Xbox 360's DivX/XviD support doesn't include Media Center
While most Xbox 360 owners could find something to look forward to in the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update, Media Extender users just found out they've been skipped over, again. Just like the previous update adding H.264 support, the 360's newfound DivX compatibility doesn't apply when its being used as a Window Media Center Extender. AC3 audio support as well as a host of other media-related updates are nice, but Microsoft is leaving some of its most dedicated users out in the cold. We wonder what will get DivX first, Xbox 360 Media Center or the PlayStation 3?
Filed under: Media PCs, Other hardware, Others, Internet
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Yubastard @ Dec 1st 2007 5:31PM
wow, I expected to buy 3 or 4 Xbox 360s for my new home, one for each room, and use a central media center to stream everything, but it seems they just lost me as a great customer with all this nonsense. I mean, come on... why is it so difficult to give us what we want? we want things, and we are not afraid to be power users, but we also like it easy.
Mark @ Dec 1st 2007 5:39PM
Why don't you get regular extenders that will do DivX and are smaller and cheaper?
Jerry @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:09AM
Regular extenders are not cheaper and are not even out yet. Please do your homework before responding.
BigDaddyM @ Dec 1st 2007 5:32PM
Like teh browser war, there is a codec war...
QT over WMP... remember REAL?
M
Namarrgon @ Dec 1st 2007 11:11PM
And quieter too?
Odd TSi @ Dec 1st 2007 6:02PM
I still don't get why people have such a hard-on for divx/xvid when h.264 and vc-1 are better. I understand that most pirated content is in either divx or xvid format, but that's my point, why are they still stuck on that? If there wasn't so much MS hatred they would see that in this case, they actually did create the better product. VC-1 is better quality than divx/xvid and on par with h.264 and requires significantly less resources to play than h.264.
pedantic @ Dec 1st 2007 6:22PM
@Odd TSi
In some respects MPEG-4 AVC and VC-1 are not superior to MPEG-4 ASP (what DivX/Xvid are). AVC is very computational expensive for both the encoder and decoder. The availability of decoders is another issue. Also container support is an issue. The only AVC videos I've seen are either in an MPEG-4 container (.mp4) or Matroska (.mkv).
VC-1 has the issue of having poor tools. Encoding in a MS program isn't what most people who encode would want to do.
ASP+MP3+AVI works for the majority of people, and having your XBox 360 or PS3 support it means a lot less hassle.
Big Sam @ Dec 1st 2007 6:05PM
I'll take it however I can get it. While I'd like the Media Extender to also support Divx and H.264, its more important to me that the box supports it directly. I can always put the videos on a USB thumb drive. But for the people with a collection of Divx that they access regularly, this sucks (although Transcode360 is a stopgap option).
Alex @ Dec 1st 2007 6:09PM
why would they enable Divx for the consoles but not the extenders? Are they basically giving up on the media center thing?
Ja5on @ Dec 1st 2007 7:16PM
I'll take it also anyway i can. Not that big of an issue I use a 500gig external hd that i plug to my 360 i dont like to stream to it anyway.
david @ Dec 1st 2007 7:28PM
Who cares about older codecs like DivX? I'd much rather see higher profiles of H.264 and 5.1 AAC.
Jon @ Dec 1st 2007 7:31PM
Seeing that all the new MS Media extenders are supporting Xvid .. i dont see the 360 being left out in the cold for to long .. they will prob add a small update to fix it .. (Fingers Crossed)
JeffDM @ Dec 1st 2007 7:40PM
DivX is such a Frankenstein-like format anyway. I mean come on, MPEG-4 video, MPEG-1 audio (MP3) in a freaking desperately outdated AVI container. While we're at it, why not just put a tape reader and a floppy drive in a quad core computer?
Computational intensity certainly doesn't matter much given the processor that's in the 360.
David S @ Dec 1st 2007 7:59PM
Way to put another nail in the Media Center coffin.
nxtiak @ Dec 1st 2007 8:02PM
No need for media center, the 360 networks just fine and with windows, you can set up folders for sharing to the 360 very easily!
eugene @ Dec 1st 2007 8:06PM
wow, no media center support = me not caring. What's even the point now?
Scott @ Dec 1st 2007 8:54PM
While it would be nice to have Media Center support, it is hardly a deal breaker. You can navigate to what you want to watch just as easily through the 360 Dash as you can through Media Center. Maybe even a little easier as you don't have to wait for the Media Center interface to connect.
Brian Hoyt @ Dec 1st 2007 9:31PM
According to question 32 at http://blogs.msdn.com/xboxteam/archive/2007/11/30/december-2007-video-playback-faq.aspx you can stream the other formats via Media Player 11, which can run on media center. I realize this isn't direct Media Extender but you can still stream from PC to 360.
h0mi @ Dec 1st 2007 9:34PM
Someone please post a link to an FAQ explaining the media center functionality, since I'm a bit confused about all this.
As I understand, on a windows PC, I can share video to the 360 using:
Tversity
transcode360
Other similar 3rd party applications
XP media center
Vista
WMP 11
Zune software
so this means I can't stream divx/xvid to the 360 using vista/xp MCE?
I never expected divx support so this is nice. I've not had good luck (ie PQ sucks or a lot of files wont transcode/work) streaming video to my 360 so I'd much rather take divx/xvid files and put them on a thumb drive and play it on a 360. If MS added Matroska container support (or if the damned pirates on the intertubes would just post 360 or even ps3 compliant files) I would be a very happy boy.
mike @ Dec 1st 2007 10:24PM
whay are people upset? Who uses media center to stream stuff to the 360 anyway? You have to load media center, then go through those menus just to get to your content. If you just goto the 360 sahboard, which is loaded instantly, you can select video-stream from computer (or play from disc) and BAM, your done. When I go into my vast vast vast collection of disck and pull season 5 of seinfeld dvd rip all xvid in .avi disc, I just stick this in my console, navigate to video and it plays. Why should I have to load media center then go through their menus to get to it?
You guys are all bitching about this when your all being dumb using the slower, media center way rather then the quick and speedy dashboard. I bet half of you didnt even realise you could stream without media center, and the other half of you are to stubborn not to use it. I only use media center to watch/record shows off tv. Saved videos and pictures and music are all much more effeciently viewed right through the dashboard.
If anything, they need to give the dashboard support for mpeg 2 files (currently you need to load that slow ass media center to view mpeg 2 files).
Now that we finally have xvid (Which is still whats being used for tv and movie rips from dvd), all we need is support for .x264 in a .mkv container to play back all those HD rips people record nowadays. I dont think theres any device on the market which does that today (standlone) so I could see quite a few people buying 360s soley for that feature if it was implamented. And again, no need to worry about MC support, just let the 360 dashboard support it so I can watch from a stream or a disc.
mike @ Dec 1st 2007 10:25PM
sorry for all the typos above. Im tired and did not re-read my post.
John @ Dec 1st 2007 10:36PM
Really, MS couldn't make it anymore difficult or confusing. Some formats play through Media Center only, some through WMP 11, and others Zune Software. The latest OS, Windows Home Server, only supports the no longer supported Windows Media Connect and until this update it only streamed WMV.
All I want to do is stream ripped DVDs, with 5.1 surround sound, directly from WHS to the Xbox. I don't want another PC turned on and using Zune software (I don't even own a Zune) in order to watch a movie.
By pure coincidence, MS gave me exactly what I want. Divx with 5.1 Dolby Digital can be streamed directly from WHS. I can honestly care less whether it's Divx, Xvid, or h.264; all I want are compressed DVDs with surround sound.
Now let's just hope it works as advertised.
shawnmos @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:14AM
Ugh, I was hoping I could finally get rid of transcode360!
Wes @ Dec 2nd 2007 2:04AM
Honestly, I think I am a bit disappointed. Not by the no media support for divx thing as you can still watch it using the media blade and selecting videos or use a flash drive easily enough.
I'm disappointed because there's nothing innovative or new in there in my opinion.
A video game machine that can play a few more times of videos than it previously could? With a bit of improved performance here/there and a bit updated menu for selecting what videos you want to playback?
That's nice because its convenient and all but pretty much I could take a pre-fall update xbox 360 and transcode 360 and do everything I could do with the post-fall xbox 360.
In that regards, I prefer more where the Playstation 3 is going with its Playstation home. When home is eventually released someday in some future realm....it will add new functionality to the ps3(a virtual online world/meeting place with buildable virtual homes/collectable items/designer characters to use to launch games, socialize and meet people).
When the PS3 was first released, it had a second-rate, perhaps third-rate xbox live clone. Aka the playstation 3 marketplace? or whatever they call it? the ps3 store? However, eventually they'll end up with a still somewhat second-rate service in that its free so the quality of servers might not be great or particularly quick but better online experience in terms of an interactive way to socialize and download content than when it started.
The xbox 360's xbox live thought hasn't really changed much from my experience as a Canadian. Maybe once we get that xbox 360 downloadable hd videos on the canadian xbxo live marketplace promised at e3 I'll be reasonably excited. This will at least be something new that I couldn't do when I bought my 360. I'll have a way to purchase online hd content without leaving my house and on-demand.
Playing back videos with a new format supported? Not a new feature or innovation, its just an old feature slightly expanded. Slightly.
Sigh. I wanted innovation.
Jazza @ Dec 2nd 2007 6:54AM
Yeah, it sucks about the lack of Divx support for MCE, but also the lack of MPEG4 and H.264 for streaming from Windows Home Server :(
Fred @ Dec 2nd 2007 7:37AM
Ok - so we can play xvid/divx through the dashboard, no problem. Me though, I would prefer accessing my files through Media Center though as it's just plain good for media.
I don't understand where Microsoft are coming from - what are the real reasons behind Media Center not supporting the codecs?
Is it a technical limitation they may update once solved? Or is it the legal deal they've probably had to agree to in order to get them included?
It really doesn't make sense to me to allow streaming one way, and not the other - when in the end it's all the same. Except one path is slightly more annoying.
Does anyone have inside info on what the reasons behind this move is?
GhostDoggy @ Dec 2nd 2007 9:51AM
Considering the lack of support for HD games (e.g. Halo 3, COD4, etc.) that present 720 lines of minimal resolution the whole platform is a let down. I am not advocating its competition, but at least Wii didn't try to lie to its consumers about being HD and getting HDlite.
Truckondo @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:21PM
Get over it. The games look great (COD4 is amazing IMO) and play well.
John @ Dec 2nd 2007 10:03AM
@Fred,
I'm at a loss on the lack of Divx through Media Center. It was announced a couple months ago that the new Media Center Extender Set Top Boxes supported Divx and Xvid. Since the 360 is a MCE it seemed like Divx and Xvid would only stream through Media Center.
I'm trying to eliminate the need for a third device to stream video (Media Center PC) and I want to stream directly from WHS. I couldn't be happier that Divx will stream from WHS, with 5.1 surround sound, but it is disappointing that there is no consistency.
I'm not sure that the Media Center department has ever met the 360 department and I'm sure neither has ever met the WHS team. Maybe MS should start using their own business communication software.
akedo1 @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:09PM
bad spelling above.... sorry ;-)
Griffon @ Dec 2nd 2007 4:37PM
I have never understood why the MCE team is so hopelessly out of contact with their real world customers. Then it dawned on me, they are not, they are just way more interested in keeping the IP owners happy then their paying customers. They believe, wrongly, that if they don't kowtow to the IP owners (and cable labs etc) that they will get bumped out of the market before they can get established. Sadly it's been YEARS and years and they still can't get a toe hold, maybe it's time to shake it up a bit and you know, give the customer what they want and stop pandering to the IP companies, to build a real product that dose the things that are desirable today. Or they can spend another 5 years hoping the encoder team will product consumer tools and turn the tied (they won't), and it won't because nobody is going to rebuild their content library to make MS happy. The MCE folks are not clueless they just have the totally wrong focus and yet the seem surprised how things keep not working out for them.
Until they shake off their chronic fear of being a disruptive for and instead strive for it the MCE platform is pretty much dead. To bad because there is awesome potential ther but not for consumer choice which is what is needed.
akedo1 @ Dec 3rd 2007 3:02AM
ok.. mp4 currently streams to your box..from wmp11 OR zune software.. (all zune software is is wmp11 with a different skin) so.. divx/xvid WILL stream to your xbox... just not through media center... just click on the video tab then computer(actually that wont be there after tues. it will just show the vids.... and there you go... why go through a bunch of menus to get what you want? it makes NO difference if it is through mce or not! also it will stream through whs! i dont understand where you people are so confused?? mce is mainly for watching recorded tv (on the 360) all other funcionanity is built in to the 360! what are you people complaining about? You will NOT have to TRANSCODE anymore... just click and play...
Mike Botros @ Dec 3rd 2007 12:46PM
as long as it's in ur WMP11 library and u have it set up to stream to the xbox you can stream the .avi's through that. windows media center isn't the only way to stream videos to the xbox360. This blog post is causing more confusing than clarity, they could at least tell people how they can stream the DivX/XviD files to the xbox360 instead of just bashing. There needs to be an update to this with instructions of streaming.
Junior @ Dec 5th 2007 10:43AM
The issue I have playing videos directly from the Dashboard is that my links/shortcuts that I have setup to the videos on my external Hard Drives don't appear in the Dashboard. They show up fine in the Xbox media center.
Rob P @ Dec 5th 2007 1:38PM
Streaming pc -> x360 -> tv sucks regardless of what the movie is encoded in. I hate having my 360 turned on for extended periods of time when not using it for gaming. Get a decent video card and connect with a hdmi cable to your tv and hook the pc up to your surround system.