Kodi

Kodi is a full media center built to run on your TV, turning any compatible device into an entertainment hub. It handles virtually every media type you own: movies, TV shows, music, photos, and even games. The interface is designed for big screens and remote controls, not mice, making it a natural fit for living room setups.

At its core, Kodi is a local media organizer. Point it at your collection and it pulls in artwork, cast info, genres, and episode details automatically. Your movie shelf becomes a browsable library. TV shows stay organized by season and episode. Music gets proper album art and playlist support, including party shuffle modes.

Beyond stored media, Kodi supports live TV and PVR recording through popular backends like Jellyfin, MythTV, Tvheadend, NextPVR, and MediaPortal. You can watch and record live broadcasts without leaving the interface.

Key capabilities include:

• Music playback with broad format support, playlists, and party mix modes
• Movie and TV libraries with automatic metadata, artwork, and cast info
• Photo slideshows displayed on your main screen
• Live TV and PVR recording via multiple backend integrations
• Game emulation with support for a wide range of emulators and game controllers
• Add-on ecosystem built and maintained by the community

Kodi sits in a different category from media server tools like Emby or Plex. Those are built around streaming to clients; Kodi is the client itself, running directly on the playback device. It can, however, connect to various backends and network sources.

It's entirely community-built and free, with no subscription tiers or feature paywalls. Everything it does is available out of the box.