OpenELEC vs Front Row

Struggling to choose between OpenELEC and Front Row? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

OpenELEC is a Gaming Software solution with tags like open-source, kodi, media-center, home-theater-pc, htpc, linux-distribution.

It boasts features such as Lightweight Linux distribution optimized for Kodi, Small disk and memory footprint, Boots directly into Kodi interface, Automatic updates for Kodi and addons, Supports Raspberry Pi, generic x86 computers, and other devices, Active community support and pros including Easy to setup and use, Great performance on lower-powered devices, Constant updates and improvements, Very customizable, Free and open source.

On the other hand, Front Row is a Media & Entertainment product tagged with music, photos, videos, dvds, media-player.

Its standout features include Media library for organizing photos, music, videos, Integrated with iTunes and iPhoto, Remote control for navigation, Slideshows and screen savers, DVD playback, and it shines with pros like Intuitive and easy to use interface, Tight integration with Apple ecosystem, Handy remote control, Good organizational features.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

OpenELEC

OpenELEC

OpenELEC is a lightweight, Kodi-centric Linux distribution designed specifically for media centers and home theater PCs. It comes preconfigured with Kodi media center software and runs well on lower-powered devices.

Categories:
open-source kodi media-center home-theater-pc htpc linux-distribution

OpenELEC Features

  1. Lightweight Linux distribution optimized for Kodi
  2. Small disk and memory footprint
  3. Boots directly into Kodi interface
  4. Automatic updates for Kodi and addons
  5. Supports Raspberry Pi, generic x86 computers, and other devices
  6. Active community support

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Easy to setup and use

Great performance on lower-powered devices

Constant updates and improvements

Very customizable

Free and open source

Cons

Limited to just running Kodi

Less flexibility than full Linux distro

Manual updates required for core OS

Limited hardware support


Front Row

Front Row

Front Row is an integrated media center software designed by Apple Inc. It enables users to access various media files stored on their computer and play them on a connected display. Front Row provides an intuitive interface to browse and play music, photos, videos and DVDs.

Categories:
music photos videos dvds media-player

Front Row Features

  1. Media library for organizing photos, music, videos
  2. Integrated with iTunes and iPhoto
  3. Remote control for navigation
  4. Slideshows and screen savers
  5. DVD playback

Pricing

  • Free

Pros

Intuitive and easy to use interface

Tight integration with Apple ecosystem

Handy remote control

Good organizational features

Cons

Only available for Mac

Limited format support

Development discontinued in 2013

Lacks advanced media center features