Kodi

Kodi

Kodi is an open-source media center application that allows users to play videos, music, podcasts, and other digital media files from local storage or the internet. It provides a customizable interface and supports a wide range of formats.
Kodi image
opensource media-center video-player music-player podcast-player local-storage internet-streaming customizable-interface wide-format-support

Kodi: Open-Source Media Center Application

Kodi allows users to play videos, music, podcasts, and other digital media files from local storage or the internet with a customizable interface and wide format support.

What is Kodi?

Kodi is an open-source media center application developed by the XBMC Foundation. Originally released in 2002 as Xbox Media Center for the original Xbox game console, it was later ported to other platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.

Kodi allows users to play and view various digital media files including videos, music, podcasts, and photos from local storage media or networked sources. Some of the main features include:

  • Supports a wide range of video, audio, and image formats including DVD and Blu-ray playback support.
  • Allows media files to be played from external USB drives, optical media, local network sources, and cloud drives.
  • Includes customizable skins to change its appearance and layout.
  • Plugins allow extending functionality by adding features like YouTube or Spotify streaming.
  • The interface is optimized for usage with remote controls or wireless keyboards.
  • Multiple users can create and manage separate libraries within shared database.

Kodi has a community-driven open-source model for development and gets frequent updates. It is managed by the non-profit XBMC Foundation which ensures it stays free, open-source software. Kodi can transform a computer or device into a feature-packed home theater system to suit entertainment needs.

Kodi Features

Features

  1. Media library for audio, video and photos
  2. Supports a wide range of media formats
  3. Add-ons for streaming services and online content
  4. Customizable interface with different skins
  5. Remote control app for mobile devices
  6. Live TV with DVR capabilities (with add-on)

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Highly customizable

Great community support

Plays almost any media format

Available for multiple platforms

Cons

Can be difficult to set up

Some add-ons have broken over time

Some stability issues

Not as user friendly as commercial media centers


The Best Kodi Alternatives

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