Streaming Videos Using Xbox 360

[BearBoy]

I am having loads of problems streaming videos from my laptop to my 360. I am pretty sure it is to do with the video formats but, just in case it makes any difference, I'll briefly describe my set up.

I have an Xbox 360 Elite connected to BT Homehub using ethernet cable and a Sony Vaio laptop (running Vista) connected to BT Homehub using wi-fi.

I am pretty sure it is not a network issue as I am able to view pictures and some videos using either Windows Media Center or just by going My Xbox > Video Library > PC and then locating the file. What I cannot seem to do, however, is convert the video files I have to a format that will allow me to stream them.

I have tried converting the files using the 360 settings in both XviD4PSP (I end up with an MP4 file) and Handbrake (I have tried MP4 and AVI) but the files are either not visible from the Xbox 360 or when I try to play them I get a message saying that the file type is not supported.

Does anyone use their 360 to stream videos and, if so, how do you convert video files so that they always work? Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am tearing my hair out

[Psyduck]

yep I do.
I use either encode360 or xenonmkv for mkv for files, everything else seems to work straight out of the box.

[charlesr]

Install Tversity and tell it where your vids are and turn off whatever other media server you are using (WMP11?)

This will understand the MP4s that handbrake produces and should stream them fine.

Ideally you want to be using MP4s because they are designed for streaming. AVI isn't.

[BearBoy]

Thanks for the advice Psyduck and Charlesr. Unfortunately the security programs on my PC did not like encode360 or Tversity and most of the advice I've come across advises against disabling the security. I'm probably being a wuss but I'm erring on the side of caution In the meantime I'm stuck with the tedium of hooking my laptop up to my TV via hdmi and having to get out of my chair when I want to change anything. It's an outrage

[charlesr]

What do you mean by "did not like"? Sounds like you have duff security programs. Remove them. Wuss.

[Strolls]

Agree with charlesr - remove all other antivirus & install AVG Free Edition.

I'll bet you're using Norton or McAfee, aren't you? I wouldn't trust either of them with a syphilitic whore.

[charlesr]

Especially Norton Internet Security..... that'll mess your machine right up.

[BearBoy]

(Belated) thanks for the suggestions

I do have McAfee Security Centre installed (is that bad?) and was too much of a clueless wuss to disable my firewall etc. Instead I just streamed pictures and videos without using Media Centre (i.e. by going My Xbox > Video/Picture Library > PC and then selecting the videos or pictures I wanted to view).

Now, however, when I try the above I just receive a message saying "no videos/pictures found". The Xbox can still see my PC and I can see the files using Media Centre on the Xbox (although Media Centre still doesn't like the video codecs so won't play the files).

Any ideas before I give up and go back to the 20th century?

[charlesr]

McAfee Security Centre.... sounds like an all singing all dancing effort.

http://uk.mcafee.com/root/landingpages/afflandpage.asp?LPName=12350_miss&affid=449&cid=23860

This? "Improves PC Performance" - dubious...
Turn it off temporarily and see if things start working.

[BearBoy]

Cheers CharlesR.

It came with my laptop and it, well something by McAfee, is what we use at work so I assumed it was okay.

I'll man up and try disabling it temporarily and see if that sorts things out

[BearBoy]

When Mrs BB had finished watching whatever chick flick she was "enjoying", I disabled McAfee but still no joy with the Xbox seeing the folders/files

I think Windows Defender might be on my PC somewhere. Is it worth turning that off?

[charlesr]

Do you have a router? If so, the firewall on that should be plenty good enough. Turn all this other stuff off and just leave yourself with a basic antivirus app. Isn't your PC going dead slow with all this conflicting stuff trying to do the same thing?

Anyway. First off we need to check a few things. When you go to the network tests on the 360 and do the one for PC connection, does it find anything and what does it find? (on mine it finds "tversity"). Sorry if I haven't worded this right. I haven't turned the xbox on to check the exacts.

[BearBoy]

Hi CharlesR,

Thanks for the continuing help. It must be like trying to teach a dog a card trick...

I'm going away for the weekend but will give your suggestions a try on Sunday evening.

Cheers,

BB

[EvilBoris]

I have no end of problems getting it to work sometimes but what I don't hae any problems with is using the vuze software to stream videos. Try installing that and seeing if it shows up on your list of computers

[BearBoy]

I don't think this is a connection issue. I have tested the PC connection via the Xbox and it shows the Xbox connected to my home network and the home network connected to my laptop. If I got to My Xbox > Video Library and then select my laptop from the menu it is now showing the "Recorded TV" folder on my laptop (previously it was saying "no videos found"). When I copied a video file in to this folder I was able to stream it to the Xbox and watch it successfully. Up until fairly recently I could see all my video folders by going My Xbox > Video Library and selecting my laptop. To my knowledge, I have not changed any settings on either machine.

There is a similar issue with viewing pictures. I used to go via My Xbox > Picture Library and select my laptop. It would then display the picture folders on my laptop and allow me to view photographs etc. Now when I try this I get a message saying "no pictures found". If I use Media Center, however, I can view the pictures on my laptop. I would rather not do this as Media Center is much much slower than going via the Picture Library used to be.

As far as I can work out, this is not an issue with the connection between my Xbox and my laptop but a question of where the Xbox is looking for the video and picture folders. Does anyone know if there is a way of changing this?