The XBMC Media Center is a media player, but it's actually so much more than that. It is an open source entertainment hub that runs on a number of devices from computers to tablets, mobile phones and media streamers. Its a way to organize your media collection and to tidy up all those DVD discs sitting around, the files on your pc, laptop and tablet, to have all your media accessible from a single point.
XBMC is open source (free) and has a massive and thriving development and user help forum which can be accessed here. You can get installation help and download a copy of XBMC for your device or OS here.
What makes it so good? - You can set it up to run video and audio files from your home network or just on a single host PC/tablet etc. It has a number of front end Skins that change the look of the program. After installing and running XBMC, you can point it to your video folder and it will read all the files, and then the magic begins. The software will grab information from the internet, so your movie file now has plotline and cast details. Artwork and DVD covers are displayed as well as user reviews etc. You can personalize everything and how the information is shown to create a beautiful looking media center, as well as add-ons which make downloading of movies/shows and using streaming services a breeze.
Networking - XBMC can run on most of your connected devices (see list below) and let you stream movies from the network. So for instance, you can watch a movie from your library of thousands on a little tablet or phone anywhere around the house, making TV on the go a reality.
What does XBMC run on? - Although XBMC have versions for most popular connected devices. It will not run on others. Heres the list:-
Does Run
Android phone and tablets (4.0 and above)
Android TV Boxes and sticks
iPad (must be jailbroken first)
iPhone (must be jailbroken first)
iPod Touch (must be jailbroken first)
Apple TV 1 (must be jailbroken first)
Apple TV 2 (must be jailbroken first)
Windows PC (XP and above)
Linus
Mac OSX
Rapsberry Pi
Doesnt Run
Boxee Box
Roku
WD Live
How to connect XBMC to TV
You will need to install XBMC on one of the above devices as it cannot run on any smart TV as of yet. So the popular options are a PC hooked up to the television or HTPC, an android tv box or stick, a raspberry Pi or an Apple TV (ATV) that has been jaibroken.Add-ons and Repositories - XBMC not only provides an interface for all your media but it also lets you find music, video, movies and shows from around the web, and around the world. You can pretty much set-up the program to do anything you want and to supply any content you desire.
You can watch content from websites such as Hulu and Netflix, to YouTube. Find sources to watch the latest movies, TV seasons, sporting events and even adult content. We cover all the best add-ons to get your media center purring like a kitten.
Another good idea is to install XBMC and Openelec (a linux os) onto a usb stick and have a quick and easy media centre you can carry from one PC to another. We will add guides for this and installing XBMC, configuring, and the best add-ons available. If you buy the right media streamer, you can access all those great movies on your big screen TV without having to connect your PC and wait for boot-up. And for a fraction of the price of a computer.
As great as XBMC is, like other open source projects which can be modified by the community, it can confuse and frustrate, so we have provided a number of 'IDIOT GUIDES'. Pretty soon you will have all your media added, soon you will wonder how you lived without XBMC.
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Originally Posted by rumples
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