Anybody keeping XBMC current on their Xbox?

[Bootay]

just for the record, i watched a 7.4gb 1080p h.264 .mkv file tonight on xbmc on my pc and it works beautifully...the xbox just can't handle that. 

Severdhed: Yea...we know that any file format will play on a PC running XBMC. We are strictly talking about Xbox1.

DJ: While it is interesting to know that an mkv is just a container and you could drop any files in them like that, the majority of mkvs that are downloaded are 720p or 1080p videos that will not play on an Xbox. So potentially it will work if someone drops a 480p dvdrip xvid in an mkv container, but realistically I never seen anyone do that, or seen any available for download like that.

I do have a question on the mkv container though. Since you could drop Xvids in an mkv container, could I take xvids that are split into cd1 and cd2 and drop them in a single mkv container so that they are 1 file instead of 2? I know that if they are named properly XBMC will read them as 1 file. But if I ever decide to switch from the Xbox to another device that doesn't support XBMC, it would be nice to have an option to make these 1 file.

[shmokes]

In plain English what he's saying is that it's best to think of .MKVs as not working at all on the Xbox. 

No.  h.264 is the problem.  The video format could also be contained in MP4's and other containers.  Remember, MKV isn't a format, it's a container of formats.  You can put DivX and MP3 in an MKV even, which was popular in the anime piracy scene before h.264 got popular, because it could hold soft coded subtitle formats and multiple audio streams unlike the AVI container.

I even have a range of MKVs with h.264 with resolutions below 480p that will run fine.  This isn't about the container but it's about CPU load.  And this is the problem with using the Xbox1 as a media center, it's old hardware and it's slow as snot.

You're right, of course.  But the reality is that nobody encodes Divx or Xvid to MKV, they use AVI.  So if you're watching movies on the Xbox it's best to just treat MKVs as incompatible, cos they almost certainly are, whereas an AVI will play 99 out of 100 times.  Xbox supports MKV files, but in practice it never plays them.  You're right about the reason, but the reason is secondary to the fact that they don't work.

[DJ_Izumi]

I'm playing an MKV with h.264 and AAC on my Xbox1 right now.   Though it's at 640x352 widescreen, instead of 720x480, so there's less blocks for it to decide.  It's using 90% or so of the CPU but it's just fine.  Resolution is probably the biggest factor in CPU demand.

[GuyDanger]

Just released today, XBMC for AppleTV2, Ipad And Iphone4 (although its been said that it is a little frustrating on the Iphone 4)!

Just thought you would all like to know that the guys at XBMC are at it again. Apple TV runs XBMC!!!

The Apple TV can handle 1080p video no problem (Although it was originally set to 720p by Apple). So HD streaming is built-in right out of the box. They have also reported that XBMC is fully functional once installed. The sweetest part of this whole thing...you can pick up an Apple tv for...wait for it...wait for it...$99!

http://xbmc.org/

Check out thier official site, its pretty big news!

P.S. I think they have wireless N built-in too. Someone may want to confirm this.

[Bootay]

I'm playing an MKV with h.264 and AAC on my Xbox1 right now.   Though it's at 640x352 widescreen, instead of 720x480, so there's less blocks for it to decide.  It's using 90% or so of the CPU but it's just fine.  Resolution is probably the biggest factor in CPU demand.

I believe you, and I believe that Shmokes believes you too. The point we were both making is that typically mkvs are HD resolution and the xbox cannot handle it. I fully believe that a 480p mkv will work...but typically mkvs are not 480p when you find them online. I am sure there are a few but the vast majority of them are HD. So that is why Shmokes said that it is best to just consider mkvs not working. It is just too much work to download one and hope that it is encoded in a resolution low enough for the xbox1 to handle when you already know that Xvids will work just fine. For every mkv rip there is an Xvid rip of the same content, so why not just get the Xvid instead and skip the dice roll?   

[SNAAKE]

can you transfer files to this appletv thing and also add a bigger hard drive? 2.5 sata?

[GuyDanger]

can you transfer files to this appletv thing and also add a bigger hard drive? 2.5 sata?

The Apple TV is probably best served as a streaming device. I think it has 4gb of internal memory. It is literally not much bigger then a hockey puck so you wouldn't be able to add a hard drive to it. Now it does note that it has a micro usb input but in brackets it states (service and support). So I am not sure if the Apple Tv would recognize an external hard drive from it.

It does include:

•HDMI2
•Optical audio
•10/100BASE-T Ethernet
•Built-in IR receiver
•Wi-Fi (802.11 a, b, g, or n)

For the price of this little system, it is packed to the tits! Add the xbmc remote app to it (if you own an Iphone or Itouch) and you are rockin' one serious entertainment hub!

[Bootay]

can you transfer files to this appletv thing and also add a bigger hard drive? 2.5 sata?

The Apple TV is probably best served as a streaming device. I think it has 4gb of internal memory. It is literally not much bigger then a hockey puck so you wouldn't be able to add a hard drive to it. Now it does note that it has a micro usb input but in brackets it states (service and support). So I am not sure if the Apple Tv would recognize an external hard drive from it.

It does include:

•HDMI2
•Optical audio
•10/100BASE-T Ethernet
•Built-in IR receiver
•Wi-Fi (802.11 a, b, g, or n)

For the price of this little system, it is packed to the tits! Add the xbmc remote app to it (if you own an Iphone or Itouch) and you are rockin' one serious entertainment hub!

This really does sound interesting since it runs XBMC. Currently my Xbox1 is still doing what I need it to and I do not care about HD content much. I have a 42" HDTV and have played HD content on it and although HD looks good and I can see the difference in quality, it never really blew me away to the point that I have to have it. Now don't get me wrong, if I upgrade to hardware that can handle it, I would probably start getting HD content.

[newkillergenius]

My $0.02 on XBMC:

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[ark_ader]

I use MameMKV, and it doesn't work out of the box for the Xbox1.  I have to convert the rip to Divx5.  If I keep the conversion process that  MakeMKV provides, not only does it stutter, but I lose sync with the audio track.  You can make the video player decode at a lower resolution and that works.  If I want to watch any conversions I have to button menu every movie?  I don't think so.

Yes it is a PINTA, but if all your gear plays SD, what is the point of making multiple HD versions for one or two devices?

OK I'm cheap, but I see the Xbox1 residing under my TV for a few more years yet.

[Bootay]

I use MameMKV, and it doesn't work out of the box for the Xbox1.  I have to convert the rip to Divx5.  If I keep the conversion process that  MakeMKV provides, not only does it stutter, but I lose sync with the audio track.  You can make the video player decode at a lower resolution and that works.  If I want to watch any conversions I have to button menu every movie?  I don't think so.

Yes it is a PINTA, but if all your gear plays SD, what is the point of making multiple HD versions for one or two devices?

OK I'm cheap, but I see the Xbox1 residing under my TV for a few more years yet.

Ark, I feel the same way....
And dude...please remove the annoying black bars...the protest is over. LOL Save that ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- for the Mame/720 controller thread.