http://media.xbox360.ign.com/articles/644/644390/vids_1.html
Damn thats a long video. The 640x360 version is almost 800 megs
Damn thats a long video. The 640x360 version is almost 800 megs
Huge GC video for ms's confrence
- Thread starter jvd
- Start date
about a half an hour through. They are getting to the games . Saw the dashboard . Its pretty cool and seems easy to use . I 'm getting from it that u can only stream through media center. I thought it would work with xp also ?
Anyway its def a step up from the other menu systems i've seen in past consoles from everyone
Anyway its def a step up from the other menu systems i've seen in past consoles from everyone
Why the hell would you need friggin media center edition for streaming video for? To the host pc it's all just data anyway. Stupid microsoft!
Presumably for DRM somehow. The media industry is determined to DRM everything into overpriced complexity.
scooby_dooby
Legend
Guden Oden said:
Tell me about it, I was pissed when they stated that too.
There's a number of reasons though, #1 is codecs, MS would have to pay licensing fees for DivX, and XVid codecs otherwise the media player would only support MPG and WMV.
By using the MCE machine, they can use whatever Codecs are installed on the PC.
Also, it pushes sales of MCE.
IMO it's pretty lame, but at the same time there is a great flip side, if you DO happen to have MCE, you get much much more than your typical media player, you get the TiVO functionalities for free more or less which is a pretty sweet deal.
Personally I have MCE installed and am ready to go.
Mefisutoferesu
Regular
XviD is FOSS IIRC. MS should have no problem including XviD, or allowing you to install it on MCE, which can pretty much play DivX with no problems. That leaves HD-WVM and H.264, of which MS has complete access to, I believe. That said I really don't see why MS is economically bound to that situation. It's just BS DRM tactics as Shifty mentioned.
scooby_dooby
Legend
PG2G said:
They've stated that the x360 will play using the Codecs installed on the MCE machine, that's all we know.
Mefisutoferesu - There are still royalities on quicktime formats, and realplayer. And are you sure that DivX can be licensed for free? I think it's hard for a big company like this to make a standalone media player that support dozens of different codecs, there's so many hoops to jump through and people who want a cut.
Smaller homebrew apps do it since they have no worries of being sued, but MS couldn't get away with that. It's just much much easier for them to let you install your own Codecs on your own PC, and use those, then they don't have to worry about any of this stuff.
Mefisutoferesu
Regular
I never said anything about getting DivX for free. XviD plays the majority of DivX files with ease. Also, IIRC you can download codecs for both Real and Qt for free, so again there's no royalty issues.
scooby_dooby
Legend
I know I can download the Real and QT codecs for free for non-commercial use.
But can MS install those on a machine, then sell that machine for profit?
But can MS install those on a machine, then sell that machine for profit?
scooby_dooby said:
Do you have a link to that? I'd like to read up on that some more. I'm a little confused on what 360 can and cannot do right now. Everything so far has pointed to Windows MCE being required for video support. But now I read about this....
Microsoft enables streaming between PC and Xbox 360
Reading up a little more on WMC on MS's site. Supported formats:
So is this being released for those who don't have Windows MCE?
scooby_dooby
Legend
the statement was made in an interview with geekspeek radio, in response to this question:
"Most of us know that the Xbox 360 will be compatible with Media Center PCs, and I’m assuming Windows XP machines with SP2 installed. What I’m wondering, is how far do the capabilities expand? Will we be able to stream Hi-Definition Quality video, along with standard Mp3s? Will varying codecs, such as DivX, be supported on the x360? Thank you. "
- http://geekspeakradio.com/?p=42
As for the whole WMC2 thing, it's very confusing, MS is really sending mixed signals...
According to the product features WMC2 should be fine, combine that with the fact XBOX1 apparently already has an official Media Player you can buy that uses WMC to stream video, it seems like this should be a no-brainer.
But the xbox guys haven't even spoken of this product as far as I know...
"Most of us know that the Xbox 360 will be compatible with Media Center PCs, and I’m assuming Windows XP machines with SP2 installed. What I’m wondering, is how far do the capabilities expand? Will we be able to stream Hi-Definition Quality video, along with standard Mp3s? Will varying codecs, such as DivX, be supported on the x360? Thank you. "
- http://geekspeakradio.com/?p=42
As for the whole WMC2 thing, it's very confusing, MS is really sending mixed signals...
According to the product features WMC2 should be fine, combine that with the fact XBOX1 apparently already has an official Media Player you can buy that uses WMC to stream video, it seems like this should be a no-brainer.
But the xbox guys haven't even spoken of this product as far as I know...
Thanks. I remember that MP3 now. It doesn't give much of a confirmation though when he states that he "thinks" the codec only needs to be on the PC then states how there were a few files he wasn't able to play on his extender. I guess we'll have to wait on some hands-on previews before we know for sure.
Mefisutoferesu said:
You know the old saying "open source doesn't necessarily mean free"?
Sure XviD is open source, unfortunately the algorithms implemented in it are patented by the MPEG4 Licensing Authority.
Which means while you might be able to have the source for free, using it in any sort of commerical app or hardware mean you have to buy a licence for the patents from the MPEG4 LA.
Ever wonder why there are no binaries distributed from the official XviD site?
Technically, nearly anyone who uses XviD without paying a royalty to the MPEG4 LA is violating the law (I think there are license exemptions for "education and research"), but the MPEG4 LA doesn't have the ability to go after every random pirate or private user that compiles or installs a private binary of XviD for their own personal use.
Unlike you or XBMC, Microsoft can't take XviD and use it because they're a big fat lawsuit target.
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Mefisutoferesu
Regular
Right, I understand that, but what I was mentioning over and OVER is to DOWNLOAD Xvid. Why is it impossible for MS to allow the installation of other binaries?? It may not be out of the box, but that doesn't matter when a 4minute dl and installation can correct that problem. Am I missing something that says this is impossible?
By the by, I know it's nit-picking, but I said FOSS not OSS.
By the by, I know it's nit-picking, but I said FOSS not OSS.
Mefisutoferesu said:
First, any binary you download off the net will be compiled for a PC, not an xbox 360. So it won't run.
Second, the xbox 360 isn't gonna let you download just any unsigned binary and run it, that's asking for hackers to destroy xbox live.
Third, if Microsoft were to compile and sign a particular "blessed" version of XviD, then the licensing issues come back again, because they're effectively using that version in a commercial product.
Sorry, what's FOSS? Free Open Source Software?
The GPL does not protect you from source that implements algorithms which are covered by patents.
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Nothing stopping them from doing that with XP either, I have a ton of codecs installed on my PC.scooby_dooby said:
Well considering I already paid LOTS OF MONEY for god damned xp pro, I'm not bloody well gonna fork out even MORE for fecking MCE that's for sure... Particulary as I don't think MS even sells MCE separately - they didn't in the past, you had to buy it with a computer and thank you, but I already have three of those...