Xbox 360 Media Server Setup
By Mike Kobrin and Nick Mokey
July 27th, 2009
Got an Xbox 360? You’re probably already using it to frag friends in Halo 3, take down Big Daddies in BioShock, and skulk around in the dark in Call of Duty 4, but if you’re not also using it as a home media server, you’re missing out. In this step-by-step guide, we'll show you how to set up a UPnP sever on any Windows or Mac computer so the Xbox can access it, and then how to connect and browse your media. That way, when friends come over with their laptops, they can connect to your network and play their digital media too.
To prepare, make sure your Xbox 360 is connected to your network either by Ethernet cable or by using the Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter. From the Xbox's main menu, go to the Media tab and sign into your user account by selecting the Sign In button at the top.
WINDOWS XP/VISTA
1) Fire up Windows Media Player 11 on your PC, which we’ll use to serve media from your PC to the Xbox 360. You can also use the popular free software TVersity to do the same job, and allow you to watch streaming video from the Web like Hulu. TVersity offers its own support page explaining how to configure it for Xbox 360. Make sure your computer is connected to your home network and that you know your network's name and password (unless it's an open network).
2) Set up Media Sharing for Xbox by clicking on the arrow below the Library tab and choosing "Media Sharing…" from the dropdown menu.
3) In the window that comes up, check the "Share my media to:" box and highlight the Xbox 360 icon in the pane below. Click Allow, and then OK.
4) On the Xbox 360, go to the Media tab and select Music, Pictures, or Videos. Then press the X button on the controller to change the source. Choose your computer from the list on the left -- chances are it'll be the only other option besides "Console" that's not grayed out.
5) Once the Xbox 360 connects to your computer's UPnP server, you can browse and play all the media in your Windows Media Player library on your PC.
You can also use the Xbox 360 as a Windows Media Center Extender, which essentially mirrors your computer's Windows Media Center interface on your TV screen. From the Media tab, select Media Center and follow the onscreen instructions. It requires a software install on your PC and takes just a couple minutes.
Read on to figure learn how to use your Apple Mac with the Xbox 360.
MAC OS
1) Download and install Nullriver Connect360 ($20 USD, www.nullriver.com). The download is a limited demo; you can only access up 100 songs, 5 photos, and 5 videos. It's well worth the money to purchase the full license for $20 USD. For a more versatile, full-featured UPnP server app, check out Twonky Media ($39.95 USD, twonkymedia.com).
2) After installation, open System Preferences from the Apple menu, and click on the Connect360 icon.
3) In the Connect360 window, click on the Start button; once sharing is started, the button will say "Stop" and your Xbox should show up in the bottom pane.
4) You can share more than just what's in your iTunes and iPhoto libraries. Click on the Settings button and then go to the Movies tab. Check the box labeled "Enable Movie sharing from:" and select a folder to monitor for video files. You can do the same for the Photo and iTunes tabs. Hit Close when you're done.
5) On the Xbox 360, go to the Media tab and select Music, Pictures, or Videos. Then press the X button on the controller to change the source. Choose your computer from the list on the left -- chances are it'll be the only other option besides "Console" that's not grayed out.
6) Once the Xbox 360 connects to your Mac via Connect360, you can browse and play all the media in your iTunes library or other folders (listed as "Unsorted" on your Mac.
You may run into the occasional file that doesn't play, but Connect360 supports streaming of most common media types to the Xbox 360, including:
Audio
* AAC, Apple Lossless, WMA, MP3, WAV, AIFF
Video
* H.264, DIVX, XVID, MOV, AVI, WMV, ASF
Photo
* JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, RAW
Unlike with the Sony Playstation 3, you can't copy files over your network to the Xbox 360's hard drive, though you can rip CDs directly to the Xbox as 192Kbps WMA files. Just insert the disc, select Rip CD, and… let 'er rip!
Netflix
We all know you can browse movies through Xbox Live and buy films through the Movie Marketplace, but if you already have an unlimited Netflix subscription (those that cost $8.99 a month and up), you can stream some movies directly to the Xbox at no additional cost. Here’s how to do it:
1. Fire up your Xbox, sign into Live and head to the Video Marketplace. You’ll need to download the Netflix application, which should be one of the very first options. It’s under 4MB, so it will download and install in moments.
Xbox Video Marketplace
2. The first time you run the Netflix application, it will spit out an activation code and ask you to enter it online at Netflix.com/activate. Write down all six letters, then head to the site and plug it in.
Netflix Activation Screen
3. Enter your username and password to associate your existing Netflix account with your Xbox.
Netflix Member Sign In Screen
4. Before you head back to the Xbox, you’ll need to pick which movies you want available on the machine. Yes, you need a computer to pick movies – it can’t be done from the Xbox. We realize how absurd this really is, and so does Microsoft, because the next major Live update will remedy the situation when it comes out in the fall. But until then, log in to Netflix on your PC and open the “Watch Instantly” tab on your to view only those movies that can play instantly. Select the titles you want, and add them to your queue by clicking “Add to Instant.”
Netflix Instant Queue
5. Head back to your Xbox and open Netflix, if it isn’t already open. The titles you selected on the PC should all be available. Pop some popcorn, click play, and you’re off to the movies!
Netflix streaming on an Xbox 360