Why won't the Xbox 360 playback .mp4 video

[smitbret]

I've got my home system setup, using a PS3 as my media center. Works great. What I can't figure out is how to set up my buddy's Xbox 360 to play .mp4 video. He is not connected to the internet, so it has not been updated since he bought it a few years ago. My first attempts failed, so I determined that it was because it hadn't been updated so I burned the Fall 2008 Update to DVD and updated the system. Put the DVDs back in and still, when I try to playback the .mp4s via DVD or USB jump drive, the system says it needs an update to play the media. The files are all around 2GB, so I don't think that file size is the problem. The machine is recognizing the DVD and the files on it, they just will not play. I thought that the Fall 2008 update would update the codecs, but they still do not appear to be available in the Xbox 360. I have attempted to playback .mp4s in all of the following formats:

h264 with AAC-LC (2 channel) audio, created and encoded by Xilisoft HD converter and Any Video Converter (attempted with each)

h264 with AAC-LC (2 channel) audio, converted with MeGUI and muxed with YAMB

Straight up Divx, (.avi container and .divx container) using Dr. Divx

Xvid with AAC-LC (2 channel) audio, created and encoded by Xilisoft HD Converter and Any Video Converter (attempted with each)

I have followed three or four different guides from the internet and the discs will play in my PS3, but not in the Xbox 360. I am assuming that Xbox 360 updates supersede previous updates like Windows Service Packs, for instance, if you install Service Pack 3 then you do not need to install Service pack 1 or 2, right? Do I need to find an update that installs the appropriate codecs in the Xbox 360, anyway? This thing has me buffaloed. WMV HD works, but I don't want the HUMONGOUS files and reencoding anything takes more time than I want to put in to the project. Thanks.

 

[tw1164]

few things I can think of,

1) I think you need the "Optional Media Update" to play the aac.
2) Xbox doesn't play divx/xvid w/ AAC, its only mp3/AC3
3) Make sure the profile levels are < 4.1 high w/o b-pyramids, if the lvls are wrong there are tools to fix it w/o reencoding

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Get that Optional Media Update.

Try using Handbrake to encode your videos.

 

[smitbret]

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
Get that Optional Media Update.

Try using Handbrake to encode your videos.

Yep, that's the solution I came up with, too. I guess we'll have to unplug his Xbox and find an internet connection to hook it up to. Microsoft has made it SO convenient to do get the update. I guess Microsoft doesn't really intend for people to use it as a media player or they'd make the update downloadable to external media. Glad I bought a PS3.

P.S. I also tried Handbrake. I imagine that pretty much any of the files that I've created will play after the update is installed.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
Get that Optional Media Update.

Try using Handbrake to encode your videos.

Handbrake seems to be hit and miss for me...I use something called total conversation or something, works great.