Xbox 360 to Support H.264 and MPEG-4 With Spring Update

Xbox 360 to Support H.264 and MPEG-4 With Spring Update

Slimy on 12 April 2007 - 16:53 · 16 comments & 8901 views

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Along with Windows Live Messenger integration, better Achievements system and that new QWERTY keypad accessory, the Spring Update will also include H.264 video support (up to 10 Mbps peak, Baseline, Main, and High profiles with 2 channel AAC LC) and MPEG-4 Part 2 video support (up to 5 Mbps peak, Simple Profile with 2 channel AAC LC). Unfortunately, the addition of MPEG-4 does not mean the Xbox 360 will now play DivX or XviD videos - the console will only natively support the WMV and MP4 containers. Red Kawa, maker of Videora, proclaimed that the update will put Microsoft ahead of the Apple TV and the PS3 in the video area. The Spring Update will be released the week of May 7 and will be easily accessible to every Xbox 360 owner through Xbox Live or on Xbox.com.

News source: DailyTech

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(4 replies) #1 laz45 on 12 Apr 2007 - 17:06

Who cares still no Xvid Support...

#1.1 Powerless on 12 Apr 2007 - 17:25

What's special about Xvid?

#1.2 laz45 on 12 Apr 2007 - 17:55

Quote - (Powerless said @ #1.1)

What's special about Xvid?

99.9% of all the videos I have are encoded in Xvid and I would think this also applies to almost everybody here...

#1.3 The_Decryptor on 12 Apr 2007 - 22:12

XviD *is* MPEG-4, you should just have to put it in the MP4 container.

Although, it is Advanced Simple Profile, and the update only contains support for Simple Profile, so there might be some issues there.

Edit: Simple Profile is designed for stuff like cell-phones and such, why on earth would Microsoft support that but not ASP?

#1.4 Septimus on 13 Apr 2007 - 21:11

Because they know you can just place DiVX/XViD in a different container and it will more than likely play.

Thus supporting piracy... because DiVX has no legitimate use /sarcasm

(1 reply) #2 selphj on 12 Apr 2007 - 17:13

Does that mean it will stream podcast videos from the PC? aren't they mp4?

#2.1 Spartan_X on 12 Apr 2007 - 17:48

it means you can use any of the files you encoded for your iPod, PSP or PS3 on the 360...

(1 reply) #3 soLoredd on 12 Apr 2007 - 19:29

Sweet.

I'll still be waiting for Xvid/Divx support but for now I'm content with encoding to .wmv, copying to my external USB, and watching on the 360. Takes all of ~15 minutes for a 90 minute xvid-to-wmv encode on my MacBook.

#3.1 Freakz on 13 Apr 2007 - 14:48

what program are you using to do that mate?

#4 Vegetunks on 12 Apr 2007 - 19:30

Sounds nice! Cant wait for this spring update

(1 reply) #5 rIaHc3 on 13 Apr 2007 - 02:07

I think by just renaming the Xvid video files to .mp4 it will reproduce it. That whats I understand from this news post.

#5.1 The_Decryptor on 13 Apr 2007 - 07:23

you'll have container issues then, you can do a lossless convert between containers, but changing the file extension isn't enough.

(2 replies) #6 Kieran on 13 Apr 2007 - 08:04

I use TVersity to re-encode videos on the fly between my PC and 360. Absolutly any video I can watch on my PC, I can also watch on my 360 with it re-encoding on the fly! It also supports streaming internet radio and video to your 360 along with much more. I would recomend this app to everyone.

#6.1 confucius on 13 Apr 2007 - 09:08

I second that! TVersity is an ingenious piece of software. I did run into some issues with some movies not properly being transcoded, but I think that is more of a problem with the codec pack I am using than TVersity.

#6.2 Kieran on 13 Apr 2007 - 11:18

I had the same issues at first. The fix I use is using ffdshow and not installing any other codecs. Unfortunatly they latest builds of ffdshow have issues when transcoding to the 360 so I am using an old build. I assume there will be some newer builds than I am using that work, but I havnt looked into it as this one works. If you want me to send you the working build that I have then PM me.

#7 Tuffgong4 on 13 Apr 2007 - 16:45

transcode 360 for me. Encodes on the fly with 0 of the set up of tversity.

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Xbox 360 to Support H.264 and MPEG-4 With Spring Update

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