XBox as MCE extender

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sonxEr77

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Hi folks..

Wanna run MCE on my room PC & manage to play music/videos located at my lounge HTPC. Heard that Xbox is the way to go...

1. Does it have an internal tuner for it to run MCE 2005?
2. Do i definitely need a reliable DSL connection
(at least 384kpbs) to have a stable access to my other room's media files?
3. How much does it cost, best price range?
 
Ok, from what i understand you've got it all wrong.

To adres point 1 and 2 together, you stream from your MCE over a network cable to your Xbox, which is detected as some sort of device on the network by MCE or Windows Vista Premium/Ultimate.
 
supersunbird said:
Ok, from what i understand you've got it all wrong.

To adres point 1 and 2 together, you stream from your MCE over a network cable to your Xbox, which is detected as some sort of device on the network by MCE or Windows Vista Premium/Ultimate.
Click to expand...

You mean peer to peer connection, which could be both wireless or network cable? By streaming you mean i actually view my main MCE PC from within the room PC without a need to install MCE 2005 on the room PC. Is this the job of Xbox 360 then?
 
supersunbird said:
I just read your original post and realised I dont know what you're trying to do...
Click to expand...

Simple...

I want to watch movies, listen to music, watch TV, etc located on my HTPC running MCE 2005 situated in my lounge from remote normal PC situated in my room using extender XBox 360.

i.e When my girlfriend/friend is busy watching something in the lounge room, i should be able to see it in my room using a different PC. Hope this is clear:o
 
Oh, i dont really know much about it yet since its something im planning to do myself, so I dont know if the xbox is capable of doing what you want it to.
 
supersunbird said:
so I dont know if the xbox is capable of doing what you want it to.
Click to expand...
Yes to all, with one proviso .... no Divx/Xvid, all video must be WMV.

There are some workarounds like TVersity (transcodes DivX/Xivd to WMV on the fly) however not sure if it works with MCE Extender (I certainly couldn't get it to work in any shape or form).

No Divx/Xvid pretty much make using the xbox as media player null & void for me.
 
sonxEr77 said:
1. Does it have an internal tuner for it to run MCE 2005?
2. Do i definitely need a reliable DSL connection
(at least 384kpbs) to have a stable access to my other room's media files?
3. How much does it cost, best price range?
Click to expand...

1. No, so long as the computer is running a legitimate copy of Windows XP/Vista Media Player 11 will stream to the Xbox360.
2. Um, no. You'll just need a long network cable. DSL would only be used if you wanted to access the internet/Live from from an external internet source.
3. Assuming you have PC / Xbox. Cabling price would depend on how much length it has to cover and whether you'd do it yourself or get someone in. As for ADSL, checkout Hellkom.co.za for a wide range of pricing options.
 
sonex77, let me help.

the xbox360 does not have any internal tuners or anything like that. it connects to the mce2k5 machine and the menu system is transported to the xbox360. you then have access to recorded tv, music and videos. live tv will be available if the tv tuner in the mce machine is not currently in use.

if you have two tv tuners in the mce machine, then this helps a bit, as one person may be watching something on the mce machine and the xbox360 will then be able to watch another channel.

the xbox360 does not connect to any other pc or anything like that...for extender purposes it connects to a television or a monitor and that is where your extended display will end up.

so, mce2k5--->xbox360--->display device.

to answer your specific questions..
1) no
2) no, no dsl required, you are using your home lan. wireless 54g is mostly ok, but you actually want wired 100mbps.
3) dont know. the core system can work as an extender, so that may be the cheapest one. the premium used to come bundled with a specific remote for mce, but i think that has stopped now.

edit: re: divx etc, there is a free product called transcode360 which fills that gap. no need for tversity.
http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox360-tools/Transcode360.php
 
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Just to fill in there, the pro no lionger ships with the remote, sorry, but you can buy one for either model.

I'm not so sure about watching live TV, but if you want to watch pre-recorded movies or music you don't need full MCE, you only need Media player 11.
 
werner said:
sonex77, let me help.

the xbox360 does not have any internal tuners or anything like that. it connects to the mce2k5 machine and the menu system is transported to the xbox360. you then have access to recorded tv, music and videos. live tv will be available if the tv tuner in the mce machine is not currently in use.

if you have two tv tuners in the mce machine, then this helps a bit, as one person may be watching something on the mce machine and the xbox360 will then be able to watch another channel.

the xbox360 does not connect to any other pc or anything like that...for extender purposes it connects to a television or a monitor and that is where your extended display will end up.

so, mce2k5--->xbox360--->display device.

to answer your specific questions..
1) no
2) no, no dsl required, you are using your home lan. wireless 54g is mostly ok, but you actually want wired 100mbps.
3) dont know. the core system can work as an extender, so that may be the cheapest one. the premium used to come bundled with a specific remote for mce, but i think that has stopped now.

edit: re: divx etc, there is a free product called transcode360 which fills that gap. no need for tversity.
http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox360-tools/Transcode360.php
Click to expand...

Well said.. quite clear now.. Is what roman4604 said true (DivX --> MWV).. why can't Xbox not play Divx codec?
 
werner said:
edit: re: divx etc, there is a free product called transcode360 which fills that gap. no need for tversity.
http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox360-tools/Transcode360.php
Click to expand...
I've also tried to get transcode360 working, and while it sort of worked its very klunky and not seamlessly integrated.

I would say just be warned that if you want seamlessly-integrated trouble-free Divx/Xvid viewing, then the xbox is not the greatest solution. I'd like hear if anyone is using TVersity or Transcode360 on a day to day basis without glitches?
 
I just convert all my videos to .wmv as i download them, +-10mins a movie, not a mission, just add them in batches overnight...
 
this http://happybeggar.com/vlcwmv-v2.bat is a little batch file for vlc, assuming you have vlc installed at c:\vlc (change the path in the batch if you need to)...just drag and drop your divx's onto this batch file to have them transcoded to wmv almost instantly.

more detailed instructions here
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/07/how-to-transcode-and-stream-videos-on-xbox-360/

of course the xbox360 has the power to play divx. the reason it doesnt is because some nobs in suits somewhere decided not to let it happen.
 
werner said:
this http://happybeggar.com/vlcwmv-v2.bat is a little batch file for vlc, assuming you have vlc installed at c:\vlc (change the path in the batch if you need to)...just drag and drop your divx's onto this batch file to have them transcoded to wmv almost instantly.

more detailed instructions here
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/07/how-to-transcode-and-stream-videos-on-xbox-360/

of course the xbox360 has the power to play divx. the reason it doesnt is because some nobs in suits somewhere decided not to let it happen.
Click to expand...

I use that little batch file, works like a dream, seriously fast transcoding, i was VERY impressed with what came out the other side ;)
 
10 minutes a movie? To decode from divx and convert to wmv? What program do you use?
 
That batch that Werner posted. Uses VLC.

Take your divx, pull it onto the .bat file and watch VLC zoom like a beast
 
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