Media Center Apps and Services

The Raspberry Pi is a compact, single-board computer designed for education and prototyping. It provides a versatile platform for learning programming, building hardware projects, and creating lightweight computing solutions.

LibreELEC is a minimalist, embedded operating system built specifically for running Kodi, the popular open-source media center software. It's designed to be lightweight, fast, and incredibly easy to install and manage, transforming any compatible device into a dedicated media hub.

Pith is a versatile media server designed to be the central hub for your digital content. It seamlessly connects your local storage, media devices, and mobile devices, allowing you to control playback and stream content across your home network using DLNA and AirPlay protocols.

Raspbmc was a popular open-source media center distribution designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi. Based on Debian and the XBMC (now Kodi) media center software, it transformed the low-cost single-board computer into a powerful and easy-to-use home theater PC. It provided a user-friendly interface for playing videos, music, browsing photos, and streaming content.

Front Row was a media center application developed by Apple Inc. designed to provide users with a full-screen interface to access and manage media content like music, photos, videos, and DVDs. It offered a centralized hub for entertainment consumption on Apple computers.

nessMediaCenter is a robust media center application for macOS, designed as a comprehensive replacement for the discontinued Front Row. It provides an integrated platform for managing and enjoying various media types including videos, music, photos, and even PDFs. A key capability is its unique support for playing DRM-protected content purchased from iTunes.

Moovida, formerly Elisa, was an open-source, cross-platform media center designed to offer a visually appealing and intuitive interface for managing and playing multimedia content. Providing support for various media formats and streaming capabilities, it aimed to be a central hub for digital entertainment.

Zoom Player is a highly customizable and powerful media player and media center for Windows PCs. It offers extensive format support, advanced playback controls, and a flexible interface, making it suitable for both casual users and multimedia enthusiasts.

MediaPortal is a versatile, open-source media center software transforming your PC into a complete home theater solution. It enables watching and recording TV, playing videos, music, and DVDs, managing photos, and even accessing online services, all through a user-friendly interface on your TV screen.

OpenELEC is a small, fast booting embedded operating system built specifically to turn your computer into a Kodi (XBMC) media center. It focuses on simplicity and minimal configuration for a plug-and-play home theatre experience.

OSMC (Open Source Media Center) is a free and open-source Linux-based operating system designed for media playback. It transforms small, low-cost devices like the Raspberry Pi into powerful media centers, offering a user-friendly interface for enjoying movies, TV shows, music, and other media on your TV.

Stremio is a modern media center application that aggregates video content from various sources, allowing users to discover, organize, and watch movies, series, live TV, and more in a unified interface. It streamlines the process of finding and enjoying video entertainment across different platforms and devices with its add-on system.

PS3 Media Server is a discontinued, yet highly functional, UPnP/DLNA media server designed initially for the PlayStation 3 but compatible with a wide range of rendering devices. It allows users to stream and transcode various media formats from their computer to network-connected devices.

MythTV is a free and open-source digital video recorder (DVR) software designed to transform a Linux-based computer into a complete home media center. It allows users to watch, record, and play live television, manage their video library, listen to music, and more.

Kodi is a powerful, free, and open-source media player software designed to transform your device into a comprehensive home theater PC. It provides a stunning interface optimized for large screens, allowing you to manage and play virtually all popular types of digital media.

The Raspberry Pi is a compact, single-board computer designed for education and prototyping. It provides a versatile platform for learning programming, building hardware projects, and creating lightweight computing solutions.

LibreELEC is a minimalist, embedded operating system built specifically for running Kodi, the popular open-source media center software. It's designed to be lightweight, fast, and incredibly easy to install and manage, transforming any compatible device into a dedicated media hub.

Pith is a versatile media server designed to be the central hub for your digital content. It seamlessly connects your local storage, media devices, and mobile devices, allowing you to control playback and stream content across your home network using DLNA and AirPlay protocols.

Raspbmc was a popular open-source media center distribution designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi. Based on Debian and the XBMC (now Kodi) media center software, it transformed the low-cost single-board computer into a powerful and easy-to-use home theater PC. It provided a user-friendly interface for playing videos, music, browsing photos, and streaming content.

Front Row was a media center application developed by Apple Inc. designed to provide users with a full-screen interface to access and manage media content like music, photos, videos, and DVDs. It offered a centralized hub for entertainment consumption on Apple computers.

nessMediaCenter is a robust media center application for macOS, designed as a comprehensive replacement for the discontinued Front Row. It provides an integrated platform for managing and enjoying various media types including videos, music, photos, and even PDFs. A key capability is its unique support for playing DRM-protected content purchased from iTunes.

Moovida, formerly Elisa, was an open-source, cross-platform media center designed to offer a visually appealing and intuitive interface for managing and playing multimedia content. Providing support for various media formats and streaming capabilities, it aimed to be a central hub for digital entertainment.

Zoom Player is a highly customizable and powerful media player and media center for Windows PCs. It offers extensive format support, advanced playback controls, and a flexible interface, making it suitable for both casual users and multimedia enthusiasts.

MediaPortal is a versatile, open-source media center software transforming your PC into a complete home theater solution. It enables watching and recording TV, playing videos, music, and DVDs, managing photos, and even accessing online services, all through a user-friendly interface on your TV screen.

OpenELEC is a small, fast booting embedded operating system built specifically to turn your computer into a Kodi (XBMC) media center. It focuses on simplicity and minimal configuration for a plug-and-play home theatre experience.