Adding Mp4s To Library In Wmp11?, Microsoft giving conflicting advice? Options

[wallace4793]

I have a number of mkv movie samples i and am trying to convert to mp4 for streaming to my 360. Rather than covert to wmv ive been trying to using the mkvextract/yamb/besweet method, by just changing the container to mp4.. without much success. I cannot add the mp4 in WMP11 although it plays using ffdshow ok and i get an error in zune when trying to play the file and so therefore cannot add the files to library. On the microsoft website it states that mp4 s cannot be played directly using wmp11 and therefore cannot be added to the library but on the xbox video playback site it states :

"By default, Windows Media Player 11 does not support MPEG-4 Part 2 and H.264. You can either convert your MPEG-4 Part 2 and H.264 content to WMV, or you can install a third-party MP4 DirectShow decoder pack to import MPEG-4 part 2 and H.264 files into your library. Once they are in your library, they can be streamed to your console just like WMVs."

Has anyone managed to put an mp4 into their library using wmp11?

[Nature_1]

Use this, source: http://owlet.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!...1!297.entry



here's how I got MP4 files working in Vista WMP11 and the Xbox 360:

1. Install FFDShow. I used the latest version 20070805. Allow use for all apps to enable explorer thumbnails.
2. Configure FFDShow: I like to disable the trayicons.
3. Install Haali Media Splitter (latest as of 20070807)
4. Configure Haali: Autoload VSFilter=yes, Show tray icon=no, Enable thumbnails Extraction=yes
5. Run custom registry file to:
- enable WMP to identify mp4 and m4v files as video files
- enable WMP to stream mp4 and m4v files
(be careful when changing the registry!)

-------------MP4_to_WMP.reg-------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Parts are set, but type already exists
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mp4]
@="mp4_auto_file"
;"QuickTime.bak"="VLC.mp4"
;"Content Type"="video/mp4"
"PerceivedType"="video"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mp4\ShellEx]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mp4\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11D1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{c5a40261-cd64-4ccf-84cb-c394da41d590}"

; WMPlayer extension
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Multimedia\WMPlayer\Extensions\.mp4]
"PerceivedType"="video"
"Permissions"=dword:0000000f
"Runtime"=dword:00000007
"UserApprovedOwning"="yes"

; WMP MLS Extension
; This is very important for WMP to identify mp4 files as video files
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\MLS]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\MLS\Extensions]
"mp4"="video"

; M4V --------------
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.m4v]
@="mp4_auto_file"
"PerceivedType"="video"
;"Content Type"="video/x-m4v"
"Content Type"="video/mp4"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.m4v\ShellEx]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.m4v\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11D1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{c5a40261-cd64-4ccf-84cb-c394da41d590}"

; WMPlayer extension
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Multimedia\WMPlayer\Extensions\.m4v]
"PerceivedType"="video"
"Permissions"=dword:0000000f
"Runtime"=dword:00000007
"UserApprovedOwning"="yes"

; WMP MLS Extension

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\MLS\Extensions]
"m4v"="video"
-----------------------------------------------------------

The end result for all this:
I can view and play mp4 files in Windows Media Player. With thumbnails.
I can stream mp4 files to XBox360
Explorer shows mp4 thumbnails

Notes:
It would appear the mp4 (m4v) files have to be defined as video/mp4 in the HKCR/.xxx setting to make streaming to xbox360 work

m4v works too by changing the mime-type from video/x-m4v to video/mp4 in HKCR/.m4v
Installing VLC will reset some settings (thumbnails may break, streaming of m4v may break). You will likely have to reinstall Haali and check the mime-types to fix the situation.

I transcode my video files to be iTunes/iPod compatible with Videora iPod Converter. They will thus work in iTunes, iPod, WMP11 and Xbox360

Some converted mp4 files will be rejected by iTunes due to faulty mp4-tags. The files can be fixed with Tagger. Just open the mp4 file with tagger and save it. (Update: This was a problem with ReadyBoost. Since I disabled ReadyBoost I have had no problems with importing mp4 files.)

Xbox360 will only display the mp4 video files through the dashboard (Video playback). The Xbox Media Center Extender will not play them (they will show up though).

[Nature_1]

sorry for the double post...

forgot to mention this but first try and use the Zune software. The reg edit solves the WMP 11 Library problem but there is a possibility that the stream function doesn't work properly.

If you still have diffilculty streaming try the Zune install !after! the reg edit. That did it for me.

[Klingon]

I've been using different tools to convert my mkv files to mp4.

The mkvs I have tried converting all have Dolby AC3 6CH audio tracks. However in the process in converting the mkv to mp4 it always end up in 2CH stereo, the best I have gotten is Dolby Pro logic II which is fake surround at best.

Has anyone been able to convert a mkv to mp4 without loosing the audio quality?

[Nature_1]

There are ways.. but mp4 playback on the 360 is limited to 2channel audio anyway.

[joew771]

I am using Win7 and WMP12 and had the same problem. Adding MP4's to the library for streaming to my bluray player. There is a very very simple fix that I tried and it worked. All you have to do is change the extension of the file to .mpg or something else. For example, change 'starwars.mp4' to 'starwars.mpg' and it recognizes it and streams it like normal. That's it! As long as you can play the file originally, correct codecs, etc. it should work.