Kodi

Kodi is a free and open-source media player and entertainment hub. It is cross-platform, running on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and various embedded devices, including Raspberry Pi. The project is maintained by the Kodi Foundation and was formerly known as XBMC (Xbox Media Center).

Kodi provides a centralized library for organizing and playing local media such as videos, music, and photos, as well as media from network shares and internet streams. It supports a wide range of formats and codecs and can play back content from local disks, home servers, or network protocols. The software can be extended with add-ons, most of which are community-developed, to provide streaming services, metadata sources, and additional features. A skin system allows users to customize the user interface, and mobile or remote apps can be used to control playback.

The architecture is modular and pluggable. The core handles playback and library management, while add-ons written in Python provide extra functionality. Kodi can manage metadata and artwork automatically through scrapers, and its library can be stored in SQLite or synchronized with a MySQL backend for multi-user setups. It also supports PVR backends for live television and DVR.

History and governance: Kodi originated as Xbox Media Center for the original Xbox and later expanded to other platforms, undergoing a rebranding to Kodi in 2014 due to trademark considerations. It is developed by a global community under the auspices of the Kodi Foundation. The project itself does not host content; it provides tools to access media, with legality and usage depending on the source of streams and local laws.