Modded XBox The Ultimate Multimedia PC?

Anonymous writes "Can a modded Xbox running homebrew software really beat all existing designed-for-the-living-room multimedia devices hands down?! Tom's Hardware Guide seems to think so. They reviewed Xbox Media Center (XBMC) and say the free open source software turn an Xbox into The Ultimate Multimedia Center, the ideal home playback system for audio and video. (Apparently there is a PC software version available too: Media Portal)" The article also explains some of the more convoluted issues surrounding XBMC. But I definitely agree that this is a great system.

Comments

no question...

[nomayogr]

XMBC is the first media center type application that I have found that runs on $150 worth of hardware. That says a whole lot about it's success.

Re:no question...

[Osty]

If you hook a component video cable to the Xbox, it does indeed drive a 480p display.

A standard, un-modded XBox with the DVD player attachment will not do progressive output for DVDs, even with the HD pack. However, that's not a limitation of the hardware, but the software. There are hacks that can change that, and if you're already hacking your XBox to run XBMP, you may as well do the hack to play DVDs in progressive output.

Modding my Xbox was the best possible thing I could've done for it. Microsoft is incredibly foolish not getting on-board with an "official" application like XBMC for people who wish to have run it on Xboxes that aren't modded. It would be very popular.

It's also not the target demographic of XBox. It would compete with the Windows Media Center PCs, and gets away from the idea of XBox as a gaming platform. More importantly, if Microsoft were to release a supported XBMC-like application for XBox, you and everyone else here would be screaming foul, saying that Microsoft is trying to leverage their weight to take over your living room.

XBOX os

[kunudo]

Might be a little offtopic, but since the XBOX is an x86, and at least some people have the expensive flash burners/readers it takes, why hasn't anyone taken the XBOX os and put it on a PC? Maybe run it inside emulated XBOX hardware? I wanna play XBOX games on my PC... :)

It's great

[zeth]

A modded xbox + xbmc is perfect! I use it daily, so I know.
The only thing missing is a video-in card. Currently I have to use my desktop PC to record shows and then stream to the xbox. It works, but it would really be perfekt if one could use normal PCI-cards on the xbox.
Anyone know about this problem and if the xbox2 has the same limitations?

I've been considering this

[Dark Paladin]

There's a place selling modified Xbox's for about $450 that does all of this stuff that I've been considering.

For the most part, a modified Xbox would be my "dream TV box". Sit it in the living room (it's about the same size as the DVD/VCR combo machine - thicker, but not as long), and I could have an archive of my legally purchased DVD's. As a guy with 2 kids who are always trying to ruin the DVD's with their grimy little fingers, this would be a great machine for my household.

"Here, kids - want to watch 'Blue's Clues on a Deserted Island and Joe Dies Horribly' again? OK - let me just use the remote on the Xbox." Boom - there goes my XVID ripped DVD movie on. Originals are kept safe, kids are happy.

I'm kind of dissapointed we haven't seen a company come up with a solution like this. A Cappachino sized device with the same capabilities, running Linux so I could FTP/SSH into it for upgrades/other mods would sell like hotcakes. (And as an avid fan of hotcakes, I know what I'm talking about.)

Biggest issue

[vlad_petric]

Binaries - there's no "clean" way of getting them, AFAIC. You need VS.NET and ask M$ for the devel kit in order to compile them (at which time you're bound by their EULA, which disallows redistribution). Well, I definitely wouldn't mind a download link though :)

Re:Another Rip Off

[stanmann]

Name one closed source interface that isn't blatently stolen from xerox or a relic that looks like 1985?