# WiiCR: streaming media from pc to Wii



## bmd (Feb 10, 2007)

_WiiCR created by Jacob Jarick (mem) is a media player solution for the Nintendo Wii. It acts as a streaming media server and is capable of transcoding nearly any video file to a suitable flv for an embedded flash player. It allows browsing of the remote filesystem to view: videos (avi/xvid/divx/mpeg/wmv/etc), text files, jpg's and play mp3s._

Just downloaded it but not tried it yet, looks pretty basic atm but hopefully will get up to the standard of the xbox streaming media software one day.

Link.


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## bmd (Feb 10, 2007)

Well it works fine, the only problem that I've found so far is that it streams films through the browser and the nav bar on it takes up about a third of the screen, but it's early days yet, maybe another browser will become available.

There's a modchip out for the Wii that looks quite good too, the Wiikey, effectively makes the Wii region free and able to play copies. No UK distributor for it atm but I should think there will be in a week or so.


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## Jambooboo (Feb 11, 2007)

Bob Marleys Dad said:
			
		

> There's a modchip out for the Wii that looks quite good too, the Wiikey, effectively makes the Wii region free and able to play copies. No UK distributor for it atm but I should think there will be in a week or so.



Oooh, that excites me. Might have to pick up a Wii - don't usually get a console till it becomes hackable.


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## Sunray (Feb 12, 2007)

Bob Marleys Dad said:
			
		

> _WiiCR created by Jacob Jarick (mem) is a media player solution for the Nintendo Wii. It acts as a streaming media server and is capable of transcoding nearly any video file to a suitable flv for an embedded flash player. It allows browsing of the remote filesystem to view: videos (avi/xvid/divx/mpeg/wmv/etc), text files, jpg's and play mp3s._
> 
> Just downloaded it but not tried it yet, looks pretty basic atm but hopefully will get up to the standard of the xbox streaming media software one day.
> 
> Link.



My Xbox does this much so much better.  XBMC is fucking great. 

Connects to quite a bewildering number of sources to stream and has a great interface.  Even connects up to YouTube and a few other video sites.

The lack of a hard disk in a Wii make it less than a perfect solution.  I dont have to have my PC on when I watch something. I put an 80Gb in there and just upload stuff when I get it.  No messing about when I might want to watch something.


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## Dask (Feb 12, 2007)

I'm thinking of buying an old XBox to run XBMC.

Do I just need a chipped box to get it up and running? It seems to be the best solution for streaming stuff to the TV from a PC.

Although the Wii software sounds interesting. Do you need a chipped Wii to run it? (is there such a thing?)


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## Sunray (Feb 12, 2007)

There are reports of a mod for the Wii.

The Xecuter 2.6CE and 3 are very mature non-solder mod chips for the Xbox.  Need a magnifying glass and a pin as the thing is pretty fiddly to install.  The 2 is really all you need, the 3 is overkill but once installed, its impossible to totally screw, which is possible with the 2. Fairly hard, but not impossible.

Only problem is the documentation isn't too great, but posting on the forums can be very helpful.  One of the best gadgets I've ever bought, cost me 80 quid all in, I already had a 80Gb drive from ages ago.


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## Dask (Feb 12, 2007)

Sunray said:
			
		

> There are reports of a mod for the Wii.
> 
> The Xecuter 2.6CE and 3 are very mature non-solder mod chips for the Xbox.  Need a magnifying glass and a pin as the thing is pretty fiddly to install.  The 2 is really all you need, the 3 is overkill but once installed, its impossible to totally screw, which is possible with the 2. Fairly hard, but not impossible.
> 
> Only problem is the documentation isn't too great, but posting on the forums can be very helpful.  One of the best gadgets I've ever bought, cost me 80 quid all in, I already had a 80Gb drive from ages ago.



Cheers for the info Sunray...Do you know of anywhere that sells xbox's already chipped?


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## bmd (Feb 12, 2007)

Sunray said:
			
		

> My Xbox does this much so much better.  XBMC is fucking great.
> 
> Connects to quite a bewildering number of sources to stream and has a great interface.  Even connects up to YouTube and a few other video sites.
> 
> The lack of a hard disk in a Wii make it less than a perfect solution.  I dont have to have my PC on when I watch something. I put an 80Gb in there and just upload stuff when I get it.  No messing about when I might want to watch something.



I think that, software aside, the only advantage the Xbox has over the Wii is that it has a hard drive, which is a fair advantage but I think when the software has advanced for the Wii I'll be quite happy with streaming stuff off it.

Dask, you don't need to mod the Wii to use this software, it runs on your pc and shows on your tv through the browser on the Wii. 

There are mod chips already available for the Wii if you wanted to mod it.

eta: Just found this premodded Xbox while I was faffing around on the net - Link.


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## Dask (Feb 12, 2007)

Cheers for that. 

I think I may take the plunge and get one of those xboxs.

How hard is it to fit a new hard drive in them and do they use the old style sata interface(ribbon cable)?


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## Sunray (Feb 14, 2007)

There is one other thing you've totally missed.

XBMC.  How fab is that bit of software. Won some award on SourceForge for being so great, and I cant agree more.   

Dask: You need to get a couple of torx screw drivers, the star like ones, but once open, its very very easy.  Its a PATA drive with the ribbon cable.  If its bigger than 137Gb you need to enable support for it in the BIOS, by patching it and then flashing the XBox.  There  are tools that can patch it for you.

Tip, if you want to use the original xbox HD, its 10Gb, in your PC, then you need to unlock it, there is software on a XBox mod install that does that for you.  Alternative, install Ultimate Boot on that 10Gb and then install the new drive.  If the new one breaks, you have an instant back up.

All the information you could possible want is on www.xbox-scene.com

I'm using the Evo BIOS, the X2 is the most up to date but once XBMC and EVO dash worked I didn't really care which BIOS I used.  

I'm going to buy a new 60mm fan for it, the one in it is a bit noisy for my tastes.


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## bmd (Feb 14, 2007)

Sunray said:
			
		

> There is one other thing you've totally missed.
> 
> XBMC.  How fab is that bit of software. Won some award on SourceForge for being so great, and I cant agree more.






			
				Me said:
			
		

> I think that, software aside, the only advantage the Xbox has over the Wii is that it has a hard drive, which is a fair advantage but I think when the software has advanced for the Wii I'll be quite happy with streaming stuff off it.


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## Sunray (Feb 14, 2007)

Err

It needed saying again in case anyone had forgotten.


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## Dask (Feb 14, 2007)

Sunray said:
			
		

> There is one other thing you've totally missed.
> 
> XBMC.  How fab is that bit of software. Won some award on SourceForge for being so great, and I cant agree more.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the info.


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## bmd (Feb 14, 2007)

Sunray said:
			
		

> Err
> 
> It needed saying again in case anyone had forgotten.


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## Mapped (Feb 18, 2009)

I thought I'd bump this thread from a couple of years ago as a friend of mine wants to try streaming video from PC to Wii. I use a Popcorn Hour for that business myself.

Have there been any advances in software development in streaming to the Wii over the last couple of years?

Cheers


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## bmd (Feb 18, 2009)

Firstly, let me say that after this thread I bought an Xbox with XBMC on it and Sunray was spot on, it's the best console media thing of them all, this generation included imo.

Try Tversity or Orb for streaming.


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## Addy (Feb 18, 2009)

There are a few different wares for streaming to the Wii, but each 1 I have tried has been terrible for upscaling video.


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## Jambooboo (Feb 18, 2009)

N1 Buoy said:


> I thought I'd bump this thread from a couple of years ago as a friend of mine wants to try streaming video from PC to Wii. I use a Popcorn Hour for that business myself.
> 
> Have there been any advances in software development in streaming to the Wii over the last couple of years?
> 
> Cheers



Ooh I'd like a Popcorn Hour - from what I've seen they'll play _anything_ you chuck at it. And it's a hassle converting mkvs to wmv to play on my 360, while my Celeron-equipped pc stutters like crazy playing hi-def video.


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## dogmatique (Feb 18, 2009)

Can't imagine streaming to the Wii will ever be that good due to it's funny resolution...

Popcorn Hour all the way!  Best streaming device I've ever had!  And I've had a few...


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## Crispy (Feb 18, 2009)

Does XBMC have iPlayer access? Cos I'm using boxee (which is an XBMC fork) and it's one of my favorite features.


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## bmd (Feb 18, 2009)

Crispy said:


> Does XBMC have iPlayer access? Cos I'm using boxee (which is an XBMC fork) and it's one of my favorite features.



It does, via a plugin.


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## Crispy (Feb 18, 2009)

Not bad. No Genre or Search, though. I use iplayer loads more now that I can just turn the TV on and press a button on the remote.


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## bmd (Feb 18, 2009)

Crispy said:


> Not bad. No Genre or Search, though. I use iplayer loads more now that I can just turn the TV on and press a button on the remote.



Yeah, I'm not sure about the genre or search thing tbf, if you're going by that image it may just be out of date. I would imagine that the api links to the online functionality. 

I haven't really used the video iPlayer (use my Squeezebox for the radio one) up to now as I've only had a half meg connection which was flaky at the best of times but our new house has a four meg connection so I'll probably use it again. 

So you have a computer with Boxee on linked to your tv?


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## Crispy (Feb 18, 2009)

Yeah my imac is in the same room. Linked via S-video. A press of Menu on the apple remote launches boxee, and then it's all very simple. Great thing is that you can carry on using the primary diplay quite normally while movies are being watched on secondary (TV).


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## bmd (Feb 18, 2009)

Crispy said:


> Yeah my imac is in the same room. Linked via S-video. A press of Menu on the apple remote launches boxee, and then it's all very simple. Great thing is that you can carry on using the primary diplay quite normally while movies are being watched on secondary (TV).



That sounds great. I love the idea of the iPlayer, it's just a bit of a faff to watch it. As you say, just a couple of button presses makes it more accessible.

My partner probably wouldn't put up with any more crap (her name) in the living room though. I'm putting all the Wii remotes and stuff in a little wooden box that she has repainted, just to keep her happy and enable me to have them near the tv. Tbf, I've got 3 consoles there with (including nunchcuks and classic controllers) 14 pads so it is a bit of a nightmare.


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## Mapped (Feb 18, 2009)

Cheers for the replies on the wii, I'll tell them not to bother or try and get them to use something decent like a Popcorn Hour. Or as they don't really download a lot a then a cheap DVD player with a USB port.



Jambooboo said:


> Ooh I'd like a Popcorn Hour - from what I've seen they'll play _anything_ you chuck at it. And it's a hassle converting mkvs to wmv to play on my 360, while my Celeron-equipped pc stutters like crazy playing hi-def video.



Popcorn Hour's are  I haven't come accross a file type it doesn't like yet, they can download torrents and usenet without your PC being on and have loads of other features like internet TV etc. 

That being said you do need to know a bit about computers/networks in general to get set up; they aren't really ready straight out of the box and to get the most of it you'll have to spend a bit of time on the popcorn forums. The user community around this product is impressively large and active and thier are loads of user generated apps for it.

The only downside I've had with it was some stuttering when using the wireless dongle that came with mine (I don't think it's CPU is really up to managing the wireless connection). I've just bought homeplug for it instead which will hopefully sort out the situation.


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