Xbox Live already offers a way to access selected Foxtel channels, but that doesn’t come for free. So the announcement of plans to offer streaming services from the ABC (iView) and SBS (On Demand) to Australian customers is welcome news. More »
When Foxtel launched its Xbox 360 service last October, we couldn’t help but point out that it would be an expensive undertaking given that all the data you used to watch would come out of your monthly cap. That has now changed for Telstra BigPond customers, who will get unmetered access to Foxtel on Xbox 360 TV services as of today. More »
The vast majority of Xbox content announcements tend to include a big old “US only” sticker, but it looks like Australia is finally getting some Xbox movie love — and in hi-def no less. More »
TechRadar rounds up some useful tricks for getting the most of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 gaming console, offering 17 suggestions across two posts on how to make the machine a more flexible and useful device. Many of the tricks rely on the Xbox being networked to a compliant PC, and a couple sound dubious (wrapping an Xbox that has suffered the “red rings on death” failure in a towel, anyone?), but for new Xbox owners, it’s a handy resource. Check out our own guide for more hands-on ideas on how to spruce up your Xbox 360. 10 Xbox 360 tricks Microsoft won’t tell you | Seven more Xbox 360 secrets Microsoft doesn’t tell you [TechRadar]
Wired’s How-To Wiki details step-by-step how to set up port forwarding to make sure you’re getting the best experience from your Xbox 360 and Xbox Live game play. Depending on your router you may never have needed to do this, but if you’ve ever experienced long wait-times between games and other suspicious network problems, there’s a fair chance that a quick trip through your router’s settings could make a big difference. While you’re at it, you may be interested in tweaking your router to ensure your Xbox gets the lion’s share of your bandwidth when you need it. Finally, now that you’re gaming is set up for top performance, maybe it’s time you do more than just game on your 360. Set Up Port Forwarding on Your Xbox 360 [Wired How-To Wiki]
Millions of homes have an Xbox 360 sitting in the living room, but if you’re only using your 360 to game, you’re missing out. With some free tools and a little elbow grease, that compact, networked PC sitting under your television can offer a whole lot of useful media functionality. The fact is, your 360 is capable of so much more than just gaming. Let’s take a look at a few ways you can get more from your Xbox 360. (We covered some of this territory in our recent guide to what to do with your new cheap Xbox 360, but there’s plenty of extra goodness to be had.
As both Nick at Gizmodo and Logan at Kotaku reported this morning, Microsoft has dropped the Australian price of the Xbox 360, making the cheapest model $349. Those price cuts might well tempt you to add the Xbox 360 to your technology arsenal, but remember that the machine isn’t just a console and media player. Check after the jump for five mods you can make to your new discounted Xbox to render it more useful and more efficient.
Windows Vista only: Freeware Vista Media Centre plug-in vmcNetFlix streams Netflix Watch Now videos to Windows Media Centre extenders, including the Xbox 360. You can also manage your queue, browse movies, and do just about anything else you’d want from a Netflix plug-in. Previously mentioned MyNetflix incorporated all of these features, but so far it does not support streaming to extenders. If you’ve been tempted by the new Netflix streaming box but don’t want to throw down cash when you’ve already got a 360 in your home theatre, vmcNetFlix is a sure winner. It’s in beta and still a touch buggy, but it’s very promising. Hit the jump to check out a video of vmcNetFlix in action.
More devices in your living room have Ethernet ports than ever before, but you can’t plug them into the network if your router’s in the other room. When your Wi-Fi access point is in the home office but your TiVo, Xbox, and media centre are screaming for network love under your TV in the living room, you want a wireless bridge (also known as an Ethernet converter). A wireless bridge catches your home network’s Wi-Fi signal and provides ports where you can plug in wired devices near it. Let’s take a look at how to wire up your living room using a wireless bridge.
