360 wired , laptop wireless,linksys WRT54g Router

Quam256 · 03-01-2009, 21:57

I have a 360 wired and a laptop on a wireless connection to a wrt54g router .Is it possible to connect the two via the router to use Windows Media Center on the 360.

**Matt D** · 03-01-2009, 22:00

Yep. They're both connected to the router, they're on the same network.

Why Media Centre though?

Quam256 · 03-01-2009, 22:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

Yep. They're both connected to the router, they're on the same network.

Why Media Centre though?

It is what my son has read about .

http://www.funponsel.com/blog/archiv...box-360-to-pc/

**Matt D** · 03-01-2009, 22:20

If he wants to stream music or videos from the PC to the 360, I think it's a lot easier to simply use the Music or Video tabs on the 360, & use Windows Media Player 11 on the PC, rather than go through all the Media Centre stuff. Better support, for one thing.

Quam256 · 03-01-2009, 22:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

If he wants to stream music or videos from the PC to the 360, I think it's a lot easier to simply use the Music or Video tabs on the 360, & use Windows Media Player 11 on the PC, rather than go through all the Media Centre stuff. Better support, for one thing.

Could you expand on that for me as I have never even been on his 360 .

**Matt D** · 03-01-2009, 22:34

LOL, sorry.

There are two ways to stream stuff to the 360:

1) Windows XP Media Centre Edition, streaming to the 360's "Media Centre" section. This requires setting up, & is IMO rather limited with what you can stream. For instance, for videos you're limited to MPEG-2 & I think maybe WMV. Only real benefit of doing it this way is that you can use the 360 to control an XP Media Centre PC's TV tuner.

2) Windows Media Player 11 (or any other UPnP Media Server, such as TVersity), streaming to the 360's "Video Library" & "Music Library" sections (& also Photos but I've never really seen much point in that myself). No control over the PC's tuner like with MCE, but much better support for streaming though. Streaming from WMP11/TVersity, the 360 can play video files in the .avi container (xvid/divx), .mp4 container (H.264 / AVC / MPEG4 Part 10), .wmv container (all WMV types including VC-1), etc., and can play MP3 audio, WMA audio, AAC audio etc. It simply needs WMP11/TVersity running on the PC, with sharing enabled & the relevant video/music/photo folders on the PC added to the library to be shared. Audio can also be streamed this way while playing any game.

[.mp4/.m4a/.m4v streaming using WMP11 does first require a very quick & easy registry change though.]

Quam256 · 03-01-2009, 22:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

LOL, sorry.

There are two ways to stream stuff to the 360:

1) Windows XP Media Centre Edition, streaming to the 360's "Media Centre" section. This requires setting up, & is IMO rather limited with what you can stream. For instance, for videos you're limited to MPEG-2 & I think maybe WMV. Only real benefit of doing it this way is that you can use the 360 to control an XP Media Centre PC's TV tuner.

2) Windows Media Player 11 (or any other UPnP Media Server, such as TVersity), streaming to the 360's "Video Library" & "Music Library" sections (& also Photos but I've never really seen much point in that myself). No control over the PC's tuner like with MCE, but much better support for streaming though. Streaming from WMP11/TVersity, the 360 can play video files in the .avi container (xvid/divx), .mp4 container (H.264 / AVC / MPEG4 Part 10), .wmv container (all WMV types including VC-1), etc., and can play MP3 audio, WMA audio, AAC audio etc. It simply needs WMP11/TVersity running on the PC, with sharing enabled & the relevant video/music/photo folders on the PC added to the library to be shared. Audio can also be streamed this way while playing any game.

[.mp4/.m4a/.m4v streaming using WMP11 does first require a very quick & easy registry change though.]

And this can be set up to run through a router ?

Hom3r · 03-01-2009, 23:02

Yes it is done via a router

**Matt D** · 04-01-2009, 00:20

Yep, through the router.

You just need to have UPnP (Universal Plug 'n' Play) enabled on the router. Most routers have it, including your WRT54G (I used one when I still had cable, fine for my Xbox etc.).

EDIT:

Here are some links on the media capabilities of the 360:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945416?sd=xbox

http://a8t8.spaces.live.com/blog/cns...13E8!188.entry

Quam256 · 04-01-2009, 07:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hom3r

Yes it is done via a router

It works great thanks for the help ,now he is telling his friends how to do it .

---------- Post added at 07:47 ---------- Previous post was at 07:44 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

Yep, through the router.

You just need to have UPnP (Universal Plug 'n' Play) enabled on the router. Most routers have it, including your WRT54G (I used one when I still had cable, fine for my Xbox etc.).

EDIT:

Here are some links on the media capabilities of the 360:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945416?sd=xbox

http://a8t8.spaces.live.com/blog/cns...13E8!188.entry

This software was a lot easier to setup and was recognised straight away by the 360 .Thanks