Xbox 360 Media Center Extender Demo

by James Ransom-Wiley { Oct 19th 2005 at 2:00PM }

Channel 9 recently talked with Jeff Henshaw (Xbox) & David Alles (Media Center) and got down to the nitty-gritty of the Xbox 360's relationship with Windows Media Center. You can download the entire interview, here.

The components the guys recommend:

720p native HDTV
802.11a (for wireless network users)
Dolby Digital Surround Sound (with optical input)
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[Thanks, Gregg]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

BxJoseff @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

All I need is the HDTV component and Ultimate power shall be mine!!!!

Enjoying the Next-Gen in all it's orgasmic glory:
Sony 7.1 Dolby Digital/5 disc DVD Receiver=$450
Panasonic 40" Flat Panel HDTV Tuner=$1799(fell off the back of the truck-due to arrive on November 1st)
XBox360 w/one game and neccessary add-ons(ie: battery pack)=$550
PS3 = $600 (estimate)
Accessesories (Monster Cables, Optical blah blah blah)

*Looks at bill, then looks at bi-weekly pay check and vomits all over Joystiq's article*

gimme a break...I'm a 23 year old medical assistant living in New York City...

Scott @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

No beer and no DiVx/Xvid make Homer something something

Alex Kim @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Sigh... This is one thing that makes me wish I had a Media Center PC. Any hope of someone making some freeware that would let me stream content from my Mac to the Xbox360? I know I can probably connect my powerbook to my HDTV over DVI, but it'd be great to just be able to stream the video wirelessly. Guess I'll have to wait on the fabled Airport Express with video out.

jc @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

802.11a ?? Let's resort back to smoke signals.

Jokes aside, I wonder why they would suggest thousands of dollars in next generation video and audio gear and a wireless format that is years outdated.

Is 2Mb/s all you will be able to stream from your media centre?

Gimbal @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I knew 720p native would probably be the bulk of the HD source material. But I had to get a 1080p HDTV anyway. Hopefully my expense at future-proofing will pay off...in the future.

Alex @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Despite its name, 802.11a is a newer (and faster) protocol than 802.11b. I didn't watch the whole video, but I'm guessing they recommend 802.11a because it will have less interference than b or g since it's on a different frequency than those more popular (and thus more "noise polluted") protocols.

OTAM @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

This whole idea of streaming music and video from my PC to the Xbox360 still has me confused no matter how much I read about it.

What do you need to stream content? A Media Center PC and that's it? No WinXP Home or Pro? How do you record television onto the 360? What if I have NO internet connection in my house?

This shit is really confusing me because they keep talking about MCE of Windows and nothing else. I don't have MCE,I have Pro,so what happens with me? Do I get streaming photos,music,video and tv?

jc @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

sorry, according to wikipedia, 802.11a does 54Mb/s... my bad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11a

ZildjianKX @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I'm also pissed about the lack of divx/xvid.

I guess I'll have to mod my Xbox 360 just for better media capabilities... Microsoft will never learn.

XBMC for the original Xbox is just worlds superior. Stream from an iTunes share, stream a DVD ISO, xvid/divx... also can stream from a samba share, so no need for MCE.

The only cool thing is if you actually use a MCE for its TiVo capabilities and stream HDTV shows to your 360, which is probably a very small minority of people.

syco @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

So can the 360 not stream video off of any smb connected pc directly? If you have a 360 you shouldn't need a Media PC, that's the whole point of it being able to play video! Am I missing something here? I'll watch the video, but this doesn't sound good.

Scott @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

"What do you need to stream content? A Media Center PC and that's it? No WinXP Home or Pro?"

Windows XP Home, Pro, and MCE stream music, pictures, and video. To fully utilize the Media Center features and stream and record TV, you need a Windows XP MCE machine.

"How do you record television onto the 360?"
You don't. You record television onto your Windows XP MCE machine and stream it to your 360.

"What if I have NO internet connection in my house?"
Then you'll miss out on all the features that require an internet connection.

"I don't have MCE,I have Pro,so what happens with me? Do I get streaming photos,music,video and tv?"
Photos, music, and video but not TV.

OTAM @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Thank you Scott,you cleared it up for me.

I was actually going to get rid of XP Pro and put in my copy of Media Center but if you need to record television ONTO your computer,something I can't do because I have no TV input on my PC,then I don't need to.

How exactly do you stream stuff over is what i'm trying to figure out though. Do you need an internet connection to stream stuff over? I have wireless internet in my house and 4 pcs on it,so how exactly does my 360 pick up that signal and use it to get onto Live?

mat @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

802.11a is not a newer standard. It was established at the same time as b. It is capable of 54mbs, but since it operates at 5ghz it has limited range.

jc @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

OTAM, the same as a lan party. You are basically sharing the harddrive of the computer with you media on it. The X360 will access your XP HDD and play the media on your TV.

It doesn't matter if the network is wired or wireless.

syco @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Now that I think about it, there's really no point in this anyway, the 360's bound to just have a modified version of WMP in it, so no support for things like .mkv or .ogg, which entirely precludes me from using it for a media box.

r @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

"But I had to get a 1080p HDTV anyway. Hopefully my expense at future-proofing will pay off...in the future."

Too bad the 360 is not future proof. 720p is going to be considered low quality in 3-4 years (if not now, sorry FOX Sports), not to mention the lack of a next-gen drive, RF controllers instead of bluetooth, etc etc.

I'm not saying MS might not "win" this round because of this, because they could, but PS3 cleary wins in terms of being a future proof investment.

And now for my 1080p rant: Make sure your TV supports 1080p INPUT, and doesn't just upconvert 1080i to progressive. Currently I've only heard of the new HP TV's supporting this, but others will follow.

OTAM @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

JC,I understand you're trying to help me but I really don't understand it. It's probably hard for you to explain it to me because I don't know what questions i'm supposed to be asking.

This is my situation.

I plan on putting the 360 in my room where my PC is also located. There is no physical connection between the PC and 360 and the PC is on a wireless internet connection.I have 4 PCs on the router,which is the limit,so either the 360 or my PC will have internet access at a time. I don't know how i'm supposed to get my 360 to even connect to the wireless network (unless they have some piece of hardware IN the 360 to pick up the signal of the wireless network).

So what i'm basically asking is with my situation how,

1.Is my 360 going to connect to my wireless network without having to drill fucking holes in my floorboards and run an ethernet cable from the ceiling down the wall of the room the router is in.

2.How do I share content from my PC to 360 with no physical connection and only 1 can be on the net at the same time.

I have 0 knowledge on this subject which is why i'm not afraid to ask no matter how "stupid" I look to some people. I do appreciate the people trying to help me with this though,I really do thank you.

Shadyrudy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

802.11a? What I want to know is will the old XBox wireless adapter work seamlessly with the 360? I mean, my original XBox is probably going to go to nephews and they don't need wireless, so I'll have that old wireless unit laying around. Can I just plug it and go, like with the original XBox? Just me trying to save another $100 bucks (That's the price at Gamestop.com)

SickNic @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I'm still pissed that I am getting hosed with my MCE laptop that came with Media center 2004.

OFFER US AN UPDATE MICROSOFT!!!!

Instead, I will be milked into getting Windows vista so I can get this to work with my home wireless network.

Chris @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Is it just me or did the interviewer seem like the worst possible candidate to talk with people about new technology? Some of the questions he asked were the stupidest things I've ever heard.

Scott @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

OTAM - MS is selling a wireless adaptor for the 360. You can use that to connect to your wireless router and stream content that way.

SickNic - You can purchase Windows MCE2005 OEM packages for less than $100.

jc @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

1: I am guessing that you are using a wireless router. You have 4 ethernet ports and likely wireless on top of that. If you don't want to drill holes, you will need to wait for the wireless adaptor that MS is supposed to come out with. With that you will be able to get internet connection and share your XP files with you X360.

If you want to get online to your room before the wireless adaptor comes out for the X360, you will need to connect your X360 to your XP system with ethernet cable. You could buy a second router, a larger first router or even add a second networking card to your XP system.

Your best bet, and maybe most expensive, is to wait for the MS X360 wireless adaptor. With the prices of routers really cheap now, I might go with just buying a seperate router, and hooking both your XP system and X360 through that.

does that make sense?

kingroach @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

@OTAM,

1. There is wireless pack for xbox360 that has an ethernet out.. you can connect to your wireless network with that.. But , I would recommend buying a third party wireless pack since they cost about $30-$40 but teh microsoft one cost about $100..

2. sharing doesnt depend on internet.. you just create a windows share. If you dont have a media center pc then you will need to download windows media connect 2.0. you can download that from microsoft websire (free).. with that software, you can select what folders/files you want to share. Then you go to your xbox360 and it will see your shared files. If you have a media center pc then you will launch media center from xbox360 and it will sync with media center in your pc. in xbox360 you will see exact copy of your media center in windows ( albums, organization, movies, labels etc.)

I would recommend that you plug out one of teh computers and connect xbox360 with a wired connection since its more reliable for video.. No matter how good your router is, in wireless connection and video stream has a chance to shutter.. and then connect the other computer wirelessly.. the wireless cards cost about $10-$20..

@SickNic,

media center upgrade from 2004 to 2005 is free.. if you call your manufacture and they will send a free disk.. Sony sends the disk to you free but dell charge you $20 for shipping ( ebay style).. I dont knwo about other manufactures..

OTAM @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Thanks JC.

I have an ethernet card in my PC and had my first Xbox setup to go online with that but the lag was UNBELIEVABLE to the point of where I just didnt even bother to play online anymore.

So I guess my only option is to buy the $100 wireless adapter for the 360.

I'll probably buy it from Gamestop so then I can get ass-raped by both companies at once instead of making separate appointments because i'm usually short on time in my day to day life.

SickNic @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Scott #20

I realize this, but you have to buy some sort of hardware with it, and I would need to do a complete format and reinstall of my harddrive. I think I am just going to wait for windows Vista with MCE built in. Of course, that means I have to wait till next year to use the features I thought I'd be able to use on launch...

I still wish I could just use the media center I have now though. Ever since MC2005 came out us MC2004 users have been shafted.

SilverScyth @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

"Too bad the 360 is not future proof. 720p is going to be considered low quality in 3-4 years (if not now, sorry FOX Sports), not to mention the lack of a next-gen drive, RF controllers instead of bluetooth, etc etc.

I'm not saying MS might not "win" this round because of this, because they could, but PS3 cleary wins in terms of being a future proof investment.

And now for my 1080p rant: Make sure your TV supports 1080p INPUT, and doesn't just upconvert 1080i to progressive. Currently I've only heard of the new HP TV's supporting this, but others will follow."

Microsoft helped to make Bluetooth. Brand name means nothing, it still operates in pretty much the same way.

720p is great, and only 3 or 4 games will ever use 1080p on the PS3. The argument is void.

But we do not know if Blu-Ray will win or not now do we? I think Microsoft is smart to stick to a DVD drive, especially consiering that data streams off the disk faster than any Blu-Ray drive Sony can stick in the PS3.

xbair @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

SilverScyth, I strongly agree with you. Because a 1x Blu-ray drive in 2009 is so cool.

Paul @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Someone mentioned that you can stream music/pictures AND video from any XP machine. It is my understanding that you can only stream music/pictures. For video (which includes TV) you need to have Media Center installed.

My response? Spend $100 and get yourself the MCE OS. You'll be glad you did.

Scott @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

#27 That was me. TheGreenButton.com had the text of a chat with MCE developers and they stated that you could stream video with XP Home and Professional. You just can't stream HD video. HD Video is only possible with MCE.

Alex @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

So then I WILL be able to stream video from my Mac then, right? Because it's easy to set up a Windows SMB share on it. I just won't be able to stream HD content. Can someone verify/negate this?

ZildjianKX @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Ummm... about all the 1080p arguments, maybe you guys should read this:

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000303057041/

morbo @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

A "media center" that can't play non-MS formats like Divx, Xvid, OGG, etc. is about as useful as a lump of coal. Way to drop the ball on this aspect of the 360, MS.

When I first heard about the 360 I actually beleived their hype about 'giving those who modded thier xbox most of the features they modded for - media center etc', and was all set to replace my modded xbox with a stock 360. Unfortunately, now it looks like I'll have to wait for the 360 to be hacked to buy one. If I wait until its hacked, the chances of me actually shelling out for any games are about 0.

Deluxe Edition aka SlyOneil @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I bought a 46in DLP Samsung last month - 720p. Why 720p instead of 1080i/p you ask? I had them put the Plasma 1080p and the DLP 720p side by side @ the Store (BrandsMart USA) and I could not tell the difference. So I am not paying an extra $1000.00 for something I cannot even see.
For all you shopping for a new TV. Trust me 720p is more than enough. Just remember you need to factor-in paying for HD-Channels, cause regular TV looks like shite..Peace

PS... You have'nt lived till you've see programmes from PBS-HD & Discovery HD.

Nathan @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

The XBOX 360 has been reported to be 100% compatible with the current XBOX wireless adapter. Just use the ethernet port on the back of the unit and connect it exactly the same way that you currently have your XOBOX connected to your wireless network.

Glenn @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

802.11a has always been the recommendation for wireless when using a media center extender (which has been out for some time now), however it doesn't mean you have to use it. If you look at the specs, it says 802.11a/b/g is the BEST, then something like g is good, and b is workable. I've tested all and had no problems. If memory serves when I used B is worked best when I didn't have any other traffic on my wireless.