Streaming media directly to your Xbox 360 will deliver the content straight to the TV. No burning, no memory sticks, just content on your PC. First of all, there are a number of different ways to stream your favorite media to your Xbox 360. You can use Windows Media Center if you have Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows Vista Home Premium or better. Windows Media Center is very limited when it comes to what file formats it accepts, however, and it's not all too fast. You can also use Windows Media Player, which does practically the same thing but using the Xbox Dashboard interface. The third option is to use server software on your PC. This is what I'm gonna help you set up today.
The software we're going to use is called TVersity and is unfortunately only available for Windows. There are solutions for Mac and Linux available as well, but those will not be covered here. One of the greatest features of TVersity is that it will play basically any file format you want on your Xbox 360 using a technology called transcoding. What this does, is convert your media on-the-fly to a format Xbox 360 natively supports. Of course, this does take some computer resources, but unless you're running on a ancient box with Windows ME, you should be fine
Just make sure you let the computer focus on this single task.First of all, download TVersity. You can get it from http://www.tversity.com and it's free.
If you're running Vista, disable UAC (it's in the control panel - google it if you can't find it). Otherwise you don't have to do anything.
Next, install TVersity.
The default settings should be fine, but when you come to the part about Ask.com decline the offer about having it change your search engine and install a toolbar by unchecking these boxes:
Again, follow the defaults and pay extra attention when you come here:
If you're using Windows Firewall, you'll want it to help you automatically configure it, so make sure that box is checked. If you don't want it to start automatically, uncheck that box. If it start automatically, you'll always be able to access it granted your PC is on.
Keep going with the defaults, make sure you install the extra codecs when it asks you or you might not be able to play all your videos.
When you're finished, it's supposed to show the TVersity interface automatically (unless you uncheck that box) but it didn't for me, so open TVersity using the start menu if it doesn't show up.
Next, add all the stuff you want to appear on your Xbox 360. Use the add button and browse for folders to add. Just when you've added it it'll show an animation next to it that means it's searching through the folder to find your media. Your media won't show until this short process is done.
That's all you have to set up on your PC! Next, go to your Xbox 360, which must be connected on the same network as your PC using a router.
This is how you access the media:
1. Go to the media blade and select the kind of media you want to play
2. Press the X button to choose a source unless you're already at the source screen
3. Select your TVersity server from the list. This is where things could go wrong. If it doesn't appear, check to make sure the computer's on the same network as the Xbox 360, check that TVersity is really running. Failing still, disable all firewall including Windows Firewall.
4. Navigate to your media like so (if you chose Video):
Just select what you want to play, remember that it takes a moment to buffer the film.
