Easiest way to play an x264 .mkv file on the xbox 360?

[Sureshot324]

I've read you can convert it to an mp4 that will play on the 360, but I'd rather not have to convert to another format if I can avoid it. I know the 360 won't play mkv files natively. I tried TVersity and it works fine with xvid files, but when I try to play an mkv the xbox says it's an invalid format.

Also, I only have a wireless G router. Is this even enough to play 720p files?

 

[Burrens78]

The only way I've been able to do it is by converting to MP4. My 360 is wired to my router and my laptop is wireless. I can normally stream SD content wirelessly from my laptop, but as soon as I want to stream 720p files, I have to connect my laptop to the router. Otherwise I get stuttering.

 

[Thraxen]

You may as well just convert. Even if you use something like TVersity it's going to attempt to transcode on the fly anyway. XenonMKV can remux MKV files into MP4s in just a couple of minutes. Unfortunately, there's a 4 GB file size cap for MP4 files with the 360. So anything larger will likely have to be split (which XenonMKV can also do).

 

[hdeck]

changing the container to mp4 is by far the easiest/best way. it's not like it takes hours like a real conversion would.

 

[venkman]

get a ps3 It is ridiculously easy on a ps3, just through into mkv2vob and it's done in a few minutes. I used a whole system to get it working on a 360 by converting it to mp4 and still had a lot of trouble with audio sync issues (you would see the lips move a good second before hearing the dialogue, very annoying). The process included 4-5 separate programs. Check xbox-scene, someone might have created a batch program to run all those programs sequentially by now (which is essentially what mkv2vob does). Also, do not CONVERT the program, that will take hours or even days, change the "container" which means extracting from mkv and placing in an mp4 container, much much faster. I dropped conversion time from one day down to one hour on my old ass laptop.

once again, xbox-scene forums are your best bet. I haven't had to convert for 360 for almost a year now so my knowledge of current methods is outdated.

The only down side of converting to mp4 (iirc) is that you lose 5.1 audio and can't use subtitles (if thats important to you) to keep 5.1/subs you have to convert to wmv-hd which is much more time intensive. I think you also have to rename the mp4 files to wmv to get it to show up in the 360 dash.


mp4 conversion link

 

[Thraxen]

Originally posted by: venkman
mp4 conversion link

That's actually outdated now. There are programs like I mentioned above (XenonMKV) that can quickly remux MKVs to MP4s. It's a single program and works as fast as MKV2VOB. But, as you noted, there are downsides. I believe GotSent is another program that can do this conversion.