Xbox 360 Video Formats

PiKe · 5 Nov 2007 at 11:07

What video format's can you play off HDD's plugged into the USB socket on the 360? I want to play DVR-MS files at a friends house without needing MCE.

Any ideas?

Tobes · 5 Nov 2007 at 11:12

Didn't think you could play any video files from a a portable device. Only music and videos. Could be wrong though.

PiKe · 5 Nov 2007 at 11:34

Looks like you're right, bummer.

ic1male · 5 Nov 2007 at 13:32

You can play WMV and MP4/H264. I do it all the time.

PiKe · 5 Nov 2007 at 13:49

ic1male said:
You can play WMV and MP4/H264. I do it all the time.

When you see files labelled x264 those wont play will they?

Tobes · 5 Nov 2007 at 17:08

So can you play videos from a portable USB storage device?

Red Porsche · 5 Nov 2007 at 19:07

Have you got any links regarding this?

Does there need to be a particular file structure to do this? If so i could play my itunes library.

rp2000 · 5 Nov 2007 at 19:14

PiKe said:
When you see files labelled x264 those wont play will they?

No, it is not so much the file format, but the container it is encapsulated in that is important. The files you refer to are probably in a mkv or avi container, which the 360 won't play natively.

This is a list of exact formats and containers that are supported as of last relevant dashboad update.

http://blogs.msdn.com/xboxteam/archive/2007/05/09/spring-07-video-playback-faq.aspx

redporshe said:
Have you got any links regarding this?

Does there need to be a particular file structure to do this? If so i could play my itunes library.

See above link, but it isn't as straight forward as you having .mov/mp4 that are in your tunes library. They have to have been encoded using a specific "video profile". I think stuff bought of ITMS won't work. It would not surprise me though if a Quicktime HD trailer of Apple's website may well work.

rp200

Clown · 5 Nov 2007 at 19:14

Tobes said:
Didn't think you could play any video files from a a portable device. Only music and videos. Could be wrong though.

You just went back on yourself in the same post? Anyway ic1male is right. I can play my PSP movies on there if I wanted to

PiKe · 5 Nov 2007 at 19:16

rp2000 said:
No, it is not so much the file format, but the container it is encapsulated in that is important. The files you refer to are probably in a mkv or avi container, which the 360 won't play natively.

This is a list of exact formats and containers that are supported as of last relevant dashboad update.

http://blogs.msdn.com/xboxteam/archive/2007/05/09/spring-07-video-playback-faq.aspx

rp200

Can you change the container of a file without re-encoding the whole thing?

rp2000 · 5 Nov 2007 at 19:21

PiKe said:
Can you change the container of a file without re-encoding the whole thing?

Yes you can! However the audio may need converting as the files you refer to are often encoded with 5.1 audio profiles and the 360 only supports stereo. But this is still vastly faster then re-encoding audio and video.

I can't think of any software off hand though.

rp200

Red Porsche · 5 Nov 2007 at 19:48

I wasnt clear sorry i just meant music files. I was thinking i could copy my itunes folder onto a portable hard drive and connect via usb 2 and play away. What playlist formats does it support?

Tobes · 5 Nov 2007 at 20:00

Clown said:
You just went back on yourself in the same post? Anyway ic1male is right. I can play my PSP movies on there if I wanted to

Sorry I meant pictures lol. I'm taking it the ability to play videos was included in a update then? It's just after looking on the net I'm finding out that it only played music and pictures.