PS3/Xbox360 Streaming Question

I am currently using my ubuntu box as my media server (hosts a raid 5 and utilizing ushare) to stream files to my xbox 360. I will be investing in a decent surround sound system in the next few months and am curious about the XBox 360's surround sound capability when playing movies. I have heard that the xbox flattens AC3 surround sound into a 2.1 Stereo format when streaming xvids -- is this the case? I currently have been using AVS video converter to convert 1080p mkv files into .avi files for use on the XBox. I have heard that the Xbox360 will stream 5.1/7.1 audio so long as it is in the WMV format w/ wmv pro audio -- however, this conversion takes a LOT longer than converting a .mkv to .avi in AVS.

Will my PS3 (using MKV2VOB) stream these high definition (originally mkv) files in full 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound?

My other option would be to purchase a WD box to stream the .mkv files -- I'm almost certain that would work with 5.1 audio flawlessly.

So I think I have found the answer re: the PS3 -- it should work.

Convert a mkv using mkv2vob and the new version supports DTS audio (previously had to be encoded in AC3)! Now I just need to order my receiver and get ready to try it out. I do wish my xbox could do this, as it gets far more use anyway...

-Sn1PeR- said:

So I think I have found the answer re: the PS3 -- it should work.

Convert a mkv using mkv2vob and the new version supports DTS audio (previously had to be encoded in AC3)! Now I just need to order my receiver and get ready to try it out. I do wish my xbox could do this, as it gets far more use anyway...

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In my opinion, the Xbox is woefully inadequate as a media streamer. It has limited codec and container support and works for people largely as a result of workarounds than design. I was able to get it to play .mkvs (with AC3) of DVD rips after using the tech preview and Haali splitter with AC3 filter. Receiver lights up Dolby Digital, but I've never honestly listened very carefully to see if all five channels are dutifully represented.

The glaring flaws of the 360 appear when you try to play blu-ray/hd-dvd rips. Although MS got high def playback working for the HD-DVD drive add-on, they haven't bothered to implement this code when playing back from WMC or from the file browser in the dashboard itself. The 360 simply will not play back these high bit rate rips without stuttering (even though we know that it is possible). My solution right now is to transcode these rips to WMV using wvc1 at about 14 mbps. At this bitrate, it appears to play ok and have few artifacts (although I'm still quite upset about losing quality on my high def movies and am keeping an original copy .mkv in case MS ever gets their act together).

Unfortunately, right now we are still pretty far away from an affordable and functional centralized media playback system. The 360 is fine for playing back DVDs and live and recorded TV (and plays games to boot), but it falls short in codec and high definition support. It also consumes more power and is larger/louder than some other streamers like the new WD box or Popcorn Hour (neither can playback TV). I'm not sure how the other WMC extenders worked, but they are all pretty much dead thanks to the popularity of the 360.

To get around the 360s shortcomings, you could build a HTPC. Only problem here is that TV is not synced between machines running WMC so you'll have to have your own tuner in that HTPC box. A bummer if I wanted something small and convenient like a small ION box or a custom built mini-ITX box. It also basically means no centralized coordination of recordings and viewings. Microsoft had announced Softsled but then apparently killed it. I'd also like to run my tuners and WMC on my WHS box, but that's not supported.

Sorry for what seems like a rant, but I'm really pissed at MS right now (after spending weeks trying to find workarounds to the limitations they've imposed). They have an extender that killed all the competition but is really inadequate in the streaming role (especially when compared to dedicated streamers which are cheaper, smaller, and more capable). They've prevented us from making our own extenders and left us with an option (each HTPC running dedicated WMC with its own tuner) that really isn't centralized at all. If MS wants to claim to be the center of your entertainment center, they need to make a capable extender or give me the option to make my own.

One piece of software that really intrigues me is SageTV. It will run on WHS and they do have an extender program. They also sell extenders, but their extenders don't have HDMI 1.3a. The big problem with Sage that I can foresee is the almost certainty that they won't get CableCARD support. It shouldn't be this difficult to create a centralized media system in which I get access to all the content for which I am paying.

I have not noticed any video quality issues or stuttering problems when playing back 1080p mkv files that I have converter to avi's with stereo sound (granted the sound could be what's slowing it down). I should note that the only way I have achieved this performance in playback is to play the files off of an external hard drive attached to the xbox itself -- streaming seems to cause hiccups as you said.

Time to build an HTPC Those sweet cover art browsing GUIs have been tempting for a long time anyway.

FYI: I only have OTA HD so the cable card issue won't affect me fortunately (will make this a lot cheaper as well).

-Sn1PeR- said:

I have not noticed any video quality issues or stuttering problems when playing back 1080p mkv files that I have converter to avi's with stereo sound (granted the sound could be what's slowing it down). I should note that the only way I have achieved this performance in playback is to play the files off of an external hard drive attached to the xbox itself -- streaming seems to cause hiccups as you said.

Time to build an HTPC Those sweet cover art browsing GUIs have been tempting for a long time anyway.

FYI: I only have OTA HD so the cable card issue won't affect me fortunately (will make this a lot cheaper as well).

Click to expand...

What bitrate were the files. The 360 seems to do ok up to about 15 mbps. I would place my original .mkv rips onto an external drive and play them on the 360 but they are all single files and thus in the 20-30 GB size range. Can't put those files on a drive and play them on the 360 because the 360 doesn't recognize NTFS. Another stupid quirk with the 360.

BigDH01 said:

What bitrate were the files. The 360 seems to do ok up to about 15 mbps. I would place my original .mkv rips onto an external drive and play them on the 360 but they are all single files and thus in the 20-30 GB size range. Can't put those files on a drive and play them on the 360 because the 360 doesn't recognize NTFS. Another stupid quirk with the 360.

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Ah, yes I converted my external drive to HFS+ (I used my old powerbook, but I think it can be done in windows). I also use some mac drive software that allows it to mount on my windows 7 desktop just fine. I think most of my movies are in the 12GB range, but I'll check the bitrate when I get home.

More news, I tried watching my new encodings of Batman Begins and Blood Diamond tonight which were encoded at 14 mbps video with PCM audio from original .mkv remuxes. The 360 is unable to play these movies without artifacting and sometimes pausing. Playback also maximizes one of the threads on my media center machine (it's an i7). I can see the ehshell process jumping around cores and consuming cycles.

So it looks like the solution I thought was going to work isn't. I'll need to drop the bitrate even further or just get a damn WD box to place next to the 360 which has plenty of horsepower but left unsupported by MS.

I watched a 10.3GB 1920x1080 wmv movie with a bitrate of 11109kbps off of my external hfs+ hard drive on the xbox with no problems whatsoever. It also had 5.1 audio but I'm not set up for that yet as I mentioned earlier. I will be trying a 5GB mkv that I converted to avi tonight - 1080p with a total bitrate of 4467kbps after my conversion.... (256kbps stereo sound is what I'm defaulting to). I'll let you know how that goes, but I bet it goes smoothly. 14mbps is a pretty high bitrate -- I have not tried anything quite that high yet. I have read that divx plus beta tricks the xbox into thinking a mkv is a wtv file and streams them that way w/o transcoding, but haven't tried that yet.

Well you were right, playing a ~7GB 1080p mkv file (even off the hard drive plugged into the xbox) resulted in some small hiccups every 20mins or so. The only solution I've found that works on the xbox is to convert them to wmv's, and that way it keeps the surround sound as well.