Ask the expert: Xbox 360 media streaming queries answered

Q. I read your tutorial on how to stream movies from Xbox to PC, but what’s the best way to encode my movies and is there a simple way to manage them all?

A. The Xbox 360 makes a fantastic movie machine. Not only does it do a good job of upscaling DVDs to HDTVs, but also streams movies from your PC like a champ. It’s not too fussy about formats, so you can feed it whatever you’ve already got with decent results. However, if you want eye-popping displays of streaming supremacy, you should encode your own, and store them properly. Luckily, it’s simple. We’ve jotted down a quick guide below. Now, where’s the popcorn?

Step 1: Encode for free
Converting your DVDs to video files ready for streaming is easier than you’d think. Download Handbrake, install it on your PC, then slip in a DVD and fire it up. Handbrake will analyse the disk, and all you need to do is open the presets menu and hit Xbox 360. Choose a destination to save your converted movie, click ‘Start’ and Handbrake will do the rest.
Best option: Handbrake – £free

Step 2: Store your flicks
Once you’ve got into the swing of encoding your own films, you’ll need somewhere to store them. Pick an external hard drive, and you won’t run the risk of clogging up your PC’s main disk with all your movies. What’s more, if you visit a friends house, you can take your entire movie collection with you, plug the drive into their Xbox 360, and start watching straight away!
Best option: Seagate FreeAgent Desktop 750GB – £73

Step 3: Become a librarian
Once you’ve got your head around encoding films, and got a roomy hard drive to keep them all on, you’ll want to organise them into a library. Luckily, Windows Media Player 11 can do just that, as well as handling streaming to an Xbox 360 on the same network. Download it for free, let it scan your PC for movies, and then assign ratings, genres and additional information to your films to make them easier to find in a hurry.
Best option: Windows Media Player 11 – £free

Get chatting about your Xbox 360 tips over at the PriceRunner forum

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