Cheapo Media Centre. Ghetto Style!

[Uncle_Meat]

I honestly can't think why I didn't do this before. It *rocks* Anyway.

Items needed
-------------

2nd hand xbox from eBay (£21, with 21 games and 3 controllers)

2nd hand original (not classic) copy of Splinter Cell from car boot sale (£2)

Spare joypad lead (from knackered joypad) , USB extension lead (male and female connections on either end) , some form of USB memory mass storage device (I used an old camera with a 64Mb memory card in it) and some insulation tape. A working network from PC to xbox. (straight into a router, or ghetto rig a crossover cable if need be. cut/splice/tape)

Bits of software (Xplorer360 for the PC, Krayzie Ndure installer to put onto your memory card and then copy to the xbox, Splinter Cell to load the softmod installer onto the xbox, some kind of FTP client to back up stuff and copy more stuff from PC to Xbox, and XBMC which is the X Box Media Centre software)


I can't be arsed explaining the procedure (except most people use a proper memory card and an Action Replay thingy so they can plug it into their PC. Rich twats, do it ghetto style with insulation tape, a penknife and the above items.. Tis fun!) , it's on the net if you know where to look. Google for xbox Ndure softmod, or similar.

It was surprisingly painless, and took about 25 minutes max once I had tidied the bits of wire off the carpet and removed the insulation tape from the cat.


Anyway, it feckin rocks. Streaming Real Media South Park episodes (amongst shitloads of other video codecs/audio codecs and so on) over the network from my PC to the xbox so I can watch them on the telly kicketh vast amounts of arse.


Rock on!

[Captain]

We did something similar, although with a pc. Got an old Pentium4 pc for free, installed XPP on it, hooked it up to our file server and voila, 1.1 TiB of TV entertainment on tap.

Actually had to buy a cable at the astronomical cost of £7, but that was it.

[RedinSweden]

We just have a dvi -HDMI cable out of the back of the TV which I plug into the laptop whenever I want to watch stuff off it. It works nicely and HD stuff looks cracking.

[wiiksie]

Just get a PS3 chaps. Wireless streaming from any Media Server, blu-ray and some stunning games all under one roof. No pissing around with insulation tape or knives either, Meaty*.


*Although I bet you got more of a buzz out of building it than using it.

[Thants]

Originally Posted by wiiksie

Just get a PS3 chaps. Wireless streaming from any Media Server, blu-ray and some stunning games all under one roof. No pissing around with insulation tape or knives either, Meaty*.


*Although I bet you got more of a buzz out of building it than using it.

Yep, you're gonna have to explain that bit to me.

[coop]

Would never get shut of xbox - same as Uncle Meat i have mine streaming video from main pc although keep meaning to add a 500gb external HD which i will use as a network drive.

Xbox as a 160gb HD so its already go a few games on it plus its got the entire collection of N64, SNES and Megadrive games on there.

You got XBMC installed on there Uncle Meat, if not get it installed its one hell of a program. You can stream movie trailers, porn etc on there.

Its just a shame the xbox can not handle high def stuff otherwise it would be the ultimate media centre for me.

Mine is hard modded and not soft modded like Uncle Meat as done.

[wiiksie]

Originally Posted by Thants

Yep, you're gonna have to explain that bit to me.

Right Nick, it works like this:

There is a lovely open technology called DNLA (Digital Living Network Alliance). It is a standard for sending media between computers and devices such as Xbox and PS3.

What this means is that you install and run a Media Server on your PC or Mac, and your PS3 will automatically see the media server and allow you to browse any content you have 'shared' in your media server over the wireless (or wired) network.

Things you need:

1) A media server application. Windows Vista has one built in, but I've been using Tversity on Windows XP.

Im not sure what DLNA Media Server to recommend for Mac, there is one called MediaTomb but its seems quite a pain to setup. Maybe DJ has a better idea, he is the mac dude.

2) Router. You need to have your PS3 and computer running media server on the same network (i.e. connected via wired or wireless to the same router).

Once you've installed a media server and configured it (you will need to tell it which folders on your computer you want to share, i.e make available to devices), you can go to your PS3 and select 'search for media servers'. And battabing, it will appear as a browsable option under Photo, Music and Video.

[discuit]

XBMC is awesome, I have 3 xboxes, bedroom, lounge, and Conservatory all streaming shit from upstairs

[Thants]

Originally Posted by wiiksie

Right Nick, it works like this:

There is a lovely open technology called DNLA (Digital Living Network Alliance). It is a standard for sending media between computers and devices such as Xbox and PS3.

What this means is that you install and run a Media Server on your PC or Mac, and your PS3 will automatically see the media server and allow you to browse any content you have 'shared' in your media server over the wireless (or wired) network.

Things you need:

1) A media server application. Windows Vista has one built in, but I've been using Tversity on Windows XP.

Im not sure what DLNA Media Server to recommend for Mac, there is one called MediaTomb but its seems quite a pain to setup. Maybe DJ has a better idea, he is the mac dude.
2) Router. You need to have your PS3 and computer running media server on the same network (i.e. connected via wired or wireless to the same router).

Once you've installed a media server and configured it (you will need to tell it which folders on your computer you want to share, i.e make available to devices), you can go to your PS3 and select 'search for media servers'. And battabing, it will appear as a browsable option under Photo, Music and Video.

THRIKER!
Mr Weeeks you're my hero.

DJ -any idea?

[coop]

Originally Posted by discuit

XBMC is awesome, I have 3 xboxes, bedroom, lounge, and Conservatory all streaming shit from upstairs

Sure is mate.

Makes me laugh all these people who sell their xbox cheap when they have a pretty powerful media centre at their disposal.

Stick Linux on there and your laughing, internet access.

You can download torrents directly to it etc.

Would never get rid of my xbox.

[Uncle_Meat]

Yep, XBMC is the one.

Well chuffed with it. Next plan is to stick a big fuckoff IDE HDD in there. I believe it can be a bit trickier with mine being a softmod, a few hoops to be jumped through, but no fear.. We have the technology.


And yes, I did have fun doing the mod. An unhealthy, almost erotic, amount of fun.

Never mind, I'll soon cure that once I get my pr0n collection streaming over...

[discuit]

Originally Posted by coop

Sure is mate.

Makes me laugh all these people who sell their xbox cheap when they have a pretty powerful media centre at their disposal.

Stick Linux on there and your laughing, internet access.

You can download torrents directly to it etc.

Would never get rid of my xbox.

Me neither, I want more if anything. I bought one of a mate when i spotted it sat in a cupboard at his house

for a tenner!

You don;t even have to unrar shit, it plays from within the rar file

[DJLJ]

I have a different setup, actually I have 3.

First I have a 500GB drive setup as a san and attached to a Airport express, which shares it. I then have a Mac Mini attached to the TV which has the san NFS mounted. For all the info on how you can set it up, play back etc etc. Main Page - MacminiCenter.com

I have the same san nfs mounted on my DBOX II and the same applies here, this is just a Linux solution instead of a Unix/Mac OS X solution.

And then I have wireless playback from iTunes to my stereo via another Airport Express, I have my home setup to have my iTunes library on the San.

As for DLNA for Mac OS, there are these, however I haven't tried this, since mine are using a different setup.

How to choose a DLNA Media Server for Windows, Mac OS X or Linux - Robert Green's DIY

[longballs]

Welcome To Popcorn Hour

~£120 plays everything. I bought it to play x264 HD/Bluray film rips and TV. Supports a wireless dongle and you can put a HDD inside or stream from your pc. You can attach a NAS or external HDD via USB. It is silent and very portable.

[Nick Leeson]

Had this setup going for years but the one thing I haven't yet been able to manage is to be able to stream sopcast or something similar to the xbox, that would indeed by the Jewel in what's already a pretty sweet crown.

Anyone who manages this will indeed be acknowldged by myself as the forum's uber-techie nerd.

[discuit]

I've never even thought of that

Shame on me