Is this the correct updated version of the Video Playback FAQ's on the XBOX site? Or have they not updated it yet?
It mentions AVI but still says:

Q: Do you support DivX?

A: No.

Secondly it says:

Q: How can I get Windows Media Player 11 to stream MPEG-4 Part 2 and H.264 to my console?

A: By default, Windows Media Player 11 does not support MPEG-4 Part 2 and H.264. You can either convert your MPEG-4 Part 2 and H.264 content to WMV, or you can install a third-party MP4 DirectShow decoder pack to import MPEG-4 part 2 and H.264 files into your library. Once they are in your library, they can be streamed to your console just like WMVs.

I have never been able to get this to work and stream MP4's from the WMP11 library and I have never had confirmation from anyone else on this forum or some of the others, that they have managed to do this ???

Even though I added the registry hacks and could import MP4 files and see them in WMP11 on the PC. On the XBOX 360 it would never see the MP4 files in the Folder which is why I gave in and installed Zune which will stream MP4's to my dashboard.

It would be nice to be able to stream both AVI's and MP4's from WMP11 to the dashboard untill we can do this in the MCX instead and forget about the dashboard UI altogether.

Thanks.

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Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

It seems MS have improved things as far as connecting to a PC is concerned for media sharing:

Media
The Media blade hasn't escaped rearrangement, either. The Music, Pictures, and Video areas now remember the last storage device you chose (for example, console or disc), so it will automatically display that device's contents the next time you enter the area. To switch to another source like a portable device or PC, press X on your controller.

This change has also affected how you connect and disconnect from your PC using media sharing software like Windows Media Player 11 or Zune. Instead of selecting a PC that will be the connected PC from then on, you can now just switch by pressing X, just like any other source. This also means that you no longer use the System blade to disconnect from your PC. (This doesn't affect your connection to Windows Media Center. For that, connecting and disconnecting methods remain the same.)

So this will make the WMP11 and ZUNE libraries easy to switch between in the dashboard. I would still like to know if others can stream MP4's from WMP11 to the dashboard?

Thanks

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Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

I was able to add and play divx file in Media Player, however the xbox Dashboard still does not see this file.

Of course I am still having some problems with WMV from Media Player to Dashboard so I may have other problems. (Movie plays but sometimes stops when I try to chapter forward or fast forward and says file may not be supported)

ALso, can anyone tell me if you are able to view Video art from the dashboard (not from Media Center on the xbox)? And whta do I have to do to enable? folder.jpg like in Media Center?

I have all my MP3's playing from Windows Media Player and would love to encode my DVD's and bypass Media Center. (I have DirecTV so Media Center doesnt add anything for me except for a lot of expensive harware, heat, and noise).

Update doesn't happen until tomorrow, 2AM PST.

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Chris Lanier
The Green Button Forum Moderator

I was asking about MPEG-4 Part 2 and H.264 streaming from WMP11 not AVI.

I expect I will be able to stream AVI's from WMP11 to the dashboard tomorrow after the update but I could never stream MP4's from WMP11.

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Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

I'm late to the party on this news but definitely pi**ed off that MS won't look out for consumers who have bought into their Xbox extender combined with Windows Media Center package. Having to go outside of Windows Meda Center to play any type of file be it audio or video is anathama to the point of using that whole package. Just who is the person as Microsoft who is trying to ensure that the Xbox's success as an Extender fails?

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Vista=ME2

My last hope is that the v2 extender releases will drive for party with the 360 as an MCX, and that this will be delivered as a Vista update or, worst case, as late as part of the Spring update for the 360.

Right now it's really not very good.  Very dissapointed in lack of Divx through the MCX interface.

If the v2 releases don't see an improvement in the 360 as an extender device, I'll wait as long as a Spring update, but then probably re-evaluate my approach of using 360s as media extenders.

Well I am looking forward to the update tomorrow and to doing some testing with Divx and WMP11

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Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

cw-kid:

Well I am looking forward to the update tomorrow and to doing some testing with Divx and WMP11

Same here.. can't wait for it to be released to test out with WMP11 and to keep the heat on MS about full feature support in the MCE Extender side

TLynnM4591 cover art is only displayed when using the Zune software as the media server. To embed a cover such as a DVD box art you can use a command line switch in mp4box as your muxer but if thats way too technical you can use mp3tag instead and inject a jpg into an MP4 file.

Cover art and AVI's I cannot say but probably unlikely.


Update: I have posted better instructions here for MP4-WMP11 along with an update that brings support for 64-bit.

Incidentally for those that are interested I managed to put together a registry file that makes WMP see MP4 files within it's library so the Xbox 360 can now play H.264 videos from WMP11, appears to work okay no major problems encountered yet.

Download registry patch for H.264/MP4 support in Windows Media Player 11.

What's required is ffdshow tryouts & haali installed or any other directshow H.264 decoder.

This was tested on 3 different 32-bit Vista machines & worked each time but no XP test, I will get to that later but as long as WMP11 is present then it will probably work.

My suggested install steps
1) Install ffdshow tryouts & Haali media splitter
2) Run WMP disable file sharing (can't perform step 4 with it enabled)
3) Enable hidden files & folders
4) Delete the WMP file database, in vista -> C:\Users\Your user name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player (just delete everything in that folder and WMP will rebuild the database on the next start)
5) Apply the registry patch
6) Start WMP11 if all goes well it will see the MP4 file types in the video library and playback through the Xbox should also work.

(For those interested H.264/MP4's also work from WMP11 with the PS3)

Edit: The above registry patch does not work with 64-bit Windows still looking into why, the 32-bit WMP under Vista 64 see's the MP4 files in it's video library but does not stream them to the Xbox.

hobo-2:

TLynnM4591 cover art is only displayed when using the Zune software as the media server. To embed a cover such as a DVD box art you can use a command line switch in mp4box as your muxer but if thats way too technical you can use mp3tag instead and inject a jpg into an MP4 file.

Cover art and AVI's I cannot say but probably unlikely.


Incidentally for those that are interested I managed to put together a registry file that makes WMP see MP4 files within it's library so the Xbox 360 can now play H.264 videos from WMP11, appears to work okay no major problems encountered yet.

Download registry patch for H.264/MP4 support in Windows Media Player 11.

What's required is ffdshow tryouts & haali installed or any other directshow H.264 decoder.

This was tested on 3 different 32-bit Vista machines & worked each time but no XP test, I will get to that later but as long as WMP11 is present then it will probably work.

My suggested install steps
1) Install ffdshow tryouts & Haali media splitter
2) Run WMP disable file sharing
3) Enable hidden files & folders
4) Delete the WMP file database in vista -> C:\Users\Your user name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player (just delete everything in that folder and WMP will rebuild the database on the next start)
5) Apply the registry patch
6) Start WMP11 if all goes well it will see the MP4 file types in the video library and playback through the Xbox should also work.

(For those interested H.264/MP4's also work from WMP11 with the PS3)

Your the first person I have heard confirm that they can get MP4's streaming to the dashboard using WMP11. I will have to take a look at your reg file to see where I might have gone wrong with mine?

I could get MP4 movies showing up in the WMP11 library and play them, however the XBOX 360 never saw these movies in the folder and always said no videos found.

I can also confirm the cover art works with Zune and embedding it in to the MP4's using MP3TAG as I have also done that.

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Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

Why do you recommend deleting the WMP11 library? Is that a required step?

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Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

The database of WMP can be a little odd with not identifying files of a custom extension especially if you have had failed attempts in the past. By deleting the files in the hidden folder you start with a clean slate in WMP's database so it will force a re-detection of the various media in monitored folders.

Also any other prior registry patches could have unpredictable results so it's generally a good idea to delete the keys those made if you applied any.

Edit: The update for the Xbox is now out and I can confirm that DivX/XviD is working perfectly, the user interface changes are quite nice and much more suited to video than before.

Played starcraft 2 DivX trailers and some with AC3 audio and it all worked streaming from WMP11.

I can confirm your reg file for MP4 works! I didn't need to delete the WMP11 library or stop media sharing or anything like that I just ran the reg file and rebooted. I can now stream MP4's to the dashboard and also AVI's after the update.

I do have issues with MP4's they keep pausing and starting but that's a seperate issue as its been doing that using Zune lately. But this is the first time I have ever been able to stream MP4's to that dash using WMP11

Cheers.

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Stu

aka C-Dub



The Windows Media Center Blog

Tips Tricks & News!

hobo-2,

Thanks for the respose, but not sure if I follow you. The method you listed, embedding  the artwork, is that the method that only works with the Zune or does that work without the Zune? I dont have the Zune and dont think the thing would hold my DVD collection.

Also, streaming the Dixv from WMP11 to xbox360; do you have any surround sound? And can you fast forward, rewind, and chapter skip? These are basics that I am not willing to do without.

Thanks.