Need help with media format

[aztdaniel]

I have a dilema. I run a vista media center PC at home and have an xbox360 that I use as an extender. I have used the vista codec pack to allow my computer to view the mp4 and m4v video formats so that I can watch them through Media Center and also upload them to my iPod and iPhone. The problem is my xbox won't play these back in the extended version of Media Center that it runs.

So, my question is, what video format should I use when ripping my home DVD collection so that I can watch these movies on my xbox360 MC and still be able to transfer them from iTunes onto my iPod and iPhone. I don't want to have two different versions of these movies. I don't think it should be necessary.

[sklebrun]

The xbox 360 in media center mode can only natively play back wmv video, which pretty much leaves only two options:

1. Reencode all your videos to wmv format. This can be done quite easily using the various file converters out there. My personal favourite is Tmpegenc which can also encode the 5.1 audio track into WMApro audio which the Xbox 360 translates back to dolby digital 5.1 on-the-fly.
2. Use a transcoder application such as Transcode360 which will automatically convert and stream your video to the xbox 360 on-the-fly from within the media center.

Scott

[ExtremePC]

Originally Posted by aztdaniel

I have a dilema. I run a vista media center PC at home and have an xbox360 that I use as an extender. I have used the vista codec pack to allow my computer to view the mp4 and m4v video formats so that I can watch them through Media Center and also upload them to my iPod and iPhone. The problem is my xbox won't play these back in the extended version of Media Center that it runs.

So, my question is, what video format should I use when ripping my home DVD collection so that I can watch these movies on my xbox360 MC and still be able to transfer them from iTunes onto my iPod and iPhone. I don't want to have two different versions of these movies. I don't think it should be necessary.

Don't use the XBOX 360 as an extender and it will play a LOT more formats.

[jsbbs]

Originally Posted by ExtremePC

Don't use the XBOX 360 as an extender and it will play a LOT more formats.

I got sick and tired of converting movies from DivX / DVD to WMV or DVr-MS just to playback on Xbox360.

In short, don't. Get a cheap media player instead! My 2c worth.

[triodusiec]

Use XBox 360 Dashboard directly... supports lots of format
btw, transcode360 is a good choice although imo TVersity is really the best since it transcode on the fly only when needed depending of the device. Device supported are iPod, Xbox, PS3, Wii, PSP, etc... pretty much anything...

Actually I use TVersity because I have issues with DVR-MS image/video freeze when used on WMC (see my other thread) and now I'm using TVersity to transcode on the fly any format including DVR-MS. Sounds weard... transcoding DVR-MS.... in any case it works for me as I don't have to recode/convert any format.

[gil]

i never post in the 360 bit as tbh i gave up with it , but something today surprised me with it

so me the wife were messing with the 360 and its new dashboard and i opened the extender part of it which as i said i had given up with , as said above , its poor playback abilitys put me off like alot of other peeps

but i opened and ran a Ts file as thats how i rip my SD films to disk , the quality was stunning ??? why the heck is that ??? is the 360 upscalling or something

odviously the 360 bulked at ISO`s but Ts files look fantastic , i then shut down the 360 and ran the same file from my PC`s media centre through the same TV , the quality was well below what the 360 had reproduced , what a shame the 360 cant play TS files in succession without other software

if only they would give us proper or at the very least successive TS playback and ISO support the xbox would be almost perfect

and somethinh else i found which i didnt no it could do , overlay the 360 media extender menu over the fullscreen video playback !!! i never new it could do that !!

[wilone]

I have converted my dvd's to dvr ms they are awesome played back through my xbox 360 onto a 1080p plasma ,you are able through this method to use fast forward and rewind. I used DVD shrink then VideoReDo TV Suite.

[gil]

after my post last nght , i realised my files are actually vob`s but there in Video_Ts folders , thats my excuse for making a foopar

anyways joining the vobs with a simple batch file is as easy as pie and now i can play the the seperate vob`s as a single file

prolly been done on the forum here many times but here is how to join Ts files or Vobs

open your text editor and type
copy /b *.vob merged.vob

then save the file as merge_vob.bat

place it in any folder where a films vob files are and double click it , it will join all the vobs into 1 file

i think i`m right in saying it also works for Ts files , just replace vob with ts where necessary

dosent help with HDDVD stuff but works well for SD stuff