Media Center

Kodi – free and open source entertainment center software

Kodi (formerly XBMC) is an award-winning, free and open source digital media hub and HTPC (Home theater PC) software. It is designed to be a media player for the living-room TV using only a remote control as the input device.

Kodi has several built-in UPnP A/V features, including the ability to receive UPnP and DLNA content pushed to Kodi, browse UPnP and DLNA media sources, sharing an Kodi library with other UPnP and DLNA devices, and even controlling UPnP and DLNA devices. UPnP is also the easiest way to share a library from one XBMC device to another.

Kodi turns your computer into a full featured multimedia jukebox.

Features include:

  • Powerful skinning engine.
  • Play CDs and DVDs from the disk or image file, including within ZIP and RAR archives.
  • Creates a personalised library of your media complete with box covers, descriptions and fanart.
  • Playlist.
  • Slideshow.
  • Weather forecast.
  • Stream media from a computer/server over a network via UPnP, SMB/Samba/CIFS, FTP, or HTTP:
    • UPnP MediaServer compliant with DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) standard.
    • Including all NAS (Network Attached Storage) that support UPnP or SMB/SAMBA/CIFS.
    • iTunes Music Shares via DAAP (network stream from Apple iTunes 6.x on Mac or Windows).
    • Stream supported media-files from the internet (if the stream protocol-format is supported).
    • Stream media stored directly from RAR and ZIP archive.
    • USB Memory Drives and USB Mass Storage Devices (FATX/FAT12/FAT16/FAT32 formated).
  • Wide support for remote controls.
  • Addons Manager and addons:
    • Audio and video streaming plugins for online sources, widget scripts, skins/themes, visualizations, screensavers, web scrapers, weather forecasts, and web interfaces.
  • Application launcher.
  • Plays almost all popular audio and video formats around:
    • Widescreen (16:9) and normal-TV (4:3) aspect ratio video output support
    • HDTV(High-Definition) and Standard Definition output resolutions (480p, 576p,720p, 1080i, 1080p and higher).
    • TV-output: 50hz/60Hz NTSC-M/J (America/Asia) and PAL (Europe/Africa).
    • RCA, SCART, RF Coaxial, S-video, Component/RGB,VGA-output.
    • NTSC playback on PAL TV and PAL playback on NTSC TV.
    • Analog audio-out (stereo/mono) via phono-connection or scart-adapter.
    • Digital audio-out (stereo/mono/surround) SPDIF (adapter required):
      • Video codecs:
        • MPEG-1 (VCD/MPG) and MPEG-2 (MPEG/SVCD/DVD/VOB/DV/TY) video.
        • MPEG-4 ASP (H.263): DivX (Pro), OpenDivX, XviD and Nero Digital ASP.
        • MPEG-4 AVC – Advanced Video Coding (H.264): Nero Digital AVC, x264, and DivX AVC video.
        • Microsoft’s Windows Media Video v7, v8 and v9 (MSMpeg4/WMV v1, v2, and v3).
        • VC-1 (SMPTE 421M) Interlaced not yet supported (ffmpeg).
        • RealVideo codecs: 1.0, 2.0 (RealPlayer G2), 3.0 (RealPlayer 8.x) and 4.0 (RealPlayer 9.x).
        • QuickTime 5.0, 6.0, 6.3 video and audio codecs (QDMC / QDM2).
        • 3ivx D4 / 3vi1 MPEG-4 video (inc. MSZH/ZLIB Compressed-Header containers).
        • Sorenson v1/v3 (SVQ1/SVQ3) QuickTime video.
        • Apple Graphics (SMC) video.
        • Apple QuickDraw (qdrw) video decoder.
        • On2 Technologies VP3 (VP3.x), VP4 (VP4.x), VP5 (VP5.x), and VP6 (VP6.2).
        • AVS (Audio Video Standard) video codec.
        • Intel Indeo 2 (Indeo2) and 3.1/3.2 (Indeo3) video decoder.
        • NuppelVideo (NUV).
        • VIVO 1.0 and 2.0 (VIV).
        • Fraps FPS1 video decoder.
        • Snow video decoder.
        • DV50 (DVCPRO50) video decoder, and DV100 (DVCPRO HD) video decoder.
        • ITU H.261 video.
        • Creative Labs YUV (CYUV) video.
        • Supermac Cinepak (CVID) video.
        • ASUS V1 (ASV1) and ASUS V2 (ASV2) video.
        • Video decoders: Smacker, Motion Pixels, BFI, AMV, Interplay C93, Zip Blocks, Duck TrueMotion 2, Delphine Software .cin, Bethsoft VID, QPEG, Miro VideoXL (VIXL), Winnov WNV1, LOCO, TechSmith Camtasia (TSCC), IBM Ultimotion (ULTI), Autodesk Animator Studio Codec (AASC).
        • Autodesk FLI and FLC Animation .
        • Audio codecs:
          • CDDA (Audio-CD) playback.
          • WAV/WAVE (WAVEform) and PCM audio format.
          • AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) audio.
          • MPEG layer I, II, and III (inluding MP2 and MP3) audio.
          • OGG (Ogg Vorbis audio codec).
          • WMA – Windows Media Audio v1 and v2 (WMA1 / WMA2 / DivX Audio v1/v2).
          • WMA – Windows Media Audio 9 (WMA9).
          • WMA Pro Audio Codec (Windows Media Audio 9 Professional).
          • RealNetworks RealAudio codecs: 1.0 (14.4), 2.0 (28.8), SIPRO, COOK, COOKER, DNET and ATRAC3.
          • AC3 2.0 or 5.1 and Dolby Digital EX 6.1 or 7.1 audio in video (AC3 digital cable S/PDIF pass-through).
          • Dolby Digital AC3 and AC3-WAV/AC3-CDDA 2.0 and 5.1 audio in video software decoded to stereo analog-out.
          • Dolby Digital Plus (a.k.a. E-AC3), and Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio software decoder.
          • Dolby Digital Plus (a.k.a. E-AC3), and Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio in Blu-ray rips via digital cable S/PDIF pass-through.
          • DTS (Digital Theater System) 5.1 and DTS-ES 6.1 audio in DVD-Video (DTS digital cable S/PDIF pass-through).
          • DTS (DTS and DTS-WAV/DTS-CDDA) audio in DVD-Video (software decoded).
          • AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) profiles: Main, LC, HE, LTP, LD, ER, and aacPlus v1/v2 (AAC+ SBR/PS) audio.
          • M4A and MP4 (MPEG-4 Audio) (including Nero Digital MP4).
          • PureVoice (QCELP) audio decoder.
          • AVS (Audio Video Standard) audio codec.
          • FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) audio.
          • WavPack lossless audio.
          • MPC (Musepack, a.k.a. Mpeg+) lossless audio.
          • APE (Monkey’s Audio) lossless audio.
          • SHN (Shorten) lossless audio.
          • ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) lossless audio.
          • MLP (Meridian Lossless Packing) / Packed PCM (PPCM) audio decoder.
          • AMV audio decoder.
          • Sonic audio decoder.
          • AIFF/AIFF-C audio dcoder.
          • Macromedia ADPCM decoder.
          • Creative ADPCM audio decoder (16 bits as well as 8 bits schemes).
          • Nellymoser ASAO decoder.
          • True Audio (TTA) decoder.
          • TrueSpeech audio decoder.
          • Intel Music decoder.
          • QDM2 audio decoder.
          • Delphine Software .cin audio decoder.
          • 8SVX audio decoder.
          • MIDI music using Timidity.
          • Tracker Mod’s audio.
          • Adlib (AdLib and Sound Blaster OPL2/OPL3 and Dual OPL2/OPL3) FM audio.
          • SID (Commodore 64 tunes) audio.
          • YM (ATARI ST) audio.
          • NSF (Nintendo NES Sound Format) audio.
          • SPC (SPC700) audio.
          • GYM (SEGA Genesis) audio.
          • ADX/AST/ADP/DSP/YMF/HPS CRI MiddleWare and Gamecube ADPCM) audio.
          • MOD/AMF/669/DMF/DSM/FAR/GDM/IMF/IT/M15/MED/OKT/S3M/STM/SFX/ULT/UNI/XM.
          • vgmstream playback of 51 more streamed audio formats used in video games: aax, asd, asr, ass, bgw, bh2pcm, capdsp, ccc, dcs, de2, emff, fag, gbts, gca, gsb, idsp, idvi, isd, joe, kraw, mihb, msvp, mwv, omu, p2bt, pdt, rnd, rwar, rwav, sap, seg, smp, spd, spsd, spw, ss7, ssm, thp, vgs, vs, waa, wac, wad, wam, xa2, xmu, xsf, xvas, ydsp, ymf, and zwdsp.
  • Internationalization support.

Website: kodi.tv
Support: Wiki
Developer: Team XBMC
License: GNU General Public License v2.0

Kodi

Kodi is written in Python and C++. Learn Python with our recommended free books and free tutorials. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.

Return to Video | Return to Media Centers | Return to UPnP Servers


Popular series
Free and Open Source SoftwareThe largest compilation of the best free and open source software in the universe. Each article is supplied with a legendary ratings chart helping you to make informed decisions.
ReviewsHundreds of in-depth reviews offering our unbiased and expert opinion on software. We offer helpful and impartial information.
Alternatives to Proprietary SoftwareReplace proprietary software with open source alternatives: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Autodesk, Oracle, Atlassian, Corel, Cisco, Intuit, and SAS.
GamesAwesome Free Linux Games Tools showcases a series of tools that making gaming on Linux a more pleasurable experience. This is a new series.
Artificial intelligence iconMachine Learning explores practical applications of machine learning and deep learning from a Linux perspective. We've written reviews of more than 40 self-hosted apps. All are free and open source.
Guide to LinuxNew to Linux? Read our Linux for Starters series. We start right at the basics and teach you everything you need to know to get started with Linux.
Alternatives to popular CLI tools showcases essential tools that are modern replacements for core Linux utilities.
System ToolsEssential Linux system tools focuses on small, indispensable utilities, useful for system administrators as well as regular users.
ProductivityLinux utilities to maximise your productivity. Small, indispensable tools, useful for anyone running a Linux machine.
AudioSurveys popular streaming services from a Linux perspective: Amazon Music Unlimited, Myuzi, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal.
Saving Money with LinuxSaving Money with Linux looks at how you can reduce your energy bills running Linux.
Home ComputersHome computers became commonplace in the 1980s. Emulate home computers including the Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, ZX81, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum.
Now and ThenNow and Then examines how promising open source software fared over the years. It can be a bumpy ride.
Linux at HomeLinux at Home looks at a range of home activities where Linux can play its part, making the most of our time at home, keeping active and engaged.
Linux CandyLinux Candy reveals the lighter side of Linux. Have some fun and escape from the daily drudgery.
DockerGetting Started with Docker helps you master Docker, a set of platform as a service products that delivers software in packages called containers.
Android AppsBest Free Android Apps. We showcase free Android apps that are definitely worth downloading. There's a strict eligibility criteria for inclusion in this series.
Programming BooksThese best free books accelerate your learning of every programming language. Learn a new language today!
Programming TutorialsThese free tutorials offer the perfect tonic to our free programming books series.
Linux Around The WorldLinux Around The World showcases usergroups that are relevant to Linux enthusiasts. Great ways to meet up with fellow enthusiasts.
Stars and StripesStars and Stripes is an occasional series looking at the impact of Linux in the USA.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments