XBPlayer Build 4 and XStream .NET Server (XNS) Build 1.
Coded by RUNTiME
 
Portions of this software are based in part on the work by d7o3g4q.
Graphics by T-MONEY
 
Features
~~~~~~~~
 
* Improved compatiblity
 
- better audio synchronisation.
- adjustable audio-buffering.
- handles media encoded using atypical dimensions.
 
* New user-interface
 
- new graphics.
- scrollable list control.
- filename clipped to visible screen.
 
* Configuration
 
- Settings for both XBPlayer and XStream .NET server are read from XML config files.
- XBPlayer enumerates locally stored video content in the Media\Video directory.
 
* Network support
 
- Installable service for Microsoft .NET Framework.
- Auto detects LAN and connects to XStream server based on configuration settings.
- XBPlayer implements 2MB (approx 15 seconds) network buffering.
- XStream .NET Service supports up to 25 concurrent XBPlayer connections.
 
 
Controls
~~~~~~~~
 
UP/DOWN: Scroll list up/down.
LEFT/RIGHT: Decrease/increase audio buffering.
A: Play selected file.
B: Return to menu.
START: Refresh XBPlayer
BACK: Credits
 
 
All about Audio Buffering
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
A new feature you will notice is the ability to change the amount of audio buffers that XBPlayer uses.The default that seems to work best with a wide variety of encoded video files is 40.  You can tweak this setting as much as you like, it is not persisted, when you reset your XBOX it will default back to 40.
 
Increasing the amount of audio buffers has the affect of moving the soundtrack forward relative to the the video being played.  Conversly, reducing the number of buffers moves the soundtrack backwards relative to the video.
 
In further releases I'd expect to dynamically adjust buffers as needed, decoupling the audio from the video stream is yet another way to achieving better synchronisation.
 
 
Installing the XStream Network Service
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
XStream Network is an installable service for Windows computers running Microsoft's .NET Framework. It will enable your XBOX to connect to your PC across a LAN and stream movies live.
 
NOTE: The current release contains a gaping big hole in security, it *is* insecure therefore I strongly advise caution when configuring your system.  As the purpose of this build is primarily a demonstrator, security is not a top priority; forthcoming releases will address this.
 
 1) Install Microsoft's .NET Framework redistributable runtime.
 2) Unzip the XStream server to a directory on your harddisk.
 3) Search your harddrive for "installutil.exe"
 4) Copy this into your directory.
 5) Start a dos prompt (choose Run in the start menu and type 'cmd' then click OK)
 6) Navigate your directory.
 7) Type: installutil xbstream.exe
 8) Once the service has installed succesfully, close the dos prompt.
 9) Next, edit config.xml set the shared directory.
10) Restart your computer.
11) Connect your xbox to the pc with a crossover network cable or connect via a hub.
12) Switch on your xbox.
13) Start a dos prompt.
14) Type: ipconfig
15) Note your ip address e.g. 192.168.1.4
16) Type: telnet x.x.x.x 1400
    (where x.x.x.x is your ip address)
17) If your the modification you made to config.xml is valid (e.g. the shared directory you
    specified exists) then the xstream service will respond "HELLO XBOX!".
18) Press CTRL+] to escape.
19) Type: quit
20) Type: net stop xstream
21) Type: net start xstream
22) Close the dos prompt.
 
 
Setting up XBPlayer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
At the time of writing, XBOX will reset if the eject button is pressed, so for the time
being the only way to play a movie off a CD-R/RW or DVD-R is to burn a disk containing both
video media and XBPlayer files.
 
1) Unzip xbplayer onto your hard-disk, this will create a root directory with the xbplayer files.
 
2) If you intend to play movies via the XStream Network Service, modify the config.xml so that the hostAddress matches your ip address as above (step 15).  If you want to play movies from the XBPlayer CD then copy them into the Media\Video subdirectory.
 
3) Launch Primo DVD (or any other software which supports the UDF Bridge file system).
 
4) Go to the full application and use the File menu to start a new job, and create a data disc.
 
5) Drag the contents of the root directory onto the empty file/folder list (window pane on the right)
go to the Edit menu and choose Recording Options:
 
Select recording type: disk at once closed
Select file system type: udf - up to 128 in filename length, any char., plus 8+3 tree (Bridge)
Select Mode: mode 1
 
6) Click OK to exit the dialog.
7) Select your recording drive by double-clicking on it in the left window pane.
8) Click on the Record (Go) button to start burning xbplayer onto your media.
 
9) Put your xbplayer cd into your modded xbox and switch the machine on.
10) Allow XBPlayer will launch its user-interface.
 
If XBPlayer is connected to a LAN and configured to connect to a hostAddress running the XStream server, XBPlayer will drop into LAN mode providing a suitable DHCP server for the XBOX is discoverable.
 
Now if the XBPlayer does not boot into "LAN mode" (you will be asked to select a "Stream" when in LAN mode as opposed to being asked to select a "Video" file), then check your DHCP server settings and the IP address you specified in the XBPlayer config.xml.
 
 
So you haven't got a DHCP Server on your LAN?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
A DHCP is an absolute must if your XBOX is ever going to communicate with the outside world, or in this case, the PCs on your LAN.  You can download a 30day trial of DHCP/BOOTP Server  
for Windows 9x/ME/NT 4.0/2000/XP from http://home.t-online.de/home/hanewin/dhcp-e.htm.  Please do
not take this as a recommendation.  I personally don't like this software, but it happened to be the
first thing I found.  There are many other DHCP servers out their, undoubtly more intuitive than this one.
 
1) After installing haneWIN DHCP/BOOTP Server for Windows, go to the start menu, haneWIN Software and choose DhcpBootp Server.
 
2) Reset your xbox and allow XBPlayer to boot up.
 
3) Click on the Ignored button in the DhcpBootp Server and select your XBOX's MAC address.
 
4) Make a note of your XBOX MAC address e.g. mine is 00:50:f2??:??
 
5) Right click on the address and choose Remove.
 
6) Click the Static button and choose New.
 
7) Type in the XBOX MAC address, assign it an IP Address within your PC's subnet, then click OK.
 
8) Now reset your XBOX one last time