Did you know you Xbox 360 can be used as a wireless extender for Windows Media Center? It’s true. Your Xbox 360 can access live and recorded TV, digital photos, digital music, home video, and exclusive online multimedia content, such as news clips, downloadable music, local weather, RSS feeds, and more from your PC. It can support video in the following formats: MPEG-1 with MPEG audio, MPEG-2 with MPEG audio or AC-3 audio, WMV 7, 8, and 9 with WMA Standard or WMA Pro audio, and WMV Image 1 and 2 (Photo Story 1, 2, and 3) As far as audio formats, it will support Windows Media Audio (WMA) Standard, WMA Pro, WMA Lossless and MP3.
There is a guide for using the Xbox 360 Controller and remotes to navigate through Windows Media Center features. It’s called the Windows Media Center Quick Reference Guide for Xbox 360. It includes diagrams of the Xbox 360 Controller, the Xbox 360 Universal Remote, and the Xbox 360 Media Remote. Each diagram explains what features in Windows Media Center in Windows Vista the buttons are associated with.
You can automatically launch Windows Media Center, even if your Xbox 360 console is off, if you are using an Xbox 360 remote. If you press the green button on the remove while the console is turned off, the Xbox 360 console will turn on and start Windows Media Center in Windows Vista. You can also start Windows Media Center by pressing the green button from any location within the Xbox Dashboard.
Some features in Windows Media Center in Windows Vista need you to type text in order to work. One example is when you are searching for TV shows by title or keyword. With Xbox 360, you can type text with an on-screen keyboard using the Xbox 360 Controller or the Xbox 360 remote. You access the on-screen controller by pressing the Y button on the Xbox 360 Controller, or press DVD MENU on the remote to display the on-screen keyboard.
If you are using the Xbox 360’s Universal Remote, you can use the numeric keypad to type text. You use the buttons exactly like you would use the numeric keypad on a mobile phone to send a text message.
The Windows Media Center does not copy media content to your Xbox 360 console’s hard disk drive or Memory Unit. When you use your Xbox 360 console to play content, your media remains on the PC but is presented to you through Xbox 360 console to your television.
You cannot access files from another Xbox even when it is found on the network. The Windows Media Center in Windows Vista connects only between the PC and the Xbox 360. It isn’t available for use in connecting two Xbox 360s. Your media content is never stored on the Xbox 360 console but is instead streamed to the Xbox 360 from your PC. Furthermore, you cannot transfer actual music files from my PC to my Xbox 360. You will be able to access and play music though the Xbox 360 only.
