How to Play Any Videos on Xbox 360

I find it hard, if not impossible, to transfer your own videos, music and pictures to Xbox 360 and the original Xbox. But actually, you can stream media to Xbox 360 and Xbox from any computer with Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Windows Home Server, and even Zune Software, so that you can play your own videos, music and pictures on Xbox. This article will shows the detailed steps.

First of all, you need to decide whether your videos are supported by Xbox (Note: A detailed list of Xbox supported video formats is attached in the end of the article). For supported video formats, you can directly stream them to Xbox by using one of the four methords below. However, for unsupported video formats like MKV, Xvid, FLV, MTS, etc., you need to convert them for Xbox with Video Converter (Video Converter for Mac) first. And it's just three steps. (Note: It also supports downloading YouTube videos and converting to Xbox compatible formats so that you can watch YouTube videos on Xbox 360.)

Step 1: Import videos by clicking Add Files or direclting dragging your files.

Step 2: Choose an optimized format for Xbox 360.

Step 3: Hit Convert at the bottom-right corner of the interface.

After you find the output files in its output folder, you can follow the easy steps below to stream videos to Xbox 360 with various tools.

How to Stream Media to Xbox 360

There are several ways to play media from a PC on your network by streaming. This section will be divided into 3 categories to introduce how to stream media to Xbox with Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Zune software and Windows Home Server.

• Part 1: Stream Windows Media Player to Xbox 360
• Part 2: Play Videos on Xbox 360 from Windows Media Center
• Part 3: Play Video on Xbox 360 from Zune Software
• Part 4: Play Videos on Xbox 360 from Windows Home Server

Part 1: Stream Windows Media Player to Xbox 360

This method of playing videos on Xbox requires Windows Media Player 12 (Windows 7) or 11 (Windows Vista). Here takes Windows Media Player 12 for example.

1. In Windows Media Player 12, click the Stream menu and then select Turn on media streaming.
2. In the pop up dialog, click Turn on media streaming.
3. Name your media library and click OK.

For Window Media Player 11, go to Library > Media Sharing.

Part 2: Play Videos on Xbox 360 from Windows Media Center

Windows Media Center is an application for Windows users to view and record live television, as well as play videos and music. But it's only included in these versions of Microsoft Windows: a) Windows 7 Ultimate, Professional, Home Premium, or Enterprise; b) Windows Vista Ultimate or Home Premium; c) and Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. You could follow these instructions to play videos and music on Xbox with Windows Media Center.

1. Connect Xbox 360 to your network using a wired or wireless connection.

2. Remove previous pairs (optional).

If you previously connected your Xbox to computer, remove the existing connections as follow.

On your computer

1. Start Windows Media Center.
2. Go to Tasks, and then click Settings.
3. Click Extender.
4. Select Xbox 360 Media Center Extender.
5. Click Uninstall.
6. Click Next.

On your Xbox 360 console

1. Go to My Settings, and then select System.
2. Select Computers.
3. Choose Windows Media Center.
4. Choose Disconnect.
5. Press the B button on your Xbox 360 controller to return to the Xbox Dashboard.

3. Add Xbox 360 to Windows Media Center

1. On your Xbox 360, go to Apps, select My Apps, and then select Windows Media Center to get the 8-digit setup key.
2. Start Windows Media Center on your computer and go to Tasks, click Add Extender and enter the 8-digit setup key.
3. Click Next to complete setup.

4. Start Media Center on Xbox 360

Go to Apps, select My Apps, and then select Windows Media Center. This will build your media libraries on Xbox 360 for the first time and let your play media on Xbox.

Part 3: Play Video on Xbox 360 from Zune Software

1. Install and launch Zune software and then click Settings.
2. Click Software, Xbox 360.
3. Select the media types you want to share, and then click OK.

Part 4: Play Videos on Xbox 360 from Windows Home Server

Windows Home Server lets you store all your photos, movies, and more in a central location that can be accessed from any computer or device like Xbox on your home network. After connected to a Windows Home Server, you can play videos and music on it, and even create a slide show with pictures that saved on your Home Server. Here is how to connect your Xbox 360 to Windows Home Server.

1. Connect Xbox 360 to Home Server using Ethernet cable or an external wireless adapter.
2. Copy files to Shared Folder and open Windows Home Server Console to turn on media sharing by Server Settings > Media.
3. Now power on your Xbox and go to the System blade.
4. Move over to the Network Settings option and press A to select it.
5. Select Edit Settings option by pressing A on Xbox, and setup network depending on wired or wireless connection.
6. Go ahead and select Test Media to make sure everything is working.
7. Now you can access the video, music and pictures in Windows Home Server from Xbox 360.

Note that Windows Home Server is free to try, but dollars to buy.

Play Streaming Videos on Xbox 360

Now enjoy your media on your Xbox. Please follow these steps.

1. Press the Guide button on your controller, go to Media, and select the media type you want to play.
2. Select the name of your computer and then press the A button. If a media source is already selected, press X to select a different media source.
3. Select the item you want to play or view.

Done. Now you can play videos and music on Xbox streamed from another PC. For streaming videos to Xbox in Macs, visit here.

Streaming Tips

Download a third-party video converter to expand the amount of video formats you can stream to Xbox 360 and the original Xbox. For better compatibility, it's a good idea to convert video files into Mircosoft's WMV format.

Video Formats Xbox 360 Can Play:

First, you should know what video formats are supported by Xbox. These videos could be played on Xbox.

Video File Formats: AVI, WMV, MPEG-4 Part 2, H.264 and QuickTime

File Extensions: .avi, .divx, .wmv, .mp4, .m4v, .mp4v, and .mov.

Music Formats: WMA7/8, WMA9 Pro (stereo and 5.1), WMA Lossless, AAC, MP3, Dolby? Digital

Music File Extensions: .wma, .mp3, .aac