ISO Files and Windows Media Extender

Ramen Noodle

Alright guys, here's the deal. Before I left for college I ripped all my movies to my external hard drive solely to not bring all 60+ of them up here to school. I have them all saved as ISO files and I just got my Xbox 360 set up as a Media Center Extender. Is there any way I can have MCE mount the files and play them on the 360? It'd be cool to watch them on my TV or to bring my Xbox down to the TV room in my dorm and have all my options open. Thanks!

MurphysParadox

There are software packages that create a virtual disc drive on the computer to which ISO files may be mounted. I don't know what exactly is available, but the version of Nero I have (from 5 years ago) has the ability, so I imagine you can find some free software too. Just go looking for virtual drive iso mounting. This should result in the operating system not having any idea that the virtual drive is not a normal real drive with a real DVD in it.

Desert_Eagle25

I suggest PowerISO. You can purchase or acquire it in shadier ways which cannot be mentioned. From there, mount the DVD and play it through something like MPC or VLC. Connect your PC to your TV and you're golden. That's how I survived in the dorms, and we always had movies and TV on-demand.

ronya

Virtual Clonedrive can mount CD images, too. It's free.

The Crowing One

The short answer (I believe) is no, you cannot play ISO files directly to the 360 over a media center or sharing network exchange. This is unless Media Center has some internal support for ISO files already in place, which I do not believe is the case (but may be).

You could make a direct video connection to your PC and run the ISO files off the computer, but not through the 360.

For sharing, I believe that you would need raw video a la AVI to play through a network connection to the 360.

matt has a problem

The Crowing One wrote: »

The short answer (I believe) is no, you cannot play ISO files directly to the 360 over a media center or sharing network exchange. This is unless Media Center has some internal support for ISO files already in place, which I do not believe is the case (but may be).

You could make a direct video connection to your PC and run the ISO files off the computer, but not through the 360.

For sharing, I believe that you would need raw video a la AVI to play through a network connection to the 360.

This. You can burn an .avi to a CD or DVD and play them through the 360, or stream it over your network using the 360, but it doesn't support .iso.

Ramen Noodle

The Crowing One wrote: »

The short answer (I believe) is no, you cannot play ISO files directly to the 360 over a media center or sharing network exchange. This is unless Media Center has some internal support for ISO files already in place, which I do not believe is the case (but may be).

You could make a direct video connection to your PC and run the ISO files off the computer, but not through the 360.

For sharing, I believe that you would need raw video a la AVI to play through a network connection to the 360.

Ah well. I'll just have to take my laptop and external hard drive down or figure out a way to hook it up to my dorm TV. Thanks guys.

The Crowing One

If your xbox and PC are on the same network, sharing is a piece of cake. Just keep in mind it won't work for image (ISO) files.

Otherwise, a lot of more recent computers have built in HDMI ports, which make it a snap to hook up to a (again newer) television. You could also head down to bestbuy and grab a VGA to whatever-TV-input-you-need cord. Then you just mount the ISO to Alcohol 52% and set your television as your monitor.

pacbowl

I know the Xbox Media Center (not extender) for the regular xbox will mount and play .isos as well as .ifo and .vob files. Avi's, wmv, mpg, mov, mp4 and struggles with mkv's. I'd be surprised if there isn't an equivalent for the 360.

I ran Extender when living with an old roommate and he had a Windows XP Media Center PC setup and the xbox Extender would connect to it, but it was really just a glorified tivo.