Previews for XBMC4GAMERS

[2questionsagain]

THIS IS MY PROJECT:
I have been reading that a lot of people are having issues with getting the previews to work in the Synopsis section of XBMC4GAMERS. Reports range from a preview doesn't play at all, all the way up to it only plays once.
I've seen posts mentioning that not all video files will play, as well as XMV plays better than anything due to it's format. So that leads me to this topic. Since I'm doing this for myself, I figured I would share my work with everyone else as well.

I have been making my own previews for the XBOX for years, I learned how to do this back in 2007. I recently started making them again and so below is the link to my google drive with some previews already set up to go. I've already formatted them so the only thing you need to do, is Download the folder place the preview.wmv into the media folder located inside the _Resources folder, then reboot your xbox.
Each Preview is between 45 seconds to 1 minute in length.

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SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The previews I create are made up of various from various gameplay footage, and video walk-throughs as I can find which come from a variety of places such as youtube, my own game play, even videos ripped right out of the games. I make it a point to use 4k and HD videos I find which I then format to work on the XBOX while still retaining decent quality footage.

I know there isn't a lot inside this folder right now, but I'm working on getting all of them but again each preview takes about 45 minutes to an hour to make due to having to locate and download satisfactory footage, then cutting and splicing it, then finally, converting and formatting it. I also have to make the preview look good I try to make it appeal to everyone.

But for me it's worth it in the end.I didn't want to wait until I had them all done, so I will just keep adding them as I do them so keep an eye out. I'm not doing these in any specific order, so If you don't see a game you have/want please be patient it will be eventually. But if you absolutely must have a preview make a request here and I'll see what can be done. I just don't want to promise something I can't deliver at the present time.
My goal is to eventually have a preview every game in this drive. But for now here are some.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

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FILE PLACEMENT
/F/Games/(GAME NAME)/_resources/media
So it should look like this:
/F/Games/(GAME NAME)/_resources/media/Preview.wmv

You will want to make sure that the volume is all the way up in XBMC4Gamers by pushing up on the left thumbstick.
Always reboot your xbox whenever you place a new preview into a game.

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TROUBLESHOOTING:
TROUBLESHOOTING:
Once in a great while the preview will lock up the xbox, or the preview won't play, that's usually because some alteration was made to something I.E. you moved a file, renamed something, copied...ETC....But sometimes the system just locks up. Anyway if it's locked up, then just reboot the XBOX. if it won't play, open the file explorer then go back to the dash..this will cause the skin to reset

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Please give feedback (Good or bad)

ENJOY!

[Rocky5]

If doing previews I recommend MP4, I spent a long time getting the size and quality right for the artwork installer.

We haven’t finished all previews yet, over 600 done currently but no time frame in when the rest will be done.

Anyhow here is my tool to convert the mp4 ready for Xbox.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10HzXO2 ... p=drivesdk

Just place all your source videos in the “input files” folder and run the appropriate .bat file.

Hope this helps you out.

[2questionsagain]

your Suggestion is noted but not going to be used and here is why. Now I'm not trying to undermine you, so don't take it that way , it's just this is an area of the xbox modding aspect that I have more knowledge on than a lot of people on this and other forums including you on this is because I've been doing this since 2007 most people are just coming around now. Let me break this down in simple terms.

The XBOX is not actually built to handle an MP4 so it's irrelevant if a video file is converted to work in it. An MP4 is still going to be an incorrect format no matter what you do to it and the reason is simple:
MP4 didn't exist back when the XBOX was out so without redoing the xbox hardware itself, there is no MP4 that is or will ever be ever properly formatted for the xbox which is why the quality on the preview looks like garbage. This would still hold true with a preview converted to XMV.

The fact of the matter is, you can change the skin/dash and even the XML to read where previews get read from, but you cannot change how the xbox itself reads a video file with a specific format and codec. In other words you're trying to get software to tell hardware do so something it's incapable of doing. It's like trying to use that tool to convert a blue ray video and have the XBOX read it and have it work.

The file has to be converted into a structure built for the xbox to handle properly, Sure it will play it, but so will an avi. The file gets converted from Mp4 into a very specific wmv Format/codec
Getting any file to play in the XBOX is one thing, having that video file formatted correctly and with the right codec, is a totally different story. The difference between the previews that I make, the MP4's is, that my previews are all properly formatted with the correct codec along with the proper file extension.

So while the MP4's might play, but they aren't the proper file structure for the xbox and they look like garbage.

Anyone watching one of the previews I made, and comparing them to the MP4 Versions, will be able to see the difference.

as far as the size, here is what you do, you make a preview then you edit the XML to size the window for the video, you don't make the video window then try to edit every video to fit the window.

This is another reason why using MP4's are a bad idea.

[tx3000]

If doing previews I recommend MP4, I spent a long time getting the size and quality right for the artwork installer.

We haven’t finished all previews yet, over 600 done currently but no time frame in when the rest will be done.

Anyhow here is my tool to convert the mp4 ready for Xbox.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10HzXO2 ... p=drivesdk

Just place all your source videos in the “input files” folder and run the appropriate .bat file.

Hope this helps you out.

Your reply didn't help me or the 5 other people I had try this as well. As usual you fucked everything up by omitting crucial need to know things. Here are just some of the problems with your reply and that download.
You do not explain what you mean by SOURCE file.
I have a preview to Bauldr's gate dark alliance which is named preview.wmv, and I have that wmv is in a folder called baldur's gate. I dropped the folder onto both bats, I also dropped the files itself onto both bats, and nothing happned...it said processing (Name) press any key to continue, and there was a count down timer. The window closed and then what is supposed to happen? The program just closes with no messages no anything. nothing even shows a message if it's working or worked or if it's done or anything. Is the WMV supposed to turn into an MP4,


Also WTF does ENTER DB amount mean?

[Coldly-Indifferent]

What type of video file are you trying to convert to MP4 using Rocky5's Resize MP4 to Xbox Size tool?

I haven't done extensive testing with multiple file types, just some XMV previews I had already made, using another tool, for use with an UnleashX main dash.

All I did is download the tool from the link provided and followed the instructions, no dragging and dropping onto the .bat file:-

As instructed I copied the XMVs for conversion into the Input folder then clicked on the appropriate .bat file ie. the Game Preview h264 MP4.bat to start the converter.

A CMD window opened and the conversion for all three test files proceeded and 'magically' they appeared in the tool's folder. All were quickly converted to XBMC Xbox friendly MP4s which play fine.

I can provide screenshots if you do not believe me.

So unless you are using an obscure source video file format for your previews that the ffmpeg.exe tool (the converter) has some trouble with it is either your PC/system or the way you are trying to use it that is the problem, not Rocky5's conversion tool.

[tx3000]

What type of video file are you trying to convert to MP4 using Rocky5's Resize MP4 to Xbox Size tool?

it's not relevant the tool doesn't do much of anything.

All I did is download the tool from the link provided and followed the instructions, no dragging and dropping onto the .bat file:-

As instructed I copied the XMVs for conversion into the Input folder then clicked on the appropriate .bat file ie. the Game Preview h264 MP4.bat to start the converter.

This is one of the main reasons Rocky needs to stop posting shit. He is constantly changing how files he puts together get used. One upload he has drop the raw file, another upload he has drop the entire folder with the raw file in it, now you're saying you don't drop anything.
Rocky needs to be banned from uploading anything until he can remain consistent and provide proper instructions for anything he posts. he is causing entirely way to unnecessary problems.

A CMD window opened and the conversion for all three test files proceeded and 'magically' they appeared in the tool's folder. All were quickly converted to XBMC Xbox friendly MP4s which play fine.

They don't even play. Nothing does anymore.

I can provide screenshots if you do not believe me.

And I can provide a video showing nothing works so ti's pointless, you will show it working I will show it doesn't despite we're using the same tools. The problem here is rocky fucking with everything.

So unless you are using an obscure source video file format for your previews that the ffmpeg.exe tool (the converter) has some trouble with it is either your PC/system or the way you are trying to use it that is the problem, not Rocky5's conversion tool.

At this point It doesn't matter because previews don't even play for me in the Synopsis window anymore.

Even the ones I had working without a problem, no longer work. it doesn't take a high iQ to understand that Rocky clearly did something then released the update, to prevent what I posted from working.

This would make sense because the WMV's were working just fine, and played every time, but once rocky mentioned an update, I then got the update, and then right afterwards, every preview magically no longer works this includes the ones he made, In fact no preview will play at all regardless of what format or extension it is.

[GoTeamScotch]

this is an area of the xbox modding aspect that I have more knowledge on than a lot of people on this and other forums including you on this is because I've been doing this since 2007 most people are just coming around now.

Oof. Just lost all credibility with that line. Not even Bunnie Huang goes around claiming to "have more knowledge on than a lot of people" and proceeds to talk down to them.

"The more you know, the more you realize you don't know." -Aristotle

[Coldly-Indifferent]

Do you have any other installed dashboards you can test the original XMVs you have? The UnleashX dash is the main reason the preview files are all XMV format as it can't play MP4s.

They, the XMVs, should play from the UnleashX file manager wherever you have them and any games with a "preview.xmv" and an UnleashX skin with previews enabled should play them once installed on reboot.

If the previews XMVs you are using have some problem then I'd re-download them and try again. If you can post the preview source link others here can test whether they work on their set up.

BTW I've checked, as far as I am able, Rocky5's MP4 converter and neither the .bat files or ffmpeg.exe look to have been modified recently. Any updates to the Previews archive are likely just additional previews included as it is made clear its an ongoing project to provide them for as many Xbox games as possible.

In short there is nothing he could, let alone would, have done that might have broken previews that were previously working. The MP4 converter tool, which I've confirmed does its job, must be using the same files as the ones you are using too. If it doesn't work for you then it is a problem with your PC.

It could be your anti-virus as in the past I know the ffmpeg-exe has been flagged as a PUP and worse by some AV's. Other Xbox tools on the PC can provoke the same response too.