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XBox 360 as Media Centre?

  • 02-11-2009 7:17pm
    #1
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,917 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    I've been looking enviously at the new Western Digital WDTV Live Media Centre units and been thinking about buying one so that I could connect an external hard disk with all my video on it and play it on my big-screeen Samsung in glorious full HD :)

    But then I remembered my XBox 360 has a USB port and is already connected via HDMI, so I connected the external hard disk to it and went into the Video menu - nothing... doesn't see the disk.

    Quick google later suggests that it'll only work if the drive is formatted as FAT32 so I'm off to check that, but will the XBox support all the current/standard video file formats, or would I be better just getting the WDTV and save myself a lot of hassle?

    I know you can stream to the XBox from a laptop/PC, but the Xbox isn't on the wireless LAN and running a long cat5 cable out to the hall every time isn't really ideal, so any feedback or suggestions would be great.

    Cheers!


Comments

  • #2
    5uspect
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 10,518 Mod ✭✭✭✭5uspect


    It won't play mkv files. You can convert them to mp4 or m4v easily enough tho. (switch container file rather than transcode).

    I use a 1TB Freecom NAS with a Twonky media server to stream to the Xbox. It's buggy at time but works pretty well. Also bear in mind that FAT32 has a file size limit of under 4GB.


  • #3
    Biro
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,091 ✭✭✭Biro


    If you don't have ethernet near your TV, then no need for the WD Live, the normal one will do. The XBox is OK as a media streamer, bit more slick if you use Media Centre Extender part, but fairly limited in the Codecs it has. Getting better, but not fantastic. The FAT32 limitation is annoying, same story for the PS3.
    Maybe just get the WD. Also run a Cat 5 cable!! :)


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