THE XBOX LIVE CONNECTION GUIDE

Posts Tagged ‘cheat’

Xbox 360 to Netflix

Netflix subscribers, if you’ve got an Xbox 360 and a Windows Vista PC, you don’t have to shell out $99 for Roku’s Netflix Player box to get your Watch Instantly library on your TV screen—you already have everything you need. Using the free Windows Media Center plug-in, vmcNetflix, you can turn your Xbox 360 into a Netflix Watch Instantly box.

With vmcNetflix, you can watch, browse, and queue movies to your Netflix Watch Instantly queue all from your Xbox 360 or Vista Media Center. A highlight of the list of growing features listed on the vmcNetflix site include:

* Stream WatchNow movies directly to the Media Center player.
* Download WatchNow movies to a “Watch Later” gallery.
* Support for Vista Extenders on both x86 and x64 platforms.
* Support for Netflix Instant Queue.
* Support for Episode listings.
* Search for movies by keyword.
* Browse DVD and WatchNow movies by genres.
* Sort Gallery by Title, Year, or Star Rating.
* View your queue, history, and recommendations.
* Add, remove, move movies in your queue.
* Supports DVD/Movie Parental Controls

What You’ll Need

Now that you’ve got an idea of the end product, let’s take a look at the short list of things you’ll need to turn your Xbox 360 into a Netflix player.

1. An Xbox 360
2. Windows Vista with Vista Media Center (it’s included by default in Vista Home Premium and Ultimate)
3. A Netflix subscription
4. The freeware vmcNetflix plug-in

Step 1: Set Up Your Xbox as a Media Center Extender

If you’ve already set up your Xbox 360 as a Media Center extender, you can skip this step. Unless you’re already using your Windows PC as a Media Center powerhouse and have a tuner card installed on your Windows machine, chances are you haven’t had much reason to set up your Xbox as an extender. With vmcNetflix, you’ve got a great reason.

Microsoft already provides detailed instructions for setting up your 360 as a Media Center extender, so here’s the nutshell version. Start up your Xbox 360, head to the Media blade, and select Media Center. Since you haven’t already set up an extender, your Xbox will walk you through the setup process between your Xbox and your PC. The Xbox will generate an eight-digit code to authenticate the connection between the two. Then you need to fire up Media Center on your PC, go to Tasks -> Add Extender, and fill in the blanks in the setup wizard with your eight-digit code when prompted.

Step 2: Install the vmcNetflix Plug-in

Now that your Xbox is set up as a bona fide Vista Media Center extender, you’re ready to download and install the vmcNetflix plug-in. There’s nothing to it, so just download the latest plug-in from the link and go through the installer.

Step 3: Set Up Watch Instantly on Your PC

Before you can stream Watch Instantly videos to your 360 extender, you need to make sure your PC is Watch Instantly-ready first. If you’ve already watched videos on this computer using Netflix’s Watch Instantly feature, you can skip this step. If not, forge ahead.

Your PC needs to install a plug-in or two from Netflix to help deal with the DRM and such used to stream videos. Installing them is as simple as logging into your Netflix account using Internet Explorer, clicking the Watch Instantly tab, and then playing anything. You don’t have to finish it, so just click Play on the first video you stumble across.

Netflix will prompt you to install their plug-in before the video starts, so just accept their prompts and install. When you’re finished with the simple installation, you should be watching the video you just chose. Once you’re there, you can stop the playback. Soon you’ll be watching that through your Xbox, on your TV, from the comfort of your living room.

Step 4: Set Up vmcNetflix on Your Xbox 360

vmcnetflix-installed.pngNow you need to run your Xbox 360 in Media Center extender mode. To do so, turn it on, head to your Xbox dashboard, and fire up Media Center from the list where you set it up originally. Your Xbox will find your computer and start up in Media Center mode.

Once there, scroll down to the Online Media section and then move left to select the program library. You should see an entry for vmcNetflix. Fire it up.

watch-now-login.pngSince this is the first time you’ve run vmcNetflix on your extender, you’ll need to set it up with your Netflix account. Doing so is as simple as providing the plug-in with your Netflix username and password. Do that, and you’re ready to start watching movies.

Step 5: Enjoy!

That’s all there is to it. You can now stream any Netflix Watch Instantly video directly to the TV in your living room using the Xbox 360 that’s already there. No $99 out of your pocket, no extra piece of equipment to add to your entertainment center. vmcNetflix handles everything nearly perfectly, from separate episode listings for television shows to managing and accessing your Netflix Watch Instantly queue.

The vmcNetflix plug-in has been in steady development for a few months now, but as the video above points out, the vmcNetflix plug-in can be a little slow and sometimes buggy. I hardly notice the sluggishness, though thinking about it, it does feel a little slower than normal Media Center extender operation. If you run into bugs, the vmcNetflix homepage offers tips for troubleshooting. I’ve found that restarting my 360 and or Media Center PC remedies any problems. Be sure to check back in with the vmcNetflix homepage from time to time and keep an eye on updates, since the developer is fixing problems and adding features at an impressive pace.

Also Netflix can download Watch Instantly videos and save them on your computer. This comes in very handy because saving videos means you don’t have to worry about downloads buffering, and video playback, fast-forwarding, and rewinding all work better. The downside is that saving videos is not part of the Watch Instantly terms of service.

ProVFX Visual Effects and Editing School has been written by Pranay Rupani who is a Freelance Writer

About the Author

Freelance writer for MetroMela and Channel 6 Magazine. Managing partner of ProVFX Visual Effects and Editing School.

Free Download Xbox 360 modern warfare 2 cheats codes

Dante’s Inferno Divine Edition $18.00 Dante’s Inferno Divine Edition PS3…

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves $17.99 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves PS3…

Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues $13.31 LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues is a comedic action/adventure game that combines the fun and creative construction of LEGO bricks with the wits, daring and non-stop action of one of cinema’s most beloved adventure heroes. With a unique, tongue-in-cheek take on all the Indiana Jones films – including for the first time ever Indiana Jones and the Kingdom o…

Original Xbox Cheat Codes 519 HUGE Pages! $2.99 519 Pages of Cheats for The Xbox!Endless life, endless ammo, endless money… Everything you’ve been looking for in one HUGE Kindle!Just a few of the games inlcluded:Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance, Blade 2, Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon,Hitman 2, James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing,Legends of Wrestling 2, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King…There are a TON of cheat codes for hundreds of games …

XBox Cheat Codes Plus Bonus XBox 360 Repair Guide $5.99 Echo Amped Freestyle Snowboarding Amped 2 Apex Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis Arctic Thunder Armed and Dangerous ATV Quad Power Racing 2 Azurik: Rise of Perathia Backyard Wrestling: Don’t Try This at Home Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance Barbarian Batman: Dark Tomorrow Batman Vengeance Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu Battle Engine Aquila Battlestar Galactica Baulder’s Gate: Dark Alliance Beyond Good and Evil Big…

Xploder Cheat System for Xbox 360 $9.99 Xploder Cheat System allows you to access our online Xploder gamesaves database, which is constantly updated with the latest gamesaves for the coolest Xbox 360 games including Lost Planet 2, Splinter Cell Conviction, Battlefield 2, Final Fantasy XIII, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and many more. Unlock new levels, unlock hidden items, unlock secrets, unlock powers, all vehicles, infinite lives, infinite ammunition, infinite money, secret codes, short cuts and hints. Instantly updatable: Download new gamesaves via Xploder and the transfer cable to your profile on your Xbox 360 memory unit (not included) and plug it in to your Xbox 360 console. Xploder re-signer engine converts the gamesave so it will work with your Xbox 360 profile. You can’t do that simply by downloading a gamesave from the internet. Join thousands of other Xploder community members and share cheats, gamesaves, tips and gaming news!

Sega Sonic Free Riders For Xbox 360 KINECT $49.99 Sega Sonic Free Riders For Xbox 360 KINECT

NBA Jam for Xbox 360 $39.99 EA Sports is bringing NBA Jam to a 2010 audience with everything that fans remember about the original plus online capability. The winner of 8 “Best Sports Game of E3″ award, including the Game Critics Award, NBA Jam is a high-octane video game that is fun for everyone! EA Sports’ version of NBA JAM has the off-the-charts fun factor of the original with updated gameplay that looks and feels better than ever – in full HD! Play Classic 2-on-2, Co-op Team Play, and Remix games online with a jam-packed progression system, unlockable challenges, and hundreds of rewards. Try to beat all 30 NBA teams in the Classic Campaign journey, and face some extra challenges: secret 2 on 2 Boss Battles against NBA legends! Players of NBA Jam can earn and unlock more than 100 cheat codes, secret characters and legendary NBA players. Fans can play Solo, Versus (against another player) or Co-op (with another player against the AI) modes. No matter how you like to play the game, you will have tons of fun playing NBA JAM.

Xbox 360 Chatpad – Bilingual $34.99 Enjoy gameplay even more with the Xbox 360 Chatpad, and let your fingers do the talking. Text with friends, redeem codes on Xbox LIVE and stay connected with updates on Facebook or Twitter without hitting the pause button on your pulse-pounding game. This is the perfect Xbox accessory for the ultimate multi-tasking gamer. The Xbox Chatpad is compatible with Windows Live Messenger, so it’s easy to keep in touch with everyone without using your computer . Simply snap the Xbox 360 Chatpad onto the controller and get chatting while playing your Xbox game . *Xbox LIVE Gold Membership required for Facebook and Twitter feature access. UPC: 885370116540 Manufacturer’s Part Number: 36939M

Xbox 360 Wireless Headset $65.94 Xbox 360 Wireless HeadsetCommunicate without the hassle of cables! You’ve got a voice. Now use it. Experience enhanced voice chat with the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset. Designed specifically to work seamlessly on your Xbox 360, this hands-free, wire-free headset employs the same technology as the award-winning Xbox 360 Wireless Controller. Pair up both accessories for superior performance, freedom, and comfort. Use up to four Wireless Controllers and Wireless Headsets simultaneously on one Xbox 360 for the most intense multiplayer gaming sessions ever.Experience enhanced clarity and performance without wires to tie you down.Embrace the stylish, ergonomic design that fits comfortably on either ear, with two sizes of removable ear grips for a perfectly snug fit.The headset utilizes the same 2.4 GHz radio technology employed by the award-winning Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for clear communications within a range of up to 30 feet.Take command of the situation and communicate with superior audio quality over Xbox Live.Up to eight hours of battery life per charge, with an AC wall adapter for quick, convenient recharging.Outfit your teammates (or rivals) with up to four Wireless Controllers and Wireless Headsets simultaneously per Xbox 360 console.Supports Voice Command for select games.Conveniently located Power On/Off, Volume, and Mute Controls are right where you need them.