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<section begin="intro" />XBMC needs a 3D capable GPU graphics hardware controller for all rendering. The required 3D GPU chips are common today in most modern computers, and even some set-top boxes. XBMC runs well on what (by Intel Atom standards) are relatively underpowered OpenGL 1.3 (with GLSL support), OpenGL ES 2.0 or Direct3D (DirectX) 9.0 capable systems that are IA-32/x86, x86-64, ARM, or PowerPC (G4 or later) CPU based.
{{mininav|[[General topics]]{{l2|[[Hardware]]}}|[[Installing]]}}
{{forum link2|1=Want to discuss or ask about what hardware is good for Kodi? Check out the [http://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=112 Hardware for Kodi subforum]}}
<section begin="intro" />Kodi is officially supported on a number of operating systems and hardware devices that are designed to be connected directly to a TV. Kodi runs well on what are relatively "underpowered" systems, thanks to hardware video decoding being common on nearly all supported platforms. These requirements don't include what might be required for some "advanced" features, such as PVR, which might require additional hardware. <section end="intro" />




When software decoding of a Full HD 1080p high-definition video is performed by the system CPU, a dual-core 2 GHz or better CPU is required in order to allow for perfectly smooth playback without dropping frames or giving playback a jerky appearance. XBMC can however offload most of the video decoding process onto GPU graphics hardware controller that supports one of the following types of hardware-accelerated video decoding: Intel's VAAPI, Nvidia's VDPAU, AMD's XvBA, Microsoft's DXVA, Apple's VDADecoder/VideoToolBox, OpenMAX, and Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Media Accelerator. By taking advantage of such hardware-accelerated video decoding, XBMC can run well on most inexpensive, low-power systems which contain a modern GPU.<section end="intro" />
== Android ==
{{see also|Android|Android hardware}}
<section begin="Android" />{{Warning|It is highly recommended for users to not make any hardware purchases in anticipation of running Kodi on Android without first researching the device you want to buy. Before you do buy, make sure multiple people have verified that it works! <big><u>'''''If in doubt, do not buy any hardware!'''''</u></big>}}
* Kodi v17 and later requires Android 5.0 or higher.
* x86 (Intel) or a NEON-compatible ARM-processor, (for example: Nvidia Tegra 3 and newer are fully supported by Kodi, while Tegra 2 and older are not).
* The main aim for the Android port of Kodi is to foremost target media-players/set-top-boxes/sticks that connect to a large screen television and uses a standard remote control as its main interface device, (that is the same market as for HTPC).<section end="Android" />
* Android TV 11 or higher to allow Kodi access to local files you need to manually set files permissions. On Android TV go to "Settings -> Apps - Kodi -> Permissions -> Files and Media" and select "Allow all the time".


{{forum link2|A great place to discuss and ask about what hardware is good for XBMC is the [[forumtopic:112|Hardware for XBMC subforum]]}}
== iOS and iPadOS ==
{{see also|iOS}}
<section begin="iOS" />
*To '''[[HOW-TO:Install Kodi for iOS|install Kodi for iOS/iPadOS]]''' you must have one of the following:
** a jailbroken [[w:iDevice|iDevice]] running iOS 6.0 or higher, though iOS 8.0 or higher is recommended
** a normal iDevice running iOS 6.0 or higher and a Mac running Xcode 7 and higher
* For hardware: iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.<section end="iOS" />


=Supported hardware by OS=
== tvOS ==
{{see also|tvOS}}
<section begin="tvOS" />
=== Apple TV 2 ===
<section begin="Apple TV 2" />* As of v15.0, Kodi no longer supports the Apple TV 2.<section end="Apple TV 2" />


==iOS==
=== Apple TV 3 ===
{{see also|iOS FAQ}}
<section begin="Apple TV 3" />* Kodi is not supported on Apple TV 3 because there is no jailbreak for this device and it's impossible to sideload an application on it.<section end="Apple TV 3" />
===ATV2===
<section begin="ATV2" />
*If you have a [[forum:99315|jailbroken]] [[Apple TV 2]] running [[w:IOS version history#Version history: Apple TV (2nd generation) onwards|versions 4.1 to 4.4.4]] then use '''[[HOW-TO:Install XBMC on Apple TV 2#ATV 4.x|these instructions]]'''
*If you have a [[forum:99315|jailbroken]] [[Apple TV 2]] running [[w:IOS version history#Version history: Apple TV (2nd generation) onwards|versions 5.0 and up]] then use '''[[HOW-TO:Install XBMC on Apple TV 2#ATV 5.x|these instructions]]'''
*If you haven't updated your ATV, it is highly recommended to stay on ATV software version on or before 4.3 due to 4.3 being more efficient and giving XBMC more system resources.
*Look [[IOS FAQ#ATV2 version|here]] to find out which version you are currently running.<section end="ATV2" />
===iDevices===
<section begin=iDevices />*To '''[[HOW-TO:Install XBMC on iPad/iPhone/iPod touch|install XBMC for iOS]]''' you must have a jailbroken [[w:iDevice|iDevice]] running iOS 4.x or higher.
*For hardware: iPad 1, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch 3rd gen (16GB and 32GB models only), iPod touch 4th gen.<section end=iDevices />


==Linux==
=== Apple TV 4 and 5 (HD and 4K) ===
{{See also|Linux FAQ}}
<section begin="ATV4" />* Apple TV 4 and 5 (also called Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K) are supported by Kodi. For step by step Installation guide, follow '''[[HOW-TO:Install Kodi on Apple TV 4 and 5 (HD and 4K)|HOW-TO:Install Kodi on Apple TV 4 and 5 (HD and 4K)]]'''.<section end="ATV4" /><section end="tvOS" />
===Desktop===
<section begin="Linux" />{{cleanup}}
* x86 (Intel/AMD-based) processor computer capable of booting to CD-ROM.
** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_4 Intel Pentium 4], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_M Intel Pentium M], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athlon_64 AMD Athlon XP/64], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opteron AMD Opteron], or newer CPU (that support [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streaming_SIMD_Extensions SSE]).
** Fast modern dual-core processor is required to decode H.264 videos in FullHD (1080p) unless you have hardware video decoding (see GPU requirements below).
:** For clarification; XBMC for Linux does not work on the Xbox game-console.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radeon ATI/AMD], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_GMA Intel], or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce NVIDIA] (recommended) graphic controller which supports [[XBMC for Linux specific FAQ|OpenGL 2.0 or later]].
** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radeon ATI Radeon R420 (X800)] or newer supported, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radeon ATI Radeon R700 (HD 4000)] or newer recommended.
** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_GMA Intel GMA 950 (945G)] or newer supported, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_GMA Intel GMA X4500HD (G45)] or newer recommended.
** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce NVIDIA GeForce 6-Series] and newer supported, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce GeForce 8-Series] and newer recommended.<section end="Linux" />


===ARM/embedded===
== Linux ==
{{incomplete}}
{{See also|Linux}}


==Mac OS X==
=== Desktop ===
{{see also|Mac FAQ}}
<section begin="Linux" />
<section begin="Mac OS X" />*XBMC v11 runs on Mac OS X 10.4.x (Tiger) and later on both Intel and PPC Macs (G4 and above), as well as the [[Apple TV 1]] (silver). [[Apple TV 2]] (black) does not run XBMC for Mac, it runs [[XBMC for iOS specific FAQ|XBMC for iOS]].
{| class="prettytable" style="background-color:#FFFFFF;"
*XBMC v12 and [[nightly builds]] and up will require Mac OS X 10.6 and only run on Intel Macs. For the Apple TV 1 you will need to use a [[HOW-TO:Install XBMC on Apple TV 1 (Linux)|Linux-based OS]] to run XBMC v12 and nightly builds.<section end="Mac OS X" />
! CPU
| x86 or x86-64 processor such as: Intel Pentium 4/ Pentium M, AMD Athlon 64 / Opteron, or newer CPU (that support [[w:Streaming SIMD Extensions|SSE2]], which all CPUs made within the last 10-years does).
* If your GPU/VPU does not support hardware video decoding then you will require a fast modern processor is required to decode some 1080p videos encoded in H.264, VC-1/WMV9, HEVC/H.265 VP9, etc
|-
! RAM
|
* '''Recommended:''' 1GB or more in a HTPC media player appliance-like computer dedicated for Kodi, and 2GB or more in a computer for multipurpose use.
|-
! Graphics
|
Kodi will run on most graphics cards made within the last 10-years or so, though for good hardware video decoding support a little newer graphics cards can be required. This includes most cards from AMD/ATI, Intel, or NVIDIA which support OpenGL 2.0 or later.


==Windows==
'''AMD/Intel'''
{{See also|Windows FAQ}}
* '''Minimum:''' [[w:Mesa_(computer_graphics)|Mesa 11.3]] or later
<section begin="Windows" />* OS minimum supported: Windows XP with Service Pack 3.
* '''Recommended:'''  [[w:Mesa_(computer_graphics)|Mesa 17.1]] or later (required for 10 bit HEVC)
* OS recommended: Windows 7, which is required for hardware video decoding.
|-
* ''Windows Home Server and Windows Server are not supported but have been reported to work with some tweaks.''
! Video decoding
*For end-users the recommended minimum requirement is a [[w:X86|x86-based computer]], with a Graphic adapter that supports [[w:DirectX|DirectX version 9.0c]].
| For hardware video decoding, which may be necessary on low-performance CPUs to playback 1080p content, make sure your GPU or VPU supports either VAAPI or VDPAU. For everything but older AMD cards and Nvidia, VAAPI is recommended. On AMD, you might have to start with the environment variable <code>KODI_GL_INTERFACE</code> set to <code>GLX</code> in order to get VDPAU support.
* x86 (Intel/AMD-based) processor with [[w:Streaming SIMD Extensions|SSE]] support.
** [[w:Pentium 4|Intel Pentium 4]], [[w:Pentium M|Intel Pentium M]], [[w:Intel Atom|Intel Atom]] or better CPU.
** [[w:Athlon 64|AMD Athlon XP/64]], [[w:Opteron|AMD Opteron]], or better CPU.
** Fast modern (last few years) dual-core processor is required to decode H.264 videos in FullHD (1080p) without the assistance of a hardware video decoder.
* [[w:Radeon|ATI/AMD]], [[w:Intel GMA|Intel]], or [[w:GeForce|NVIDIA]] graphic controller.
** ATI Radeon R420 (X800) or newer supported, ATI Radeon R700 (HD 4000) or newer recommended.
** Intel GMA 950 (945G) or newer supported, Intel GMA X4500HD (G45) or newer recommended.
** NVIDIA GeForce 6-Series and newer supported, GeForce 8-Series and newer recommended.<section end="Windows" />


[[Category:XBMC Manual]]
{| class="datatable" width="100%"
! !! ATI/AMD ( [[w:Video Acceleration API|VA-API]] 2.0.0 or [[w:VDPAU|VDPAU]] ) !! Intel ( [[w:Video Acceleration API|VA-API]] 1.7.1 ) !! Nvidia ( [[w:VDPAU|VDPAU]] )
|-
| '''Minimum without HW decoding:''' || [[w:Radeon|ATI Radeon RV710/M92 (HD 4300/4500)]] [[w:Unified Video Decoder#UVD enabled GPUs|Note: These are uvd2.2 cards]] || [[w:Intel HD and Iris Graphics| Arrandale / Clarkdale]] or newer || [[w:GeForce|Nvidia GeForce 6-Series]]
|-
| '''Minimum for HW decoding of 8-bit H.264 and VC-1:''' || [[w:Radeon HD 5000 series|Radeon HD 5000 series]] or newer || [[w:Sandy Bridge|Sandy Bridge]] / [[w:Silvermont|Silvermont]] or newer || [[w:GeForce 8 series|GeForce 8 series]] or newer <small>(released 2006)</small>
|-
| '''Minimum for HW decoding of 8-bit HEVC (H.265):''' || [[w:AMD_Radeon_Rx_300_series|AMD Radeon Rx 300 series]] or newer || [[w:Intel HD and Iris Graphics| Braswell / Skylake]] or newer || [[w:GeForce|Nvidia GeForce 900 series (GM20x)]] or newer
|-
| '''Minimum for HW decoding of 10-bit HEVC (H.265):''' || [[w:AMD_Radeon_400_series|AMD Radeon 400 series]] or newer || [[w:Intel_HD_and_Iris_Graphic| Apollo Lake / Kaby Lake]] or newer || Not available
|-
| '''Minimum for HW decoding of VP9:''' || Stoney Ridge [[w:AMD_Accelerated_Processing_Unit|APU]] or newer; not available for desktop GPUs at the moment || [[w:Intel_HD_and_Iris_Graphic| Apollo Lake / Kaby Lake]] or newer || Not available
|}
|-
! Drive space
| The Kodi application generally only takes up between 100 to 200 MB of space, depending on how the binary is compiled. Technically speaking, if your hardware supports netbooting, you do not even require a internal storage for either the operating-system or for Kodi.
* '''Minimum:''' 4 to 8GB
* '''Recommended:''' 16GB or more
: Depending on how big your video library is. Most of the space required for Kodi comes from the images/artwork cache.
|}
 
{{note|There´s no 304.xxx driver for Ubuntu 18.04 available anymore from the "Graphic Drivers"-ppa. Users who are using GeForce 6-series cards should either stay on an older Ubuntu version or use newer cards}}
<section end="Linux" />
 
=== Embedded systems (ARM/MIPS-based hardware) ===
Other than OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics support being a must it is very hard to generalize Kodi hardware requirements for Linux-based operating-system distributions on ARM or MIPS based embedded systems. This is partially due to most of the work in this area still being early/on-going in development. For most ARM and MIPS-based devices, hardware video decoding support will also be needed for most high-definition videos, (and possibly even some standard-definition videos). Some newer and faster high-end ARM/MIPS chipset can decode some high-definition video using software video decoding, but those encoded with the latest video codecs.
 
'''Here are a few popular embedded hardware devices that are known to work with Kodi and Linux:'''
 
* '''[[Raspberry Pi]]''' - Hardware video decoding support for H.264, MPEG-2, and VC-1. GUI is responsive on most light skins. Official supported by many third-party JeOS (Just enough Operating System) Linux distributions made for Kodi such as [[LibreELEC]], GeeXboX, XBian, and [[OSMC]]
* '''SolidRun_CuBox-i''' - Official supported by [[LibreELEC]], GeeXboX and XBian
* '''Various "Android" boxes''' - can run reinstalled with a Linux firmware and boot directly into Kodi. Hardware video decoding for most video codecs, GUI is very responsive on most skins. Running Linux and Kodi on these "Android boxes" will likely result in better performance and enhanced playback capabilities than running Kodi under Android.
 
=== JeOS implementations for Kodi ===
{{main|JeOS implementations for Kodi}}
{{#lst:JeOS implementations for Kodi|JeOS for Kodi}}
 
=== WebOS ===
{{see also|HOW-TO:Install Kodi for webOS}}
Initial support for WebOS was implemented in version 21.0a1-Omega (Apr 17, 2023).
 
== Mac OS X ==
{{see also|Mac OS X}}
<section begin="Mac OS X" />
*Kodi v17 requires Mac OS X 10.8 or later.
*Kodi v18 (and its nightlies) will at least require 10.9)
*Kodi v20 and above requires an Intel Mac running OS X 10.13 or higher.<section end="Mac OS X" />
 
== Windows ==
{{See also|Windows}}
{{Note|Due to changes in code it may be possible that older hardware/videocards are no longer supported. If starting of Kodi fails then try upgrading to last available drivers (or beta drivers).}}
<section begin="Windows" />
{| class="prettytable" style="background-color:#FFFFFF;"
! Windows Version
|
* '''Minimum:''' Windows 7
* '''Recommended:''' Windows 10
|-
! CPU
| x86 or x86-64 processor such as: Intel Pentium 4/ Pentium M, AMD Athlon 64 / Opteron, or newer CPU (that support [[w:Streaming SIMD Extensions|SSE2]], which all CPUs made within the last 10-years does).
* If your GPU/VPU does not support hardware video decoding then you will require a fast modern processor is required to decode some 1080p videos encoded in H.264, VC-1/WMV9, HEVC/H.265 VP9, etc
|-
! RAM
|
* '''Recommended:''' 1GB or more in a HTPC media player appliance-like computer dedicated for Kodi, and 2GB or more in a computer for multipurpose use.
|-
! Graphics
|
GPU hardware must support at least level [[w:DirectX|DirectX version 9.0c]] however the GPU software drivers must support the [[w:Feature_levels_in_Direct3D#Direct3D_11| DirectX 11 Feature Level 9.1]] (which means the DX11 API has been implemented in the GPU software driver to be compatible with DX9 hardware)
|-
! Video decoding
| On low-performance CPUs to playback 1080p content then hardware video decoding maybe necessary.
{| class="datatable" width="100%"
! !! AMD/ATI !! Intel !! Nvidia
|-
| '''Minimum without HW decoding:''' || [[w:Radeon|ATI Radeon R300 Series (Radeon 9500)]] || [[w:Intel HD and Iris Graphics| Arrandale / Clarkdale]] or newer || [[w:GeForce|Nvidia GeForce 4-Series]]
|-
| '''Minimum for HW decoding of 8-bit H.264 and VC-1:''' || [[w:Radeon| AMD/ATI Radeon HD 3000 Series ]] or newer || [[w:Intel HD and Iris Graphics| Bay Trail /Sandybridge]] or newer || [[w:GeForce|Nvidia GeForce 4-Series]] or newer
|-
| '''Minimum for HW decoding of 8-bit HEVC (H.265) and VP9:''' || [[w:Radeon|AMD Radeon RX 300 series]] or newer || [[w:Intel HD and Iris Graphics| Braswell / Skylake]] or newer || [[w:GeForce|Nvidia GeForce 8-Series]] or newer
|-
| '''Minimum for HW decoding of 10-bit HEVC (H.265) and VP9:''' || [[w:Radeon|AMD Radeon 400 series]] or newer || [[w:Intel_HD_and_Iris_Graphic| Apollo Lake / Kaby Lake]] or newer || [[w:GeForce|Nvidia GeForce 8-Series]] or newer
|}
|-
! Drive space
| The Kodi application generally only takes up between 100 to 200 MB of space, depending on how the binary is compiled. Technically speaking, if your hardware supports netbooting, you do not even require a internal storage for either the operating-system or for Kodi.
* '''Minimum:''' 4 to 8GB
* '''Recommended:''' 16GB or more
: Depending on how big your video library is. Most of the space required for Kodi comes from the images/artwork cache.
|}<section end="Windows" />
 
{{Updated|17}}
 
[[Category:Manual]]
[[Category:Hardware|*]]
[[Category:Hardware|*]]
[[Category:Installation]]
[[Category:General topics]]

Latest revision as of 01:32, 8 January 2024

Home icon grey.png   ▶ General topics
▶ Hardware
▶ Installing ▶ Supported hardware
Attention talk.png Want to discuss or ask about what hardware is good for Kodi? Check out the Hardware for Kodi subforum

Kodi is officially supported on a number of operating systems and hardware devices that are designed to be connected directly to a TV. Kodi runs well on what are relatively "underpowered" systems, thanks to hardware video decoding being common on nearly all supported platforms. These requirements don't include what might be required for some "advanced" features, such as PVR, which might require additional hardware.


Android

Stop hand.png It is highly recommended for users to not make any hardware purchases in anticipation of running Kodi on Android without first researching the device you want to buy. Before you do buy, make sure multiple people have verified that it works! If in doubt, do not buy any hardware!
  • Kodi v17 and later requires Android 5.0 or higher.
  • x86 (Intel) or a NEON-compatible ARM-processor, (for example: Nvidia Tegra 3 and newer are fully supported by Kodi, while Tegra 2 and older are not).
  • The main aim for the Android port of Kodi is to foremost target media-players/set-top-boxes/sticks that connect to a large screen television and uses a standard remote control as its main interface device, (that is the same market as for HTPC).
  • Android TV 11 or higher to allow Kodi access to local files you need to manually set files permissions. On Android TV go to "Settings -> Apps - Kodi -> Permissions -> Files and Media" and select "Allow all the time".

iOS and iPadOS

  • To install Kodi for iOS/iPadOS you must have one of the following:
    • a jailbroken iDevice running iOS 6.0 or higher, though iOS 8.0 or higher is recommended
    • a normal iDevice running iOS 6.0 or higher and a Mac running Xcode 7 and higher
  • For hardware: iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

tvOS

Apple TV 2

  • As of v15.0, Kodi no longer supports the Apple TV 2.

Apple TV 3

  • Kodi is not supported on Apple TV 3 because there is no jailbreak for this device and it's impossible to sideload an application on it.

Apple TV 4 and 5 (HD and 4K)

Linux

Desktop

CPU x86 or x86-64 processor such as: Intel Pentium 4/ Pentium M, AMD Athlon 64 / Opteron, or newer CPU (that support SSE2, which all CPUs made within the last 10-years does).
  • If your GPU/VPU does not support hardware video decoding then you will require a fast modern processor is required to decode some 1080p videos encoded in H.264, VC-1/WMV9, HEVC/H.265 VP9, etc
RAM
  • Recommended: 1GB or more in a HTPC media player appliance-like computer dedicated for Kodi, and 2GB or more in a computer for multipurpose use.
Graphics

Kodi will run on most graphics cards made within the last 10-years or so, though for good hardware video decoding support a little newer graphics cards can be required. This includes most cards from AMD/ATI, Intel, or NVIDIA which support OpenGL 2.0 or later.

AMD/Intel

Video decoding For hardware video decoding, which may be necessary on low-performance CPUs to playback 1080p content, make sure your GPU or VPU supports either VAAPI or VDPAU. For everything but older AMD cards and Nvidia, VAAPI is recommended. On AMD, you might have to start with the environment variable KODI_GL_INTERFACE set to GLX in order to get VDPAU support.
ATI/AMD ( VA-API 2.0.0 or VDPAU ) Intel ( VA-API 1.7.1 ) Nvidia ( VDPAU )
Minimum without HW decoding: ATI Radeon RV710/M92 (HD 4300/4500) Note: These are uvd2.2 cards Arrandale / Clarkdale or newer Nvidia GeForce 6-Series
Minimum for HW decoding of 8-bit H.264 and VC-1: Radeon HD 5000 series or newer Sandy Bridge / Silvermont or newer GeForce 8 series or newer (released 2006)
Minimum for HW decoding of 8-bit HEVC (H.265): AMD Radeon Rx 300 series or newer Braswell / Skylake or newer Nvidia GeForce 900 series (GM20x) or newer
Minimum for HW decoding of 10-bit HEVC (H.265): AMD Radeon 400 series or newer Apollo Lake / Kaby Lake or newer Not available
Minimum for HW decoding of VP9: Stoney Ridge APU or newer; not available for desktop GPUs at the moment Apollo Lake / Kaby Lake or newer Not available
Drive space The Kodi application generally only takes up between 100 to 200 MB of space, depending on how the binary is compiled. Technically speaking, if your hardware supports netbooting, you do not even require a internal storage for either the operating-system or for Kodi.
  • Minimum: 4 to 8GB
  • Recommended: 16GB or more
Depending on how big your video library is. Most of the space required for Kodi comes from the images/artwork cache.

Note: There´s no 304.xxx driver for Ubuntu 18.04 available anymore from the "Graphic Drivers"-ppa. Users who are using GeForce 6-series cards should either stay on an older Ubuntu version or use newer cards


Embedded systems (ARM/MIPS-based hardware)

Other than OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics support being a must it is very hard to generalize Kodi hardware requirements for Linux-based operating-system distributions on ARM or MIPS based embedded systems. This is partially due to most of the work in this area still being early/on-going in development. For most ARM and MIPS-based devices, hardware video decoding support will also be needed for most high-definition videos, (and possibly even some standard-definition videos). Some newer and faster high-end ARM/MIPS chipset can decode some high-definition video using software video decoding, but those encoded with the latest video codecs.

Here are a few popular embedded hardware devices that are known to work with Kodi and Linux:

  • Raspberry Pi - Hardware video decoding support for H.264, MPEG-2, and VC-1. GUI is responsive on most light skins. Official supported by many third-party JeOS (Just enough Operating System) Linux distributions made for Kodi such as LibreELEC, GeeXboX, XBian, and OSMC
  • SolidRun_CuBox-i - Official supported by LibreELEC, GeeXboX and XBian
  • Various "Android" boxes - can run reinstalled with a Linux firmware and boot directly into Kodi. Hardware video decoding for most video codecs, GUI is very responsive on most skins. Running Linux and Kodi on these "Android boxes" will likely result in better performance and enhanced playback capabilities than running Kodi under Android.

JeOS implementations for Kodi

JeOS is the abbreviation (pronounced: Juice) for "Just Enough Operating System" as it applies to software appliances and embedded operating system are very easy too install and use implementations of Kodi for appliance usage on dedicated devices. Hiding a powerful combination of a Kodi and an almost hidden operating system for bare metal installation, a good JeOS implementation can make Kodi installation look, feel, and act just as any commercial set-top box or professional Smart TV media player, with many even offering automatic OTA (Over The Air) updates.

There are several of these JeOS (Just enough Operating System) Linux distributions out there made by third-parties that are specifically designed to make Kodi into an software appliance, these include LibreELEC, OSMC, GeeXboX, XBian, Buildroot, and a few more.

These JeOS implementations for Kodi are all separate independent projects on their own, all aiming to provide the best complete media center software suite. These include a pre-configured version of Kodi and some pre-installed third-party addons/plugins as well as various custimizations or special extensions. Most of these JeOS implementations are extremely small and very fast booting Linux-based distribution, that are primarily designed to be booted from USB flash memory or a solid-state drive. JoOS are usually highly optimized distrobutions that takes it a step father and specifically targeted minimum set-top box / Smart TV appliance or single-board computer hardware setup based on low-power ARM SoC or Intel x86 processor mini-computers.

WebOS

Initial support for WebOS was implemented in version 21.0a1-Omega (Apr 17, 2023).

Mac OS X

  • Kodi v17 requires Mac OS X 10.8 or later.
  • Kodi v18 (and its nightlies) will at least require 10.9)
  • Kodi v20 and above requires an Intel Mac running OS X 10.13 or higher.

Windows

Note: Due to changes in code it may be possible that older hardware/videocards are no longer supported. If starting of Kodi fails then try upgrading to last available drivers (or beta drivers).

Windows Version
  • Minimum: Windows 7
  • Recommended: Windows 10
CPU x86 or x86-64 processor such as: Intel Pentium 4/ Pentium M, AMD Athlon 64 / Opteron, or newer CPU (that support SSE2, which all CPUs made within the last 10-years does).
  • If your GPU/VPU does not support hardware video decoding then you will require a fast modern processor is required to decode some 1080p videos encoded in H.264, VC-1/WMV9, HEVC/H.265 VP9, etc
RAM
  • Recommended: 1GB or more in a HTPC media player appliance-like computer dedicated for Kodi, and 2GB or more in a computer for multipurpose use.
Graphics

GPU hardware must support at least level DirectX version 9.0c however the GPU software drivers must support the DirectX 11 Feature Level 9.1 (which means the DX11 API has been implemented in the GPU software driver to be compatible with DX9 hardware)

Video decoding On low-performance CPUs to playback 1080p content then hardware video decoding maybe necessary.
AMD/ATI Intel Nvidia
Minimum without HW decoding: ATI Radeon R300 Series (Radeon 9500) Arrandale / Clarkdale or newer Nvidia GeForce 4-Series
Minimum for HW decoding of 8-bit H.264 and VC-1: AMD/ATI Radeon HD 3000 Series or newer Bay Trail /Sandybridge or newer Nvidia GeForce 4-Series or newer
Minimum for HW decoding of 8-bit HEVC (H.265) and VP9: AMD Radeon RX 300 series or newer Braswell / Skylake or newer Nvidia GeForce 8-Series or newer
Minimum for HW decoding of 10-bit HEVC (H.265) and VP9: AMD Radeon 400 series or newer Apollo Lake / Kaby Lake or newer Nvidia GeForce 8-Series or newer
Drive space The Kodi application generally only takes up between 100 to 200 MB of space, depending on how the binary is compiled. Technically speaking, if your hardware supports netbooting, you do not even require a internal storage for either the operating-system or for Kodi.
  • Minimum: 4 to 8GB
  • Recommended: 16GB or more
Depending on how big your video library is. Most of the space required for Kodi comes from the images/artwork cache.