Xbox 360 codec support to be updated

[andyr300]

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/04/09/162212&from=rss

native xvid playback

 

[sidler]

about ruddy time....

cheers

 

[danvitale]

Just need to add Divx now..

 

[ozinexile]

Are you positive about that? The devil is in the details. This is from the official new release on xbox.com.


Added MPEG-4 Part 2 video support: Up to 5 Mbps peak, Simple Profile with 2 channel AAC LC.


I understood that Xvid used the advanced profile. So I'm going to wait until the update is released and it's been tested before I get too excited.

Plus it's been comfirmed from Microsoft that these newly implemented codecs will not work with the media centre extender functions within the xbox360. Check the xbox360 forum here for more details.

 

[sideysid]

Are you positive about that? The devil is in the details. This is from the official new release on xbox.com.


Added MPEG-4 Part 2 video support: Up to 5 Mbps peak, Simple Profile with 2 channel AAC LC.


I understood that Xvid used the advanced profile. So I'm going to wait until the update is released and it's been tested before I get too excited.

Plus it's been comfirmed from Microsoft that these newly implemented codecs will not work with the media centre extender functions within the xbox360. Check the xbox360 forum here for more details.

Thats correct on both accounts - its unlikely that Divx or Xvid will be supported and even if it was included it would only be able to be played from the dashboard and not the extender.

 

[mark.carline]

Thats correct on both accounts - its unlikely that Divx or Xvid will be supported and even if it was included it would only be able to be played from the dashboard and not the extender.

who cares anyway - I was waiting for them to include xvid / divx at some point and now i've given in and installed tracecode 360 and now I am wondering why I didnt just install it from day one.

Works great!

I do think its poor (and perhaps arrogant) that they dont include this from day one - especially considering I can buy a dvd player for £30 from tesco that will playback more formats than a £200 state of the art games console.

Anyone know what formats the PS3 supports - I get MS would change their mind if sony where to start supporting these extra formats ! (isnt competition great!)

 

[WelshBluebird]

One of the issues about DivX support is that it costs money. And if MS were to offer it for a free update MS would have to absorb the cost themselves (and despite they are a huge company, imagine the costs involved for all the 360s out there). And they are probably reluctant to put it on the marketplace as an option, because people would complain like hell.

With DivX players from tesco etc, the license costs are included in the price of the player, but obviously, they costs are not included with the 360, so someone would have to pay, be that MS or the consumer.

 

[mark.carline]

One of the issues about DivX support is that it costs money..

true but xvid is open source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xvid

quote:

License: GNU General Public License

 

[WelshBluebird]

true but xvid is open source:

and I suppose that is the reason why MS won't allow xvid on the 360 lol (you know Mr Gates opinion on Open source lol).

 

[Member 79251]

This belongs in the 360 section......!

 

[john316]

true but xvid is open source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xvid

quote:

The movie studios I imagine wouldn't be too impresssed with DivX/XviD support which would easily lets its users watch illegaly downloaded movies and TV shows in their eyes. The cheap DVD players don't have that issue as they aren't marrying their product to downloadable material like Microsoft want to do with their Marketplace. If the iPod was to support DivX and XviD, then I'd imagine the movie studios would be all over Apple for the exact same reasons.

 

[Tunney]

H.264 support. Excellent.

 

[dub007]

Why doesent divx offer it at a price to us then! if we want it we buy it as simple as that and if your saying about the legal stuff why do they make players what support it and pc's too run it in the first place

 

[Stephen Neal]

H.264 support. Excellent.

Though officially this is limited to a max bitrate of 15Mbs. Rumour is that it uses the HD-DVD code though (which pushes the 360 flat out) and so it may cope with higher bitrate peaks.

I'm hoping it can cope with BBC HD 19Mbs H264 recordings - though not counting my chickens.

 

[m1ket]

MS offers TV content on the video marketplace in the US, if they added in xvid and divx support it would more than likely put this growing relationship (and profitable one) in danger

Lets face it you cant compare a 360 to a pc (which has no owners and is esentally an open platform)... like it or not 99% of xvid and divx use is illegal content MS cannot support this and neither will sony

More chance with DIVX as it can be licenced though..

 

[XIII]

MS offers TV content on the video marketplace in the US, if they added in xvid and divx support it would more than likely put this growing relationship (and profitable one) in danger

Lets face it you cant compare a 360 to a pc (which has no owners and is esentally an open platform)... like it or not 99% of xvid and divx use is illegal content MS cannot support this and neither will sony

More chance with DIVX as it can be licenced though..

mp3 is supported though so this counters this argument, and to be fair, if you wanted to, it's not that difficult to convert 'obtained' video into WMV or MPG for 360 playback is it.

Comes down to cash and politics (trying to establish WMV as a leader) imho.

 

[avinitski]

Microsoft will never support divx.

 

[WelshBluebird]

to be fair, if you wanted to, it's not that difficult to convert 'obtained' video into WMV or MPG for 360 playback is it.

but it is very annoying, and (especially for me with a pretty old PC) takes ages.

 

[geowars2]

One of the issues about DivX support is that it costs money. And if MS were to offer it for a free update MS would have to absorb the cost themselves (and despite they are a huge company, imagine the costs involved for all the 360s out there). And they are probably reluctant to put it on the marketplace as an option, because people would complain like hell.

With DivX players from tesco etc, the license costs are included in the price of the player, but obviously, they costs are not included with the 360, so someone would have to pay, be that MS or the consumer.

true, people dont realise this.

some microsoft employee talking about divx in another forum (forget the source) said the same and said "its possible from a technical point of view but not from a business point of view" or something like that

hmm...
if it costs money though i wonder if they could do an add on download and charge say £5 for divx support?

i would buy it

 

[Deleted member 39001]

I only just saw this on another website!!! Fantastic news, I've tried that codeing software stuff but couldn't get it to work, I'm planing on getting Vista thoudh and a bigger hard drive and would love to stream all my avi's to my 360, if this dashboard update won't do it then at least it's a step in the right direction.

 

[ukkev2000]

true, people dont realise this.

some microsoft employee talking about divx in another forum (forget the source) said the same and said "its possible from a technical point of view but not from a business point of view" or something like that

hmm...
if it costs money though i wonder if they could do an add on download and charge say £5 for divx support?

i would buy it

But but but the decode part of the codec is free on the PC, 'cos of course, DivX want people to be able to play material easily so that they can flog the encoder part of the package to content providers.

The "not from a market point of view" is, as has been pointed out, why buy a copy of LOST or 24 if you can d/load the divx for nowt and play it on your 360?

 

[AudiophileUk]

converting divx to wmv is not a good solution. Ive been trying to convert some divx files on my dads pc to wmv so he can watch them in the living room and it takes hours - not worth the wait. Also doesnt deal with AC3 sound at all...

I tried transcoding, worked ok for a show but for some reason a full length movie could not keep up goign very choppy.

Doesnt particularly bother me as DivX looks fairly terrible for films (and sounds worse) in this day and age - however i do use a UK torrent site for tv and it would be nice to watch these throughout the house.

 

[Jaymzee]

mp3 is supported though so this counters this argument, and to be fair, if you wanted to, it's not that difficult to convert 'obtained' video into WMV or MPG for 360 playback is it.

Comes down to cash and politics (trying to establish WMV as a leader) imho.

Totally agree.

I cant see what the big problem is, appart from MS worrying that it will effect their movie/tv download service. it's going to come down to the mighty $ or £

I Bought a Samsung DVD recorder, which as an added bonus supports Divx.. (ok that was the deal breaker when i was looking for one!)

 

[bs_lcd]

IMHO Divx/Xvid should be supported- not just WMV

This would greatly improve 360 sales- Microsoft should then market it as a 'multimedia' console - not just a games console.
By allowing users to 'easily' stream ALL their PC movies onto their TV via the Xbox 360 would be a great marketing winner.

Also, more 360s sold would, in turn, then mean more games being sold, thus Microsoft still getting more cash

 

[kalel795]

im sure i read that all the codecs mentioned are the ones used by sky HD

which to me sound like the only reaon we are getting support for these is for IPTV when it is released so dont hang on the idea that divx or xvid will work.