Xbox 360 as a show playback device?

[IGx89]

The Xbox 360 will be able to play back audio, photos, and videos residing on networked computers, using the Windows Media Connect application. Since that application is basically a UPnP server, and since BTV also includes a UPnP server, does that mean Xbox 360's on the same network as a BTV computer will automatically see our shows, if we've enabled BTV's UPnP server?

Also, does anyone know if the Xbox 360 will be able to play back MPEG-2 videos (SD or HD)? There have been enough of those consoles circulating around recently that someone here (either a user or even SnapStream themselves) must have gotten access to one. I'm trying myself, but the local MS rep hasn't received a console yet .

[dequire]

I would like to know this as well, as the 360 is definately on the Christmas shoppoing list

[ediction]

Originally Posted by IGx89

The Xbox 360 will be able to play back audio, photos, and videos residing on networked computers, using the Windows Media Connect application. Since that application is basically a UPnP server, and since BTV also includes a UPnP server, does that mean Xbox 360's on the same network as a BTV computer will automatically see our shows, if we've enabled BTV's UPnP server?

Also, does anyone know if the Xbox 360 will be able to play back MPEG-2 videos (SD or HD)? There have been enough of those consoles circulating around recently that someone here (either a user or even SnapStream themselves) must have gotten access to one. I'm trying myself, but the local MS rep hasn't received a console yet .

Yes it will play mpeg-2 both SD and HD I was over at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC DigitalLife where they were showing off the 360 and its media center features very nice cant wait to play hd content on it!

[IGx89]

Are you talking about any MPEG-2 SD or HD file, from an attached storage device or across the network using Windows Media Connect? Or are you just talking about the already-known streaming of SD/HD DVR-MS videos using Windws Media Center/Windows Media Extender?

[stevehiner]

This is a subject I have been VERY interested in over the months leading up to the release of the 360. From everything I have read I believe that the 360 will NOT play back video from BTV. As far as I can tell the 360 will only work as a Media Center Extender and, therefore, requires Media Center.

If you have BTV installed on a Windows Media Center system then perhaps it will work but I believe it will not work if you're using plain old Windows XP.

Windows Vista is going to have Media Center type capabilities baked into the base package so maybe the 360 will play video streamed from Vista. Let's hope so.

[IGx89]

Well, one thing that's virtually guaranteed, is that the Xbox 360 will be able to play back WMV9 videos from inserted CD/DVD's. Since Windows Media Connect can also stream videos, it follows to assume that WMV9's will be able to be streamed to the Xbox 360. Hence, as long as you have BTV recompress your videos to an Xbox 360-compatible WMV9 profile (I'm guessing most, if not all, will be compatible) and set up Windows Media Connect to share your show folder, you'll have no problems viewing shows on the Xbox 360.

Now, the real question is if it'll be able to play back SD and/or HD MPEG-2. FYI, Windows Media Connect 2 is able to stream the following formats:

Windows Media Video (.wmv)
Microsoft Recorded TV Show (.dvr-ms)
Audio Video Interleaved (.avi)
MPEG-1 (.mp1, .mpeg, .mpg)
MPEG-2 (.mp2, .mpeg, .mpg)

(but only if the device supports them)

[IGx89]

I had a chance to see an Xbox 360 at my local Wal-mart, and have some potentially bad news for streaming videos: the info text for both Music and Photos mentions streaming from a PC, but the info text for Videos only mentions the hard drive or a memory unit . Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean it won't be possible, it just strongly hints that it won't.

Though, since it does support streaming from a memory unit, there's always the possibility that someone would make an ethernet adapter of some sort...

Also, while perusing Xbox.com today, I noticed something that mentioned playing videos off of digital cameras. That would imply video playback is possible over USB storage devices (including thumb drives and portable hard drives), and might also mean a custom USB->Ethernet adapter is feasible. Another, possibly more intriguing, implication is that the Xbox 360 will support AVI and/or possibly MOV playback, since that's the common video storage format of most digital cameras...

[IGx89]

This thread over at AVS Forum has a lot of new info, specifically:

The Xbox 360 will support decode of the following formats...

• Microsoft Windows Media Video (WMV) 7, 8, & 9
  • Maximum resolution of 1280x720 (720p) at 30 frames per second
  • Windows Media digital rights management (DRM) support up to level 2000
• WMV Image 1 & 2
  • Maximum resolution of 800x600
• MPEG-1
  • MPEG-1 layer I and II audio
• MPEG-2
  • Maximum resolution of 1920x1080 (1080i)
  • MPEG-1 layer I and II or AC-3 audio

.ts / .tp file playback: I downloaded some samples from dvico's website and they did not play back. I have asked an AV dev about this and will reply if they is a better answer than no, sorry.

VOB file playback: Yes, VOB files (MPEG-2) without copy protection (including VOBs DD 5.1 AC3) will play back on Xbox 360 in when using the Media Center extender functionality. For example, if you copy the files from a home video DVD to a server) AFAIK, if your VOB has DD 5.1 AC3, that will output on the optical port unmolested, but I've only tried analog personally. DD 5.1 AC3 tracks are downmixed to stereo when using the Xbox 360's 2ch analog output. By default, VOB files must be renamed .MPG for extender to play them back using My Videos.

IR: Yes, the Xbox 360 has an IR receiver. You can use an Xbox 360 remote control or a Media Center remote to control the Xbox 360. By default the Xbox 360 will only "listen" to Xbox remote controls, but you can set it to listen to all remote controls instead in the System blade. Also, the Xbox 360 can be powered on and off via IR.

Transferring content to the Xbox 360 hard drive: Media Center Extender never writes any content to the Xbox 360 hard drive - it is purely a streaming experience.

My Movies: Works great.

OS Version: Xbox 360's extender functionality only works with Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with Update Rollup 2 installed. For Windows XP home, pro and prior versions of Windows XP Media Center Edition, users can utilize Windows Media Connect to view pictures and play music from their PC on Xbox 360.

Remoting DVD's: Playing a DVD in the PC's drive tray through Xbox 360's Media Center Extender is not supported. Since the Xbox 360 is a DVD player, you can simply play back the movie on the Xbox 360.

WMV formats: One thing not in Chris' informative post about formates is that the Xbox 360's Media Center Extender will also play back WMA Pro audio. Depending on how our Xbox 360 is configured and connected, it will downmix to 2ch (if you're using analog) ortranscode WMA Pro to Dolby Digital (if you're using optical output)

Other features: Like V1 extenders, Xbox 360 does not remote music visualizations in Extender mode. However, Xbox 360 has some great built in music visualizations when using local music playback (from a CD or USB connected audio player) or from a networked PC using Windows Media Connect.

[briantaylor]

I have a 360. All you need is the Media Player Extender software (free download) to stream music and play pictures. Video however must come from the 360's hard drive or from a Windows Media Center Edition PC.

Brian Taylor

[IGx89]

What about from a CD/DVD? Or even an attached USB flash drive/hard drive? I'm pretty sure they said somewhere that it'll be able to play WMVHD files on DVD's (like the one on Terminator 2), so being able to play normal WMV's on a DVD is a natural assumption.