Well, that
Xbox 360 Spring 2007 Dashboard update did
land at about 2:00AM PST as expected, and brought with it a few fun features we were hot to test out -- but none more than the
Xbox's expanded video playback capabilities. Before we get to the fun part, though, it's worth noting that the whole Dashboard experience felt a lot snappier; if you ask us, they made some worthwhile performance tweaks. Since we don't use MSN all that much 'round these parts we couldn't delve too far into the new Messenger contact list capabilities, so we'll get to the good stuff: you want to know about the video. Well, we're happy to say it works as advertised. We were able to play back 720p and even 1080p MPEG-4 and H.264 content on our Xbox 360. Technically speaking the Xbox 360 now officially
beats out the Apple TV in the digital video arena, both in resolution and bitrate. (At best the ATV only does up to 720p at 5Mbps, while the Xbox does 1080p up to 10Mbps; neither supports higher than stereo audio.) In other words, if you're an Xbox owner thinking about an
Apple TV for playing back video in your living room, you might want to think again. Expanded test results after the break; check out the hands-on / walkthrough of the update in the gallery.
Update: Microsoft posted an extremely useful
video playback FAQ. Check it out.
Xbox 360 MPEG-4 / H.264 video test results. Here's what Microsoft said should work, followed by we tested worked and that didn't:
Microsoft added
- H.264 video support: Up to 10Mbps peak, Baseline, Main, and High profiles with 2 channel AAC LC.
- Added MPEG-4 Part 2 video support: Up to 5Mbps peak, Simple Profile with 2 channel AAC LC.
- PlaysForSure (did not test)
Tested, worked
- H.264 / 720p, MPEG-4 container, AAC stereo 48kHz, ~1.1MBps
- H.264 / 1080p, MPEG-4 container, AAC stereo 48kHz, ~5.5MBps
- MPEG-4 / 720p, AAC stereo 48kHz, ~1.1MBps
- MPEG-4 / EDTV, AAC stereo 44.1kHz, ~1.5MBps
Tested, didn't work
- MPEG-4 / 720p, QuickTime container (.mov), AAC 5.1 48kHz, ~6MBps
- H.264 / 1080p, QuickTime container (.mov), AAC 5.1 48kHz, ~9.8MBps
posted May 9th 2007 9:31AM
Well, PS3 supported these "features" out of the box from launch... Wierd though, that none of the current consoles or Apple TV supports 5.1 audio with H.264 content!
Can anyone explain to me why it is so hard to play back 5.1 audio with H.264 video???
ditto on the 5.1 issue. That's a comparatively low bitrate.
"Well, PS3 supported these "features" out of the box from launch"
Oh does it???
PS3 cannot playback .WMA files yet alone Plays for Sure video and audio.
"Well, PS3 supported these "features" out of the box from launch..."
Except that the 360 can stream the video from any PC on your network. I doubt that the PS3 will ever be able to do that since they are talking about a "Media Center" PS3 coming in the next couple years.
The big question for me is: Does this make it a better experience than XBOX Media Center on the original xbox?
That's my gold standard, and that's why I haven't replaced my xbox with either a 360 or a ps3 yet.
How is the interface that enables access to network resources? Can it handle a NAS? How long does it take to load up a "My Music" folder having 15 gigs (give or take) of music? Does it then cache the metadata, or does it refresh the folder on each access? (that's the biggest problem with xbmc, no caching the list of songs)
Yeah Xbox Media Center is kool i have it myself, but xbox is dead 360 games are a reason enough to get a 360. If you dont have a 360 already you either aint a gamer or just simply broke
My PS3 with Firmware 1.7 plays WMA just fine, along with MP3, ATRAC and AAC.
http://uk.playstation.com/help-support/ps3/network/detail/item60089/Update-features-(ver-1-60)/
And PS3 has always supported H.264 video formats.
VIDEO
MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (PS,TS), H.264/MEPG-4 AVC, MPEG-4 SP
MUSIC
ATRAC (.oma .msa .aa3), AAC (.3gp .mp4), MP3 (.mp3), WAV (.wav), WMA (.wma)
IMAGES
JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIFF
I think you meant to say it doesn't support WMV files, which it doesn't and is a pain in the A** because most high quality downloadable videos (PS3 game reviews, etc.) are only available in WMV or Quicktime, NEITHER of which is supported on the PS3. They licensed WMA from Microsoft they need to license WMV too. I will say though that the PS3 supports DIVX which gives them a good advantage in what I would call "medium quality" video playback.
I stand corrected on the .WMA playback on a PS3 but it still does not support Plays For Sure video and audio if I'm not mistaken.
Now all the PS3 needs is:
A scaler so folks with 720p or 1080i only TV sets don't get screwed out of half the HD functionality of thier PS3.
Something to compete with Xbox Live Video Marketplace
$200 price drop
Oh and did I mention Games?
No update to the damn DRM. If you have purchased a new Xbox 360 and you bought XBLA games or other content on a previous system, you can only use that content when connected to Live. XBLA games and other content are tied to Xbox 360 serial numbers and gamertags and there is no way to migrate the information so you can play online. A good update, but very dissapointed. Maybe its time I disputed the charges with my Credit Card Company, and rebuy the games with the money the would be credited back. I called Microsoft and they said the only workaround to this problem is if you can provide a proof of exchange from a retailer and fax them a copy, then they will refund you the points. So if you bought a system off Ebay and it Red Ringed of Death then you're fucked. Well actually there are some workarounds but I will live that to the imaginations of those who are having the same problem. I know what I'm going to do. But seriously, Microsoft who pays for shit to not be able to use it at their discretion? Damn DRM!
@LongshotX
The DVD drive on my 360 broke, so I sent it in for repairs. Several months later, when a friend was logged into my 360 and I wasn't, we noticed that he couldn't play any of the games I purchased before I sent it in, but he could play anything I purchased after I sent it in. So I called MS, and after a rather long phone call listing each and every game I purchased, I received full credit for all of them to rebuy my games. Almost 8000 MS points. I was very satisfied, and now all my games work again.
Or you just delete it and then redownload it like I did.
Not brain surgery. The content is linked to your gamertag in your purchase history. I just replaced my broken console with a new one, and it sucked redownloading everything, but thanks to the new update, I did that while I was sleeping anyway.
Sorry for Double Post
No update to the damn DRM. If you have purchased a new Xbox 360 and you bought XBLA games or other content on a previous system, you can only use that content when connected to Live. XBLA games and other content are tied to Xbox 360 serial numbers and gamertags and there is no way to migrate the information so you can play online. A good update, but very dissapointed. Maybe its time I disputed the charges with my Credit Card Company, and rebuy the games with the money the would be credited back. I called Microsoft and they said the only workaround to this problem is if you can provide a proof of exchange from a retailer and fax them a copy, then they will refund you the points. So if you bought a system off Ebay and it Red Ringed of Death then you're fucked. Well actually there are some workarounds but I will leave that to the imaginations of those who are having the same problem. I know what I'm going to do. But seriously, Microsoft who pays for shit to not be able to use it at their discretion? Damn DRM!
I was able to play both Diggnation and The Totally Rad Show h.264 large Quicktime files. Man, they look so much better than the WMV counterpart.
I wasn't able to play any Quicktime trailers off Apple's Quicktime trailers website.
I saw some postings where people were having trouble streaming the files over the network with WMP11. I have had no problems whatsoever. I think it may be becuase I have all the files in the My Videos folder.
Anyone know of any other good places to grab some video content to watch on the 360?
The high-quality videos at Gamespot.com and IGN.com are in WMV but they make great streaming examples of what the 360 can play.
"Well, PS3 supported these "features" out of the box from launch..."
...since when did the PS3 allow you to stream audio/video from a PC? Still waiting for that to happen. Ripping CD's over again and transferring photos/video from flash cards is a pain.
@npa201 you can stream content to your PS3 from your PC with http://www.orb.com/ I think it works quite well, and it bypasses most of the codec issues by handing all the transcoding stuff. Still not as nice as playing things natively though.
I use Red Kawa File server. It isn't "streaming", but it works just as well.
This updates is a disappointment for me, I bought my xbox when i was 17 so i used a fake account for my parental settings, i'm now 18. I just found out that i cant use the new MSN or any other age restricted options, ever!!!! In Microsoft's eyes, once a minor always a minor.
When will Microsoft realize that all these parental controls only promote the use of fake accounts?
Plus, a bit of Mac support would be nice.
Apple support you say?
http://www.nullriver.com/index/products/connect360
it cant play 5.1 DD because the mp4 container doesn't (strictly) allow AC3 (dolby digital) audio. It does allow 5.1 AAC but thats absolutely useless to the vasty majority of us. Its a real shame, high def video, but old school audio....
it would need to support other containers, such as MKV and avi (mkv being the preferred one for h.264)
http://www.bontragerphotography.com/psp/
Here's my question...
What are they using to stream the video to the 360?? Windows media connect?
can't play divx/xvid files!
If you purchased your console off eBay and it didn't include the receipt from the original purchase, then when it died, why not send the console in to Microsoft to be repaired? Even if it wasn't under warranty and you had to pay for the repair, which is unlikely given all the warranty extending going on, it would still be cheaper then buying a new console. If they needed to replace the console, they would have had proof of exchange, and refunded all the points.
The only time that their DRM for downloaded content is a legitimate issue is when someone purchases a new Xbox in addition to their old one, and expects to transfer their content (for example, purchasing an Xbox360 Elite). Unfortunately, that's not how the licensing works, and (to their credit) MS has gone out of their way to try to point this out.
It would be nice to be able to transfer console-level licenses from one console to another, but because it involves being able to play things offline, it opens up many ways to scam the system for free copies of games (backing up the HDD, transferring the licenses, restoring the original - just as an example). And if that happens, we all lose: more time spent to fix the holes, more inconveniences for us, fewer new features, and ultimately fewer games. Maybe there will be a decent transfer mechanism in the future, but don't assume that it's a simple thing to do.
FYI: If you do do a chargeback, don't be surprised if they block your credit card/billing address from ever being used on their system again. Businesses do not like chargebacks - I would not suggest it unless you don't plan on doing business with them again.
"Jason"
I did send my console for a free repair. But when it was returned it no longer sees it as my original console. So now I have to be logged in to play the arcade games I already had.
Did you notice the new color gamut settings under Display? Looks like we finally have a fix to VGA washout.
Alright, I'm going to ask a stupid question... What was the extension of the files that you tested... I have some .x264.mkv files and its a no worky.
Thanks,
D. Dub
MP4. MKV and AVI aren't supported.
.mp4 files for h.264 either from things like quicktime (noooo) or megui
http://www.bontragerphotography.com/psp/
any one know if this will work with H.264 thats crippled by DRM?
will external usb drives work???
Well I first called and said I bought a 360 and it broke so I exchanged it. The rep needed to get information from his supervisor and the supervisor said I would need to fax a copy of the exchange reciept. I told them I didn't have one, and they said my best option was to just buy all the stuff over again or call Wal-Mart and asked if they had a record of the 4 month old reciept. So I called again and said I bought a 360 because I found a good deal and sold my old 360 I purchased off of Ebay, and they said because I sold it that they couldn't refund my points. I know of one other option, and it should work but what do you think I should do. Do you think if I told your story it would work? I just want to play my damn games that I BOUGHT offline.
What TV is engadget displaying this on. I know its just a photo, but the colors appear to be really rich and vibrant.
the 360 still lacks compared to the Apple TV because of the Interface. The AtV's is much much better for Music and Movies than that of the 360.
Does anyone have a good tutorial on how to turn a DVD into a high-quality MPEG-4 so I can watch it on my 360? Also, does it require WMC11 to do this? Links to tutorials or programs that need to be downloaded would be appreciated...
This hasn't been brought up yet, and I certainly didn't know until I tried it. The H.264 support is ONLY (repeat: ONLY) for the dashboard. It is not supported in the Media Center Extender. Why? Who knows. That totally destroys any of it's utility for me.
Thank you, Microsoft, for tempting me with something you did not actually deliver.
It worked for this guy...
Have you downloaded the optional media pack yet?
http://forums.xbox.com/12278860/ShowPost.aspx
@Luvbeers7
That poster clearly thinks "media extender" means the streaming capabilities from a regular PC, the problems many of us are talking about is the lack of H.265 for the Media Center Extender. That is, connecting to an actual Media Center PC and using its interface, not the simply media player sharing on XP.
lol, H.264 I mean.
OMG. After playing around in the dashboard, looking at the changes,
everything has just locked up. I have rebooted, and I get the
dreaded red rings of death.My console is only 2 months old!!! On the
phone to Microsoft now...UPDATERS BEWARE, THE UPDATE MAY BE BRICKING
CONSOLES....
microsoft's abandoning media center extender for media center pc.
I have spent the past couple of days encoding a few DVDs to h.264 using HandBrake and I have to say that I dig this feature. The iPod setting looks great on SDTV and should scale to 720p alright.
Now I just have to wait for Nullriver to update Connect360 so I can stream from my Mac (I burnt the .mp4 files to a DVD-R for testing). Hopefully they will also add some much needed features like the ability the designate the folder to scan for video files and maybe even the ability to scan multiple folders (wouldn't mind being able to share images from a designated folder either since I don't use iPhoto).
MP4 does work. I've ripped a DVD using handbrake and it looks beautiful. I've noticed that I've been able to view more videos after I installed the Zune software for sharing. Large Quicktime movie trailers also work now, but it's a no-go for HD trailers.
how do i play mp4 on xbox360? stream, extender or pc connect???
at videophiles09:
I was able to stream it with WMP11 and Zune Software. I was also able to pop it on a USB drive. I'm not sure if you have to download the optional media thingy from the marketplace. I did that by accident before trying to view any files.
Up until now having a child's account was not a big deal to me. The only noticeable annoyance was the lack of "Featured Downloads" in Marketplace. Now however, they have a real problem on their hands. I can legally join a military branch, be trained how to use a automatic weapon to kill, and kill myself with cigarettes; I cannot however use a texting service on something called Xbox Live! I love Xbox Live and what it has done for online gaming, but this is just outrageous.
Thank You,
A disgruntled Live user
I got all kinds of excited when I saw this. Then I realized it does NOTHING for Media Center. I still have to use Transcode360. Why the F- is it so difficult for M$ to add divx/xvid support?
@jon: (WARNING: offtopic!)
- Scaler: I SO agree with you!
- Xbox Live Video Marketplace: What's that? But PS-store is sooo empty, so I think I agree with you on that one too!
- $200 price drop: That would be nice! I think everything should be for free anyway though, so it doesn't count...
- Games: I too would like to see thousands of games for any electrical device I have from launch, agreed!
But you forgot the most important thing about PS3 lacks:
- Silent operation (EU versions are as noisy as 360, long discussion) when watching BluRay
- playlist support, and better music management
Jon,
So, you criticize the PS3 for not supporting WMA and are quickly proven wrong. But instead of just making a humble apology, you instead choose to switch topics and criticize the PS3 for everything you can think of that has nothing to do with media capabilities?