Kodi
Xbox Media Center (a.k.a. XBMC, a.k.a. XboxMediaCenter) is a feature-rich open source and free media player/jukebox for the Xbox that many have called a killer app. Many people buy modified Xbox consoles solely as home entertainment systems because with XBMC it becomes a cheap multimedia player that is easy and and convenient to use.
XBMC is the successor to Xbox Media Player (XBMP). XBMC is a complete GUI and core rewrite of XBMP by the same developers, and was publicly announced in October 2003. Like XBMP, XBMC's media player code is based on the MPlayer source code, a mature cross-platform, open source media player that is known for playing propietry file formats without having to pay license fees.
XBMC takes full advantage of the Xbox's ethernet port, using the IMD to obtain pictures and reviews, and CDDB (via FreeDB) for Audio-CD track listings. It can also play files from a Windows share (SMB) (including ISO images of DVDs), stream iTunes shares, stream internet video streams, and play and record MP3 radio stations. XBMC also includes the option to submit music usage statistics to Audioscrobbler. XBMC even includes an XBL alternative (called XLink KAI).
XBMC supports Python scripts as plugins, so users can add functionality without an illegal copy of the XDK. Current scripts include services like TV, cinema and weather guides, scripts to control PVR software and hardware (MythTV, TiVo), radio station browsers, email clients, a game, P2P file sharing (BitTorrent, IRC, and FTP).
XBMC requires a modchip or software exploit to run, as it is not an authorised Microsoft product. XBMC can be run as an application, or a dashboard that appears when the Xbox is turned on. Also because XBMC is open source software program, it constantly undergoes minor to major changes (sometimes noted by the tags CVS}.
Legal
Although XBMC is licensed under the GNU General Public License, it is written for use with Microsoft's XDK and so is not legally available as an executable program. Users are encoraged to compile their own binaries using the XDK and the daily source code release, rather than downloading illegally released executables. The XBMC source code is however legal 'as is' and avilable for download on SourceForge.
Links
- XBMC home page
- XBMC mirror page
- XBMC download (FTP)
- XBMC community forums
- XBMC online Wiki manual
- XBMC SourceForge project
- What's Up With XBMC
- XBMC Plugin Scripts
- XBMC chat room (IRC)
- Review on tomshardware.com
- Review on tvharmony.com
- Review in Hardcore Gamer Magazine (Volume 1, Issue 3, August 2005)