DISCLAIMER: These techniques should always and only be used for store-purchased, properly owned DVDs. This is not designed for illegal copying from disc to your PC, nor for creating illegal duplicates for distribution. These methods are for personal convenience and archival purposes only.
When searching for various methods in streaming DVDs from my standard Windows XP computer to my Xbox 360, I was shocked to see how difficult many made this process seem. The advantages other than convenience are many. The simplicity with which you can navigate and select titles may help you rediscover movies you haven't watched in years. Additionally, DVDs that are finicky in DVD or Blu-ray players usually rip perfectly to a hard drive, preventing the blocking and stuttering from conventional playback. The process is so easy that it should take no longer than maybe 30 minutes to get up and running. Here is the process in a few quick steps.
-Download the free HandBrake software.
-Download one of the many free DVD ripping software programs on the market. DVD Fab and DVD43 work very well.
-Download the Zune program for your XP machine. Again this is free, and the software that the 360 ultimately looks at for your DVD files.
Open the HandBrake program. Select the "Normal" preset in the selection window on the right side of the screen. This is ideal for Xbox 360 DVD streaming. Next, Open your Zune software. Make a new folder somewhere on a large hard drive, naming it something that is relevant and easy to remember. Copy the drive path and name. Paste this drive path name into the "Video" folder that you want Zune to monitor.
Place your DVD in the computer. Allow the selected DVD ripping software to remove any copy protection on board. HandBrake will quickly find the appropriate title to use on the disc. Click on the "Source" tab on the top left side of the screen in the HandBrake software. Select the DVD name found at the bottom of the list. Click on this. Click "Start" which begins the encoding process, dumping the audio and video files into the folder Zune monitors for streaming.
Turn on your Xbox 360. Head to the "Video Apps" box. Select your computer's name from the list that appears. If it appears twice, pick the one with the zig-zag Zune logo next to it. Find the folder with the name you supplied to it earlier. Press "A" on the controller to cycle through the menus until your movie starts.
Some important notes:
-The Xbox 360 only allows stereo streaming with this configuration. Most modern home theater receivers convert this to Dolby ProLogic II, retaining some degree of surround. There are workarounds to this issue, but the point of this article is to keep the process simple.
-Most encodes take anywhere from two to four hours. You can rip multiple audio and video TS files to your selected drive, then add these to the "Add to Queue" list. This sequentially encodes multiple files overnight or while you're at work.
-Use a wired connection if possible. A solid connection with CAT5e or CAT6 Ethernet from the computer to your router as well as from the router to your 360 results in perfect streams without stuttering or drops.
-Place each movie into category folders, such as "Action," Sci-Fi," and the like. These subfolders are found in the primary folder you made that Zune monitors. Drag and drop each new title into the relevant folder after it's done encoding. It is not necessary to place each subfolder in the Zune monitor list.
Happy streaming!
Posts
