Kotaku: Media Center

Got Vista Premium? You Can Stream Netflix To Your 360

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 09 May 2008 22:30:00 MDT

Yeah, that question will rule a lot of you out, but for those it doesn't this should be something of a rare delight. If you've got a copy of Vista Premium, and install the vmcNetflix plug-in, you'll be able to rent streaming movies from Netflix (currently only available to Windows PCs) and - with a little jiggering - beam them over to your 360. It's apparently a little buggy, but hey, in the absence of an official deal, it's as good as you're going to get it for the moment.

vmcNetFlix [vmcNetFlix, via Gizmodo]

Stream Videos on Your 360 Without Media Center

Brian Crecente — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 09:00:49 MDT

Finally, gamers can unleash all of their PC-canned porn onto their televisions. Reader Cainrok points out that Media Player 11 will support video playback from PC to Xbox 360 without the need of a Media Center Edition computer.

I'm fairly certain he's right. Looking at the site it specifically mentions streaming video onto your Xbox 360 and doesn't say a thing about a Media Center requirement.

...if you have an Xbox 360 or other digital media receiver (DMR), you can use Windows Media Player to stream music, pictures, and videos from your computer to that device.

This makes sense. Once Vista hits you won't need a Media Center system anyway, it will be built in, so why not make it work on XP as well.

I don't have a working XP computer or I'd try the beta out for myself. Anyone else up for the challenge?

Media Player 11 [Microsoft]

Video: Give Your Xbox a 360 Make-Over

Brian Crecente — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 20:00:43 MDT

Xbox Scene put up a video teaser showing a skin for the soon to be released (in beta natch) Xbox Media Center 2.0 for the old-school Xbox. The MC360 skin makes your Xbox look like an Xbox 360, except without all of that high-def stuff. The XMC, for those of you not into Xbox modding, is an open source multimedia player for the Xbox that lets you play or look at most movies, music and pictures on your Xbox using the console's harddrive, discs or even a LAN connection to you computer. Brian Crecente

Team BlackBolt MC360 Official Trailer 2 [Xbox Scene]

Be a Xbox 360/Vista Beta Tester

Brian Crecente — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 14:00:20 MDT

Microsoft is putting out long, tentacle-like feelers for people who might be willing to submit their unknowning computers to the terrors of a beta operating system install. The Windows Vista team wants to beta test the Media Center Extender on the upcoming Vista operating system and the Xbox 360. If you're a PC sadist and are interested check the requirements to see if you qualify:

Do you have an Xbox 360 console, and is it connected to the Internet? Is your PC capable of running Vista Ultimate or Home Premium? Are you over the age of 18? Do you live in the United States?

And judging by the picture being hip might be a requirement too... make that edgy.. edgy and hip. Brian Crecente

Be a Beta Tester [Xbox]

Cool Firefox Extension For Xbox Media Center

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 18:20:47 MDT

Nerdy, but still scrumptious sister site points to the Xbmc Fox Firefox extension that adds an entry on the right-click menu that lets folks send internet video to the Xbox Media Center. It keeps media playing on your TV, rather than having to switch the over to the computer screen every time you wanna watch an internet vid. Hot.

More Here [Lifehacker]

DivX Flicks on Your Xbox 360

lsmith — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 13:00:01 MST

GamesInsider links to a lengthy, not-too techish How-To up on making your Xbox 360 convert DivX files to playable .wmv's and then they can be viewed via the Xbox 360's media center. The best part of the guide? It points out that this will not void the warranties on your Xbox 360s, so you're safe in case you manage to screw things up. More appropriately, I'd be safe when I managed to screw things up.

Thanks, Peter

Stream DivX to Your Xbox 360 [MPerfect]
Watch DivX on Your 360 [GamesInsider]

Windows Media Center PCs Get Cable, HD Signals

lsmith — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 18:21:51 MST

What makes more sense than Windows Media Center PCs getting the ability to support premium high definition cable, and display your Xbox 360 images? Why, calling it OpenCable and having it function one-way only, of course. The agreement Microsoft and CableLabs made gives users the ability to receive high definition signals onto their PCs, but in an ironic move (especially considering the OpenCable moniker) the signals are one-way only. Head-y, I know. This basically means that you won't be sharing HD stuff with other users via the Internet. OpenCable indeed.

Microsoft and CableLabs Announce Agreement to Enable High-Definition Digital Cable Programming on Windows-Based PCs [Yahoo Biz]

Video: Xbox 360 and The Media Center

Brian Crecente — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 07:00:37 MDT

Channel 9 has a video up that looks at the much talked about Media Center/Xbox 360 interconnectivity. Jeff Henshaw covers the Xbox 360 while David Alles talks Media Center.

Xbox 360 and Media Center [Channel 9]

Windows Update Preps for Xbox 360

Brian Crecente — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 09:00:02 MDT

Msoft is updating their Media Center Edition of Windows today, boosting the extender abilities of the software in preparation for the release of Xbox 360. Update Rollup 2 is going to add DVD changers support, Away Mode (which lets you turn a Media Center PC on and off like an appliance), DVD-burning capabilities and high-definition TV tuner support.

How many of you have Media Center PCs? I don t, but I might need to look into getting one if I want to get the most out of my 360.

Xbox Plays Starring Role in Windows Update [Cnet]