03-25-2008 - Video on X-box

[DahCheet]

I understand your plight all too well, Greg. I just got into Lost maybe a little over a month ago. It was a scramble to get caught up on all three seasons and then the start of Season 4 before I could watch the newest episodes. I actually ended up just watching them on my computer because I didn't want to hassle with figuring out how to do it all through the TV. I've got a 360 too and probably could have streamed it but I'm lazy.

If you haven't watched anything from this season, be prepared for some crazy stuff. Don't worry, no spoilers, but it's a crazy, crazy season so far.

[Chanceafs]

Moving on from the whole encoding bit, I would like to say somthing about Lost itself. I also only got into it in the last few months and caught up like mad, now watching 4th season as it airs. But I'm starting to develop a severe love-hate relationship with it. On one hand I really want to stop watching because I get more annoyed with every new plot twist. But the also drop just enough intriguing tidbits, and decent character moments to keep me interested. Really starting to get annoying.

[InvaderZim]

tversity has been working great for me so far. it will transcode if the xbox cannot play the files natively with a little picture quality loss but it works. Xvid seems to work the best for me currently.

http://tversity.com/home

[ampersand]

Either you're all have really thought this out or you've all had way too much time on your hands.

I agree with Jerm, go with buying the season on DVD until they decide not to put it anymore episodes on DVD anymore and you're left to download the season via iTunes.

I've only made one season purchase, but that was for the second season of Venture Bros.

[REKnight]

As for the Tivo, you can use it for playback of tv shows from Bittorent.

I use Tivo.net: http://sourceforge.net/projects/tivodotnet

'This works good, but the author doesn't seem to be supporting it anymore. It seems to be a derivative of PyTivo found here: http://pytivo.armooo.net/ I've never used this application, but it seems to have an active user base.

This is how kicked my Combastard habit and saved $100 month.

As for Tivo on Comcast, that really just depends on which Tivo you have/get and if you still have analog service. I've got a Dual Tuner Tivo, so it worked fine with Comcast's analog service. The only issue with the Dual Tuner is that it can only use one tuner if your have digital cable or sat. The TivoHD can use Cable Cards and works fine with Comcast Digital service.

Truth is Tivo has a MUCH better user interface then the Comcast DVR (I had both while I had Comcast) and is MUCH more reliable. This is one of the reasons that Comcast is loading they're new DVR's with Tivo software.

[The Cid]

Yo Greg.

Figure you've probably heard of this, but in case you haven't: check out Winamp Remote. I use it to listen to music on my 360, and it works much better than any of the other methods of connecting a computer with the console. (Sure, you still have to encode the videos...but it's still easier than the Microsoft software in my experience.)

Besides, no hurry on Lost. Next new episode is at the end of April.

[Deacon]

Does this kind of video playing from the network or a USB key work the same kind of way on the PS3? I'm especially interested in playing files off the network sine the PS3 has built-in wireless. Why the 360 doesn't, I have NO IDEA.

[surge]

I came in here to echo the comments, why reencode with the sluggish Zune software? The 360 has had full Mpeg-4 support (Xvid/Divx) since Fall, all you have to do is use WMP11 to share out your media library with other devices, just leave it running. I tried using the Zune software but its too bloated. You can also do as others say and copy the files to a USB disc or DVD, the 360 will read them off either.

[Cyberliger777]

I came in here to echo the comments, why reencode with the sluggish Zune software? The 360 has had full Mpeg-4 support (Xvid/Divx) since Fall, all you have to do is use WMP11 to share out your media library with other devices, just leave it running. I tried using the Zune software but its too bloated. You can also do as others say and copy the files to a USB disc or DVD, the 360 will read them off either.

Okay, you do not have to leave Windows Media player running while you use the Xbox 360. If you network go down and you have to reestablish the connection you have to start it up again for the Xbox 360 to notice it, but you never have to leave it running.

[Felan]

Does this kind of video playing from the network or a USB key work the same kind of way on the PS3? I'm especially interested in playing files off the network sine the PS3 has built-in wireless. Why the 360 doesn't, I have NO IDEA.

Because Microsoft wants to pretend to empower us with choices when it really wants our effen $100 for a stupid wireless adapter.

Blah you MS. Now I have to run a stupid cable from one room to another to get it connected to the network. (I don't have much interest paying $100 for the adapter)

In other news... ill just use my PS3 for movie streaming >.>

[Mae Dean]

To be fair, I hadn't realized they added the capability to play all video types - I was still working under the assumption that it had to be one of the zune formats - that was the way it used to be. This is good news.

Either you're all have really thought this out or you've all had way too much time on your hands.

I agree with Jerm, go with buying the season on DVD until they decide not to put it anymore episodes on DVD anymore and you're left to download the season via iTunes.

Riiiiiight... 'cause I LOVE spending money on shit I usually get for free. Uh huh.

[Deacon]

In other news... ill just use my PS3 for movie streaming >.>

So is that an answer to my question? That this can all be done through the PS3's built-in wireless?

[Felan]

In other news... ill just use my PS3 for movie streaming >.>

So is that an answer to my question? That this can all be done through the PS3's built-in wireless?

Actually. I am not 100% sure. I do know you can hook up a USB drive to it and read video formats (mp4,divx,xivd). I do have a usb drive on the network so ill see if I can pull it up when I get home from work.

edit: I should say I am going to try this from an "out of the box" experience. I do understand you can install linux on the PS3 but I dont think I am interested in going that far just yet.

[Deacon]

No, no, that's just silly

[onyxraven]

The xbox does do xvid/divx (mpeg4 and h.264), but doesnt seem to support much in the way of audio codecs - so a bunch of my videos I had don't work right off the bat.

I couldn't get TVersity to work for the life of me - I've had much good luck with Transcode360 connecting through the windows media center extender. It does computer-side transcoding, so it supports whatever is playable on my computer (which is lots).

Also, so much is available on the official sites in decent quality - hulu.com is really impressive, i just need to figure out the best way to get it on my tv.