Connecting 360 to your PC: Guides and FAQs (inc. MAC PCs)

jimmy_Bish · 08-09-2007, 11:47 PM

OK, let's begin. These first few posts are live documents. Meaning that if someone brings up an issue, or an added tip, myself or another mod can add them to the front posts. These will cover the main methods to connect your 360 up using either inbuilt Windows tools or 3rd party applications. I'm going from memory since I no longer run this, but will edit as members correct me.

Connecting the 360 to your Windows Vista Media Center PC
Steps are very similar with Windows XP Media Center 2005, be sure to install the Rollup 2 update in MCE2005 and downloading the software from the URL your 360 gives you when you try to connect.
If you're using Windows Firewall, don't turn it off! It will adjust itself automatically. If you're using a 3rd party firewall, ask in this thread and we can help you.

1. Be sure your 360 isn't paired up with any other PC. To do this, go to your 360 dashboard and browse to the System blade, then Computers. Disconnect from any computers listed there.

2. Boot your Windows Vista PC up and leave it sitting on the desktop.

3. On your 360, browse to the Media Blade and select Windows Media Center. Alternatively, press the green MCE button if you have a remote.

4. You will be presented with an 8 digit number. Write it down or memorise it, and go back to your PC.

5. If you're in Media Center, you should see the Window prompting you for the numbers. If you're not, then a pop-up baloon will appear from your system tray, near the clock.

6. Enter the numbers required, then set your options for folder sharing. Select the folders you have media in.

7. Let it do its thing. Once finished, it should automatically launch MCE on the 360.

TRANSCODE 360
Transcode 360 allows you to stream unsupported formats to your 360. Microsoft, in all their wisdom, only allow a very select few formats through. I don't know why, maybe because they want to push their proprietry WMV format, or maybe they don't want to pay licensing fees. What matters is that there's a way you can stream them using this software.

Download Transcode360 from www.runtime360.com

Requirements:

Windows Media Center, either Vista or XP MCE 2005
A computer that's reasonably quick. I can transcode with a laptop that has a Pentium M 1.4GHZ and a GB of Ram.
Vista Codec Pack (including FFDshow)

1. Install the codec pack with default settings.
2. Install Transcode360, using default settings. REBOOT YOUR PC
3. If you get an error after the reboot, you'll need to turn UAC off. This is a pain with Vista, as you can't specify the app to bypass UAC (that I know of).
4. If you run Avast Anti-Virus, check here
5. Once you have no issues after reboots, you're ready to go.

Run Media Center on your 360 and browse to the movie you want to watch (can include ISO images). Press B on your controller, or Info on the remote, which brings up a menu. Select More, then Transcode. Wait a few seconds (depending on the speed of your PC), and the movie should start!

This is still a work in progress, I'll add screenshots and stuff as I have time.

jimmy_Bish · 08-09-2007, 11:48 PM

Connecting your 360 to stream media without Media Center
This will make your shared folders appear under Music, Pictures and Video in the Media blade of your dashboard. For those who have already run the Media Center guide, but want to play the music in games as well, you will also need to use this guide.
I will add more media sharing programs as members recommend them.

MEDIA PLAYER 11

1. On your 360, remove the existing connection to another PC, if you have one, by going to the Settings blade, then Computers. Don't remove the Media Center PC if you have that set up.

2. On the PC, open Media Player. Add all your files to the Media Library, by clicking on the arrow below the Library button and choosing "Add to Library". You can either search or manually choose folders.

3. Make sure your Xbox 360 is turned on. In WMP11, click on the same down arrow under Library and choose Share My Media.

4. All things going well, you should see the Xbox 360 listed as an extender device. Select to allow all media through to the 360. Press OK.

5. On the 360, choose Music, Video, or Pictures. You should see the name of your PC on the right-hand side of the screen. Select it. After a couple of seconds, your media should start to appear.
Once you've connected either Music, Video, or Pictures, you won't need to repeat the process. The 360 will configure all media types.

STREAMING UNSUPPORTED MOVIE FORMATS WITH ORB
Thanks to Superhoops1967

1. Download Orb onto your Windows home PC and follow the instructions for installing and setting up your account.

2. Check to be sure that your Xbox 360 has the Fall 2006 update.

3. Connect your Xbox 360 to your TV.

4. Go to the ‘Media’ Tab in Xbox 360.

5. Select ‘Music’, ‘Pictures’, or ‘Video’.

6. Select ‘Computer’ from the options menu.

7. Click ‘Yes, continue’ when asked if you have downloaded and installed media sharing software on your computer.

8. Select from the list the computer on which you just installed Orb in Step 1, above.

9. You should see all your media. The default selection is:

For Music, the music in your MyDocuments/MyMusic and SharedDocuments/MyMusic folders
For Pictures, the photos in your MyDocuments/MyPhotos and SharedDocuments/MyPhotos folders
For Videos, the videos in your MyDocuments/MyVideos and SharedDocuments/MyVideos folders
To add or change media folders, click the green Orb tray icon on your computer, then “Configuration”, and select the “Media” tab to add your new folders.

Note; To add Internet TV channels to your ‘Videos’, you must first designate them as Orb Favorites. To do that, go to the TV tab in the 'Quick Tips' Guide in mycast.orb.com.

SHARING YOUR MEDIA FROM AN APPLE PC (OSX TIGER/ LEOPARD)
Taken from (Sticky?) The easy way of Connecting you Mac to your 360 - Xbox 360 Forum by SSGv2.

I've seen on many forums people asking how they can connect their Mac to their 360 (Mac being the operating system created my MS rivals Apple).
The easiest way of doing this is to download a small program called 'Connect 360'. This program allows you to stream Video, photos and music to your 360. More specifically Connect360 supports MP3, AAC, WAV, AIFF and Apple Lossless for Music. For Photos, Connect360 supports: JPEG, RAW, GIF, PNG, BMP and TIFF. For video streaming, currently only WMV+WMA, AVI (DIVX/XVID), H.264 and MPEG4 files are supported (in MP4 and MOV containers). Unfortunately it does cost $20 for the full version that allows unlimited access to all your files, but the free version limits you to 100 songs, 100 photos and 5 videos so choose them wisely.

More info and download available HERE

More coming for Zune player and Tversity. Stay tuned!

jimmy_Bish · 08-09-2007, 11:48 PM

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you have a question, ask in this thread. If it's a question others may ask in the future, it will be added here.

Q: I run a 3rd party firewall program or I stream my media through a router. Which ports do I need to open in my firewall?
A: The following ports need to be open, in both TCP and UDP:
1900, 3390, 3776, 3932, 5555, 7777.
These will cover both Media Center and standard streaming through Windows Media Player 11.

Q: I'm trying to share with WMP11 and it refuses to work, even after trying all the above options.
I get the error:
Code:
W: 0000 - 000B
X: 0000 - F001
Y: 0000 - 0000
Z: 8000 - 4005

A: Thanks to ColdFusionUK for finding this one!
1) Double Click "My computer", Select Tools -> Folder Options.
2) In the Folder Options windows, select the "View" tab.
3) Select "Show hidden Files and folders", and UNcheck "Hide protected operating system files".
4) Hit Apply, Hit Ok.
5) Double-Click on your C drive. If you see a folder called DRM then goto step 7.
6) Double-Click the "Documents and Settings" folder, double-click the "All Users" folder.
7) Double-Click the "DRM" folder, Click Edit -> Select All. Then Delete.
8) Select Tools -> Folder Options.
9) In the Folder Options windows, select the "View" tab.
10) Select "Do not Show hidden Files and folders", and check "Hide protected operating system files".
11) Stop and Restart your Windows Media Sharing service.
12) Goto your 360, Select Music or Pictures, Select Computer, Select Yes, and hopefully your pc will now be found.

Mike · 08-10-2007, 08:58 AM

Not sure how the mods want to edit this in but, for those of us without an Xbox Remote Control, I'll post up the controller configs.

Right Trigger:Fast Forwards about 20 seconds.
Left Trigger: Rewinds about 20 seconds.
Right Button: Manual Fast Forward.
Left Button: Manual Rewind.

Y: On-Screen Keyboard.
X: More Info.
B: Back.
A: Select/Enter.

Left Analog: Navigate.
Right Analog:Channel Up, Channel Down, Stop (To the left), Play (To the right), pause (Press RA).
Back: Back.
Start: Windows Media Center start menu.

MCE Faq's.
PDF on Controller layouts.-If this doesn't work, the link is on the MCE FAQ page.

Mike · 08-10-2007, 09:02 PM

Ok, for some reason my 300 won't play. All the others do, I get sound but no picture. Am I maybe missing a codec or what? It plays on the MCE on my PC just not on the 360.

Ramzinho · 08-10-2007, 09:06 PM

skip that and use tversity... although ff and rewind not supported
but it runs divx

Mike · 08-10-2007, 09:07 PM

No, I'm happy with transcode. TVersity takes up too much memory and doesn't play as well.

Mike · 08-10-2007, 10:00 PM

Ok, this is bothering the shit out of me. I get sound no picture. It plays on my PC in MCE, every other video will show picture streaming to my 360, just not this!! PLEASE ADVISE!!!

Ramzinho · 08-10-2007, 10:03 PM

may be codecs issue... but this is very strange problem mike...

Mike · 08-10-2007, 10:04 PM

I know, it's fucking weird as hell. I even reinstalled the Vista codecs pack and nothing!