i dont really have much to stream but its nice to have it connected and no it works, took me ages to get media center on the xbox/laptop =/ .. how the hell does WMP stream to the xbox via wifi!

it slow even with N

i have it with my g now and its slow to navigate but i noticed it works better if i turn off WMM on my router

00sully

Kharn wrote: »

It's windows that it keeps crashing on I spent an hour on a live chat to a Microsoft tech on Friday night trying to solve it but to no avail. I have to contact someone in Ireland's XBox support section this week to see what's what. At least the case is saved and I don't need to start a new one and go through all the basics again. Short of doing a Win 7 re-install, I'm not sure what'll fix it.

Assuming you've disabled anti virus etc...? Also, what did the event viewer errors say? I had errors under "Application and Services Log - Media Center" MS must have had you in there right?

it's gotta be a conflict with either an installed 3rd party program or else a hardware driver - try updating all your drivers or disable all but only the essential ones (display etc..) and see if it works.

Using media center extender with vista and the 360 is dog slow, over wireless OR Ethernet I found

.E_C_K_S.

Home premium does not have media center unfortunately so I miss out:(

RolandIRL

WALSHY16291 wrote: »

Home premium does not have media center unfortunately so I miss out:(

win 7 home premium does have media center. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions#Comparison_chart

maybe it's turned off by default
click the start button (or the windows logo button) on the taskbar. type "features" and click on "Turn Windows Features on or off" -> Media Features -> Check the box with Windows Media Center.
i'm not sure where it should be cos i've changed the location of loads of my icons but if you right-click on a media file (eg mp3/wma/avi) -> Open With -> Windows Media Center (should be an option). if no Media Center is there, click "Choose Default Program" -> Media Center should be there and be sure to uncheck the "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" so it doesn't override your default player.

Patsy fyre

Sorry for showing ignorance but why would anybody want to do this? Isnt the xbox hd already and if you want to watch a dvd just put it in!

RolandIRL

Patsy fyre wrote: »

Sorry for showing ignorance but why would anybody want to do this? Isnt the xbox hd already and if you want to watch a dvd just put it in!

the xbox is HD but the content people watch may be HD but its format isn't compatible with the xbox. there's a lot of content people have that isn't on dvd. dvd also doesn't cater for full HD quality and the xbox doesn't have blu-ray capacity. also people don't always buy their content but get it through "other" means. with this set-up, you're able to play .mkv's which is 720p or above but the xbox natively doesn't support this.
there's probably loads of other reasons but these would be the main ones for me.

Dunder Mifflin

So this is definitely a bad idea over Wifi? Has anyone gotten it to work well without a network cable?

It's just what I've wanted but alas my PC and Xbox are in different room

00sully

Don't think wireless g is a runner but sure try and report back! You might get hd working over N if the connection is good enough :-)

Dunder Mifflin

Once the menu and movie loaded it streamed pretty well. I'm not using n btw. Only b & g options available. It's a main in the ass to navigate through Media Center tho, very, very slow which is understandable. Still tho thanks for the tutorial!

NunianVonFuch

If you have to have your computer wired to the xbox, you may be just as well using the computer, but with the output set to your HDTV. I use the Mediaportal interface with Pinnacle Profiler setup for the Xbox 360 joypad. The result is a menu with previews, pause, rewind etc. operatable by joypad but only using the PC and HDTV, the Xbox is off. You need to have one of the wireless connectors for the PC if you have a wireless joypad (which I do) but if your pad is wired you can plug it straight in.

Main reason I did all this is cos I have Windows XP on everything! Still at least it'll save on electricity bills! :P

.E_C_K_S.

whiteman19 wrote: »

win 7 home premium does have media center. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions#Comparison_chart

maybe it's turned off by default
click the start button (or the windows logo button) on the taskbar. type "features" and click on "Turn Windows Features on or off" -> Media Features -> Check the box with Windows Media Center.
i'm not sure where it should be cos i've changed the location of loads of my icons but if you right-click on a media file (eg mp3/wma/avi) -> Open With -> Windows Media Center (should be an option). if no Media Center is there, click "Choose Default Program" -> Media Center should be there and be sure to uncheck the "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" so it doesn't override your default player.

It worked! Cheers man, will try tomorrow!

Tazzle

I've had this setup running off my laptop for the last few months. I've only got G and a WRT54GL router w/ DD-WRT, streaming HD over wifi from the laptop works absolutely grand for me. No hiccups. I've been streaming 1080p too without a bother.

The only balls is forwarding/rewinding mkvs. It just does not work well.

00sully

NunianVonFuch wrote: »

If you have to have your computer wired to the xbox, you may be just as well using the computer, but with the output set to your HDTV.

you don't have to have the computer wired to the xbox that's the whole point! not many people have a pc near their tv but they would have their xbox hooked up to it They just have to be on the same network.

glad this is working over G for some people, I couldnt do it even over N but I was a good distance from the router. Tazzle you must have your laptop beside the router or very close though for G to work?

Dunder Mifflin

Tazzle wrote: »

I've had this setup running off my laptop for the last few months. I've only got G and a WRT54GL router w/ DD-WRT, streaming HD over wifi from the laptop works absolutely grand for me. No hiccups. I've been streaming 1080p too without a bother.

The only balls is forwarding/rewinding mkvs. It just does not work well.

Hi Tazzle,

Does the XBMC menu work alright for you? That was the main problem on the Xbox. The interface just took forever to navigate through.

00sully

Dunder Mifflin wrote: »

Hi Tazzle,

Does the XBMC menu work alright for you? That was the main problem on the Xbox. The interface just took forever to navigate through.

Are you using the mediabrowser plugin mentioned above? I use that and have no problems. With all the high res movie art in my movies folders, I cant even browse the media center on the xbox it just freezes. Apparently a well known problem.

I had slowness using vista too. Are you using win7?

Dunder Mifflin

Yep it's a good bit faster with the MediaBrowser, just painfully slow to get to it in the first place. Thanks again- will be using this for a while

edit: Yes Win 7

Antigone05

this is awesome. works a charm. im using a G network too!
only one issue, when trying to share the folder in the network, it keeps telling me 'not found'.

it might be because i have Bitlocker on the drive. it will take some time to turn it off, but HD for now anyway! i cant believe i only came across this by now!

was this a windows 7 thing, the new media centre can stream HD to xbox?

menuisier

Will this setup also stream 5.1 if it is encoded in the .mkv file? cause then it would be the cat's pajamas

cant wait to tried it ether way, thanks

00sully

Antigone05 - yeah this is only a windows 7 feature - part of the new divx codec.

Menuisier - pretty sure it will also do 5.1

Antigone05

after a few hours of crashes and freezing its up and working 100% now.

Note - Bitlocker MUST be either suspended or turned off on the main c: to access the media browser.

thanks for sharing this info. king amongst men

markfla

00sully wrote: »

5. This user needs to be given permission to "C:\ProgramData\MediaBrowser" folder - read and write.

I can't for the life of me find that folder, I click computer, no sign of this on my C:\ Programfiles is the nearest thing to it

00sully

markfla wrote: »

I can't for the life of me find that folder, I click computer, no sign of this on my C:\ Programfiles is the nearest thing to it

try and just type "C:\ProgramData" directly into the address bar in windows explorer. You probably just have "Hidden files and folders" set to "don't show". you can change this behaviour in folder options.

in windows explorer press "alt" this will show the classic toolbar - choose "tools" then "folder options" then in the view tab check "show hidden files and folders" bingo!

Ne

Thanks alot for putting me onto this, have been using wmc for a good while but not been able to play mkvs was a sickener. Didn't think it would ever be supported.

I've had one problem with some mkv files. If theres subtitles muxed into the mkv it will not play on the xbox. Easy solution is to remove the subtitles with mkvmerge(only takes a minute or 2). Remember to set the compression on both the audio and video tracks to "none" in the extra options tab or it won't work for ya when ya try to playback on the xbox.

The files stream perfectly now.

Tazzle

Dunder Mifflin wrote: »

Hi Tazzle,

Does the XBMC menu work alright for you? That was the main problem on the Xbox. The interface just took forever to navigate through.

I wouldn't be able to use the laptop while watching an MKV, if I did it'd become painfully slow. It's grand other than that, not completely 100% responsive, but close.

00sully wrote: »

Are you using the mediabrowser plugin mentioned above? I use that and have no problems. With all the high res movie art in my movies folders, I cant even browse the media center on the xbox it just freezes. Apparently a well known problem.

I had slowness using vista too. Are you using win7?

No sir, not using that plugin. I'm on Windows 7.