How To Play MKV Video On Xbox 360

[Rick]

Requirements

• Windows Operating System with windows media center.
• The shark007 codec pack.

1.Download & install the codec pack corresponding with your windows version.This will uninstall any other codec pack listed here.
-XP/Vista
|MG| Vista Codec Package 6.2.6 Download
-Windows 7
|MG| Win7codecs 3.6.1 Download
-Windows 8
|MG| Windows 8 Codecs 1.07 Download

2.Windows all versions 64 bit components (install this also if your windows is 64bit)
|MG| x64 Components 3.6.1 Download

3.After installation completes you do need to right click the installed Settings Application shortcut found on the menu,
Start Button\All Programs\Shark007 Codecs and choose 'Run as Administrator'

4.Open windows media center on your xbox 360 and play your mkv videos.

Notes
PLEASE UNINSTALL your old version before installing a newer release.

For removal or updating to a new version (64 bit users)
When choosing to uninstall this product, ensure you uninstall the 64 bit pack BEFORE removing the 32bit pack.

Latest download versions can be found here Shark007's FREE Codec solutions - Windows 7 codecs

Videos not playing? Click on the show button for instructions on fixing it.

Spoiler

1.Download this program and open the mmg.exe
MKVToolnix 5.4.0 - VideoHelp.com Downloads
2.Click on add file and select the mkv file.
3.Follow the image below.

 

[Rockman]

Is there any other way than Windows XP Media Centre edition?

I've got Windows XP SP3 but it's not MC, and if I try PS3 Media Server it kinda loads the MKV file on the 360 but the PC gets extremely slow or even freezes (cos it sucks).

 

[Rick]

TVersity - Home also works,i think it works best when the xbox & pc are connected via ethernet, i tried it with the pc connected via wireless and the quality dropped.

You could convert it to wmv or avi using this program Format Factory - Free media file format converter

 

[Dark Scyth]

If your PC is getting slow and freezing, it's because your PC can't handle decoding the video format and then streaming it to the 360. PMS works quite well until I try 10-bit encoded videos which is pretty hefty on the PC and this PC is just too old. That being said Orb is also another decent streaming program. I always used it wirelessly and quality never dropped for me, might work a little better.

 

[Rockman]

If your PC is getting slow and freezing, it's because your PC can't handle decoding the video format and then streaming it to the 360. PMS works quite well until I try 10-bit encoded videos which is pretty hefty on the PC and this PC is just too old. That being said Orb is also another decent streaming program. I always used it wirelessly and quality never dropped for me, might work a little better.

Yep, that's true and I know my PC isn't capable of such, so I tend to convert files with Format Factory and then play them.

 

[gottabshtnme]

Rick I much appreciated your guide but in the end I still haven't been able to make it work. When I attempt to play the movie it still reads the codec support error message in windows media extendor on my xbox. This includes after following your muxing instructions. I'd be very grateful for assistance.

 

[Rick]

Rick I much appreciated your guide but in the end I still haven't been able to make it work. When I attempt to play the movie it still reads the codec support error message in windows media extendor on my xbox. This includes after following your muxing instructions. I'd be very grateful for assistance.

Try a different movie maybe it has some drm lock to it. I haven't received that error so i don't know what to do.

 

[Dark Scyth]

Make sure you install the codecs as Admin. Besides that the only thing I can think of would be firewalls on your PC preventing it from using the coded properly when streaming, since streaming takes a lot of access.

 

[gottabshtnme]

Every video plays without a hitch within windows media center on the computer itself, if that means anything. I have kaspersky anti-virus with windows firewall on and I tryed it with windows firewall off without any change. Took a look in kaspersky and didn't notice anything. Two different mkvs give error that either I don't have proper codecs or the files are corrupted, which I can't imagine cause they play great on computer. I converted the one movie to wmv and it played fine just lost some quality, which is what I'd like to avoid. Received the same error message with a couple of axxo dvd rips to avi I tried. Pretty sure the only video I have successfully streamed to the xbox has a wmv extension. I have tried avi, mpeg-4, .mov and mkv. All of the WMVs work great, the ones I convert lose quality is all.

I installed the codecs as instructed and as admin to my knowlegde. The only codecs I could think to remove before installing the shark codecs was the divx codecs so I uninstalled everything divx. Also followed muxing instructions precisely. Computer is 64-bit with windows vista.

That is all the info I can think of that could potentially mean anything. As a side note, I also tried these instructions from another forum and they didn't work for me either but they are a little different. "overclock.net/t/1087284/guide-stream-1080p-hd-videos-though-the-xbox-360-no-conversion-needed"

I'm not gonna stop until I figure this out. Thanks a lot for the help guys.

 

[Rick]

How is the computer and the xbox 360 connected to the router?

 

[gottabshtnme]

The computer is connected via ethernet while the xbox is wireless. Based on location, which can not be adjusted, I have no wired option. Wireless connection is 100% and when I run the diagnostics within windows media center on the xbox I have full bars stating I should have no trouble streaming HD.