OK so I downloaded the first two episodes of Pioneer One which is a free to download mini series made for VoDo, which is a free video site. Unfortunately, like a lot of high definition (HD) video, it came in the MKV format which, unfortunately, the Xbox 360 does not support. Now the first thing you need to understand is that the video format is just a container. The actual video and audio inside the container can be exactly the same in a different container. Orange juice is still orange juice whether it’s in a glass or a cup. Anyway what we need to do is take the audio and video out of the MKV container and put it in to a container that the 360 can play such as mp4. I did a search for instructions on how to do this by searching for play MKV on Xbox 360 but the one I found required about 10 different programs. Admittedly the instructions on that page are from 2008. Mine is a lot simpler and requires just a single, portable, program called XMedia Recode. The site is in German but just click Download under where it says XMedia Recode Portable. Extract the contents of the zip file and run XMedia Recode.
XMedia Recode
- Drag the video file you want to convert over on to the XMedia Recode window and wait for it to finish checking it
- Click on the video in the list near the top of the XMedia Recode window
- Click the Format tab and change Profile to Custom, Format to MP4 and File Extension to mp4
- Click the Video tab and tick the Video Copy box at the bottom of the options
- Click the Audio tab and under Modus select Copy. If your file has multiple audio streams you can choose to remove some at this point.
- At the bottom, under Output, change it to Source Path so the mp4 version appears in same folder as the original (optional)
- Click Add Job at the top
- Click Encode
If you want to do more than one file simply repeat steps 1 – 7 before clicking Encode. So now you now how simple it is to get MKV to play on Xbox 360.
Just a minor update. I forgot that the Xbox does not like 5.1 audio so if your original file is using 5.1 audio you will have to convert to stereo. If you do you need to do this then simply setting the Modus under Audio to convert instead of copy should work just fine as the default is stereo.
Warning! – The latest version of Xmedia recode, 3.0.3.0, has a bug where selecting Video copy will result in an empty file being created. I have informed them of this bug. Appears to have been fixed in version 3.0.3.4.
Or you could just use this.
http://www.divx.com/en/software/divx-plus/codec-pack
You could do but I’m not one for installing codecs I do not really need. I use KMPlayer for playing back video files on my PC so do not need to install any extra codecs. I’m big on software being portable when possible so I don’t have to install it and strat filling both my hard drive and registry with things that don’t always get removed when you uninstall.
One question. How does XMedia Recode compare to Handbrake?
Thanks
Been a good few years since I tried Handbrake. Think I tested it once for converting avi to PSP. I just find Xmedia Recode simple to use.
😕 The only problem with the whole codecs installation option is the possibility of conflicting codec packs. My 360 will play some mkv movies and not others. It’s too unpredictable. This definitely assures users that their movies will play in pristine HD quality that was intended.
One might also look into Tversity if you feel up to the same conflicting codec packs issue.
I’ll give it try. Thanks for the insight!
Worked perfectly! So glad to find this solution. Less than a minute to ‘re-wrap’ the file into .mp4, after a transcode with another program took 6 hours and yielded a glitchy video that was unwatchable. You’re the best!
You could also use Avidemux http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/download.html , which is available for every platform and does the same thing.
yup that’s another good program. I mainly chose Xmedia recode because it has a portable version to save you an extra program.
Thanks for the link, I am looking for a mac solution. Those links dl fine, but the program crashes/won’t install correctly…. any other options?
Not tried it in years but a lot of people swear by Handbrake and it has a Mac version – http://handbrake.fr/downloads.php
Hmm I tried following your instructions but I was just left with a new file with nothing in it, not sure what I did wrong
Check the update to his post. It says that one of the previous versions of the program had a glitch that would export an empty file.
I just received an announcement today that there is a new version available for download.
Oh, and thanks to Carbonize for posting this solution. I was following that older method you mentioned, and yes it was definitely far too many steps.
“I was just left with a new file with nothing in it”
Same here 🙁
Thanks so much for this information. I am having some trouble though. A few of the files that I need to convert have a subtitle file attached to them. When I follow the instructions the program only converts the first few minutes of the video. Other files work perfect. Any ideas?
Best bet is to do what I did with the empty file problem. Send them an email explaining the problem to [email protected] put in English then add whatever Google Translate tells you is the German.
In audio options I have no copy option, only remove or convert.
Also, the process seems to take about half an hour for a 5 GB file is this correct?
And I also just ended up with an empty video file, it had the audio, no video.
Which version of Xmedia are you using as an older version had a bug in it.
It worked great when converting to MP4… but my xBox didn’t find the file with the extender because it doesn’t recognize MP4’s. But it works with AVI, so I tried converting to an AVI and the xbox picked it up right away, but now there is no sound.
Xbox will play MP4 natively so not sure what you are using. Have a look at step 2 on http://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-360/how-to/xbox-360-as-media-player/media and http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows-xp/help/windows-media-player/11/stream-xbox for how I stream.
this process is taking just as long, if not longer then actually using a conversion program like Any Video Converter. What’s the point? :/
If it’s taking a long time then it is not copying the audio and video but is converting one or both of them. Make sure both are set to copy.
The best tutorial I ever found over the net..
Thanks Carbonize!!
😀
Hey Carbonize, thanks so much for the response. I tried this and the video stopped about 20 minutes in. I am now retrying this, following your directions to the T. I was wondering, Is there anyway to retain 5.1? I am re-trying the process hopefully it works this time.
You could convert to MP3 and tell it to keep the 5.1 channels. Not sure exactly how to do that as it’s not something I have done but it should be possible. It’s only 5.1 in AC3 that the Xbox apparently does not like.
Awesome I’ll give it a try. I noticed when doing this I dont have the option to Copy Audio, only to Convert or Remove. I’m assuming it’s a problem with the codec or what I’m remuxing the video to, but who knows. thanks for your replys and help. 🙂
Possibly the audio in the file you are converting is not supported in the format you are converting to and so it has to convert the audio to something else.
BTW use the reply button or do you not see one?
This works great but with files that have SSA subtitles, I’m only getting the Remove option. so I can’t watch those files, can you help? T_T
Can’t say I’ve ever used a file with separate subtitles. Had a few with them built in though. Surely if you get the option to remove them then they must be getting added?
Works perfect thanks!!!! just got my videos from project free tv using real downloader, and converted them with this, work just like a dvd, THANKS!!!!!!
Just a quick thank you, I was fiddling around with so many solutions and this one is so simple and quick, even when having to convert the sound to AAC… wonderful.
Thanks for sharing.
Won’t play on Xbox, and won’t play in windows media center on the pc. Plays in vlc player though. 🙁
this solution is so easy and simple grande thank you to you
how can i use the subs that came with a .mkv that i downloaded?
Can anyone help me? I have an english subbed anime series thats a .mkv. The subtitles are in the .mkv, how do i get them to show up when i encode?
On the filters/preview tab you can select the subtitle at the top left above the video area.
Videos with an .mkv file contain audio, video, and subtitles separately. You can extract the subtitles from your original .mkv file and then hard sub them onto your newly encoded video.
I highly suggest you visit: http://www.videohelp.com/
You can find tutorials there, and download programs like MkvToolnix with MkvExtract. It takes seconds to extract subtitles.
I was able to convert the .mkv just fine and it plays well on my PC. I can not find it on the XBOX. Is there a file name that is required by XBOX?
Do you have Windows Media Player set up to allows the Xbox to stream from it? You can find instructions at https://inaudiblewhisper.wordpress.com/2009/03/06/streaming-media-to-xbox-360-from-windows-7/
Yeah I have WMP on the PC and it allows streaming. I am able to play other video – just not MP4. Any help would be appreciated!!
ahh, reading this; it appears that it is only working on 32bit OS…
Hi, ive used this and it converts brilliantly but i am having issues still…. Im getting the Status Code 69-C00D3E9A everytime. Now ive read that its something to do with audio but im not sure what…something about 6ch which the xbox doesnt like. Any help?
The Xbox does not like an avi file that has AC3 audio with anything more than 2 channels.
But ive changed my mkv file to an mp4 with 6 channels, it doesnt give me the option to change it to less than 6.
Managed to sort it out. Thanks for this way of changing my files.Its brilliant lol… 😀 THANKYOU
seems to have worked for me many thanks
it didn’t transfer the subtitles across though, is that normal
Thanks, it worked perfectly! And thanks to XMedia Recode, great software, it deserves more popularity… They should translate the site in english at least!
This is great…but I wish there was a way to hardcore the attached subtitles into the new video file! If anyone has a good suggestion please respond 🙂
Thank you Thank you Thank you! Works perfect every time 😀
This isn’t working for me. I have version 3.0.8.0 and the copy worked great but it’s not showing up in my extender on Xbox. Not in the Zune or Windows Media Center. I can watch it on my computer but it’s not coming up anywhere on Xbox. And usually even the movies that aren’t supported would at least show up and then just come up with an error when I tried to play them. I’ve tried EVERYTHING & I was hoping this would work. Any updates?
Sounds like you are using Media Center. You need to use the normal video part of Xbox and follow these instructions – http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows-xp/help/windows-media-player/11/stream-xbox
Maybe I’m doing something wrong but under Modus it just says \Convert\ and \remove\ there is no \copy\.:(
Did you remember to set the profile to custom and format to mp4? There is a slim possibility that one of the files, audio or video, was of a format only supported by MKV and it needed converting to an MP4 compatible format.
Yes, I did make sure. Thank you for replying! I guess I’ll just be watching my movie using VLC.
I just use tversity for all my streaming to my 360 off my media server. Practically zero setup and it handles anything I can throw at it.
Yes but TVersity transcodes meaning it convert the file as it’s streaming to the XBox. This pretty much means you can’t do a lot with the computer whilst watching a film.
Ehm, I don’t think you undestand the term “portable”. This program runs only on Windows, and therefore is not portable.
Can you or can you not put it on a USB stick and carry it around to be used on other computers running Windows? Sounds pretty damn portable to me.
Oh and try actually reading the information you link to, particularly the Similar systems section.
… I did nothing .. Just played an .mkv File after the latest Xbox 360 update…. looks like they added compatibility 🙂 🙂
Hey, Just trying this now hope it works.
Stupid MKV files wouldnt show up. Apparently its hit and miss. Thanks for this info though 🙂
Works brilliantly, thank you 😀
So with this method there is no loss in picture quality only sound maybe when downsampling 5.1 audio to stereo?
Exactly as you are just copying the video and not changing it in anyway.
Many Thanks , we stream to noontec/Mvix movie boxes which plays some mkv’s but not others.
took 3 1/2 minutes to repack as mp4 which plays nicely.
Very simple to do ,and appears no vid or audio clarity loss. Hopefully the subs part will be very rare.
Gave up burning /converting a long long time ago, and was avoiding this but it was def worth it.
Again many thanks
This worked perfectly and was really fast!! Thank you! 😀
Okay, the current download version I just grabbed (v. 3.0.8.1) doesn’t have the “video copy” checkbox on the page (at least not where it’s showing up under all the screenshots I can find on the web of older versions. I can’t seem to figure out how to tell XMedia Recode to only repack and not recode the video. Am I missing something really basic? (The audio part is straightforward)
Thanks for the guide. I really hope I can make it work!
D’oh! Nevermind. Just realized that the default window size just cuts the “video copy” checkbox off the page and didn’t give me a vert. scroll bar as an indicator. I feel dumb. Thanks again.
Xmedia recode allows you to copy the original video stream. With handbrake you have to always transcode the video. This takes much longer with potential loss in quality due to the additional conversion.
Xmedia is not working for me 🙁 . I am converting a mkv file with DTS English 5.1 6 channel to play on my xbox. The video is fine, but not audio in the mp4 file. I have made sure I am choosing AAC and stereo. any help?
Try MP3 stereo. See if that fixes it.
Hi Carbonize, thanks for your reply. Tried mp3 just now and the resulting mp4 still doesn’t play sound 🙁 . The resulting mp4 shows the codec as mp3 though (in codec info for example in vlc).
Thanks I can play mkv on pc but love the fact I can now watch them on the x box and it was so easy!!!! I read a few others before running into this and well yuck. Five different programs just to do what I just did with one! Nice thanks again
Just wanted to stop in and say thanks for this! I was going nuts and spending hours trying to change all my .mkv’s. Just a note, version 3.0.8.5 did not work for me (empty file bug again?), I downloaded and installed the previous version and it worked great.
Thanks again!
Hey guys, I got this to work. Was having the same issues following these instructions, but I don’t give up so easy.
Under for Format tab, select instead the Microsoft: Xbox360 H.264 profile. File extension mp4 (only option). Only difference I see here is that you have to convert the audio (no option to copy). Worked for me, hope it works for you!
Hey, this works great, however, the issue i’m having is that i can’t get subs to work, under filters/preview i have subtitles track 1 selected. however, I only have the option to remove subs under the subtitle section.
If you have experience in getting programs via torrents. The best converter out there is Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate. Simple drag and drop and I think EVERY format available.
Why when Xmedia does it all and is just as easy to use?
Hi, I have the same issue with the 360 not showing any mp4 files, just avi and we’re using the video player not the Media Centre. Any tips with this would be great as avi files are getting impossible to find. Does the Xmedia work for converting files to avi as well?