Streaming video and other media to your Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 is a lot easier than you might think. You'll want to start weighing your options with the help of a very detailed feature from CNET sister-site Gamespot, which lays out all of your video streaming choices. Things may get a bit dicey during the configuration of these programs, so don't forget Google is your friend.
When you stream content to a console, you'll need to use a network-connected computer to serve the media. For best results, we really recommend a wired connection as you'll need as much bandwidth as you can get your hands on. In terms of software, there are a few applications you can choose from--some free, some not so free. We've had a lot of success using TVersity with both consoles, but we'd recommend XBMC if you're more of an advanced user for its customization capabilities. There's even ways to get YouTube and other online content directly on your console.
Whichever setup you choose, serving video to your console just might get you a step closer to throwing away that satellite or cable box. For now, check out our slide show for an idea of how these media-serving programs operate and how your console will look once you've set everything up correctly.
AppleTV has a rich history of getting hacked for the sake of adding extra utility. Contained within its small confines is a reasonably powerful computer that's capable of running Mac OS X (albeit slowly). The problem is that despite this power, the system software is tied to iTunes and its sister store for movies, music, and TV shows. This hinders it from competing with devices like mini-PCs and game machines that offer a huge variety of media playback, including DVDs and Blu-ray movies.
To help solve this, Boxee founder and CEO Avner Ronen has published instructions on how to get his company's media center software to run on the AppleTV. This system requires the use of developer Scott Davilla's ATVUSB-Creator, a Mac-only application that lets you create special programs that boot off a USB thumbdrive. The application comes with simple tools for putting SSH, Xbox Media Center for Mac, and its Boxee derivative on a drive with just a few clicks.
Once installed on the AppleTV, you can enjoy the same Boxee experience that's currently available on Macs and PCs running Linux. This includes being able to play Web video from multiple sources, and DivX- and Xvid-encoded content through your network--all without having to use any special transcoding software. You're also able to switch back to the Apple TV interface without having to make any massive changes to the way the system runs.
Within the next two months the software will be updated to play videos off of Hulu, meaning AppleTV owners who run the hack will be able to watch full-length TV shows (with ads) without having to purchase them from Apple's proprietary storefront. The company is also trying to get Netflix's freshly improved Watch Now streaming service running too.
Boxee is currently in private beta and limited to Mac and Linux users. We've been told that it's coming for PC users within the next month, with plans to open it up to everyone come next year's Consumer Electronics Show.
Once installed, you can run Boxee right off the AppleTV's source list.
(Credit: Boxee)Related: Hands-on with Boxee: A gorgeous social-media viewer
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