Ave,

I have a WMV-HD (WVC1) file on my Computer that I played using my XBOX 360 over the network stream and it played fine. Then I burnt it on a SINGLE LAYER DVD (as the file size was small) using Nero Burning ROM, choosing the Data DVD option "DVD_ROM (UDF)".

This disc is working absolutely fine in my XBOX 360 tray - it plays instantly in excellent quality.

But when I plop it in my HD-DVD Add On - it gives me "Unplayable Disc" and says something about putting it in the XBOX 360 Drive. Why?

Why won't the HD-DVD Add On play a Single Layer Blank Disc (Verbatim) burnt as DVD_ROM (UDF) using Nero, having a single WMV-HD (VC1/5.1) Video on it??

Anyone has any clue?

Thanks!

Add-On only plays DVDs and HD-DVDs, not data discs.

Add-On only plays DVDs and HD-DVDs, not data discs.
QFT.

Actually I did find this out from other sources as well. I'm going to have to Author the WMV-HD as an HD-DVD as the add on does not play data discs. Will have to get my hands dirty in Ulead DVD Movie Factory 6 Plus.

Thanks guys!

Here's a somewhat dumb question: Why are you bothering to do this? WMVHD discs, by their nature, play just fine as files burned to a single or dual layer DVDR....why are you now trying to get them to play from HDDVD drive??

If anything I'd go back to streaming them from a PC...??

Sorry, just curious as to why you are going down this path...

If you have a lot of HD-WMV files and don't want to stream, you should consider hooking up an external hard drive (formatted in HFS+).
I have all my music and some movies on a drive that is stashed behind my entertainment center and plugged into the back of my 360. Every now and then I'll unplug the drive and update with new stuff.
Works great!

If you have a lot of HD-WMV files and don't want to stream, you should consider hooking up an external hard drive (formatted in HFS+).
I have all my music and some movies on a drive that is stashed behind my entertainment center and plugged into the back of my 360. Every now and then I'll unplug the drive and update with new stuff.
Works great!

That actually is a very good idea - and something I've considered before, and will probably end up doing shortly.

If you have a lot of HD-WMV files and don't want to stream, you should consider hooking up an external hard drive (formatted in HFS+).
I have all my music and some movies on a drive that is stashed behind my entertainment center and plugged into the back of my 360. Every now and then I'll unplug the drive and update with new stuff.
Works great!

This is exactly what I want to do too. How do you get your dvds on it though? The only way I figured out so far is to encode them in to WMV files and that takes forever and takes PQ away! I'm hoping theres a way to just rip the dvd to the hard drive, plug it in to the X360 and watch. That encoding crap is for the birds! If anyone knows a way to do this PLEASE let me know how :D

This is exactly what I want to do too. How do you get your dvds on it though? The only way I figured out so far is to encode them in to WMV files and that takes forever and takes PQ away! I'm hoping theres a way to just rip the dvd to the hard drive, plug it in to the X360 and watch. That encoding crap is for the birds! If anyone knows a way to do this PLEASE let me know how :D

Any one?

Any one?

There's a guide somewhere that explains it all, but I can't remember where it is. It goes something like this; Download and install MacDrive to your PC and use it to format an external USB hard drive to HFS+ format. Then rip or copy whatever files you like onto the USB hard drive. The advantage of HFS+ file system is, that there isn't any 2GB file size limit. Disconnect USB hard drive from PC and connect to 360. Play files. Of course, if you have a Mac, there's no need to mess with MacDrive, as the native file system on Macs is HFS+.

It seems rather bizarre that the Microsoft XBOX 360 can read the Apple proprietary HFS+ file system perfectly, yet cannot read Microsoft's own NTFS file system, that also has no 2GB file size limit. And how come the 360 can play DVDs in standard mpg2, but refuses to even recognize an ordinary mpg2 file burned to DVD, as a playable video?

P.J.

What about fat 32--2gb limit? 4 limit

What about fat 32--2gb limit? 4 limit

Yes, fat32 has a 2 or 4 gig file size limit depending on the host OS. That's why you want to use HFS+ to get around that limit, since it's not at all uncommon to have video files larger than 2 or 4 GB.

P.J.

There's a guide somewhere that explains it all, but I can't remember where it is. It goes something like this; Download and install MacDrive to your PC and use it to format an external USB hard drive to HFS+ format. Then rip or copy whatever files you like onto the USB hard drive. The advantage of HFS+ file system is, that there isn't any 2GB file size limit. Disconnect USB hard drive from PC and connect to 360. Play files. Of course, if you have a Mac, there's no need to mess with MacDrive, as the native file system on Macs is HFS+.

It seems rather bizarre that the Microsoft XBOX 360 can read the Apple proprietary HFS+ file system perfectly, yet cannot read Microsoft's own NTFS file system, that also has no 2GB file size limit. And how come the 360 can play DVDs in standard mpg2, but refuses to even recognize an ordinary mpg2 file burned to DVD, as a playable video?

P.J.

It is rather bizarre that Microsoft is letting the XBOX 360 read it's prime competitor's (Apple) file system HFS+, but not it's own proprietary NTFS. Anyone knows why?

Anyhow, I'm actually going to be following your method and using an External Hard Drive to host my WMV-HD videos, so I can play them using my XBOX 360. I'm able to encode MKV (x264) to high quality VC-1 WMV-HD's using TMPGEnc Xpress easily, takes just about 7 - 8 hours (2-Pass, 1080p, 5.1 Surround). This hard drive option gives me the ability to watch the videos without burning them to expensive blank hd-dvd media (or even dual layer).

I was looking at some 500GB External Hard Drive's on Newegg. Is there anything in particular I need to lookout for before buying the Hard Drive? Any specification?

Thanks.