Monday 17 October 2016

Why XBMC Streaming Media Boxes Are The Better Option

By Jessica Moore


Watching movies from your couch and at home has become a popular passtime for many. In this age, television and cable are starting to go down in ratings. This is due to the presence of the internet and other online channels that provide just as much entertainment that people used to get from primetime TV. Although this does not mean that cable is totally phased out, it just has a very powerful competitor.

Storage formats for files, movies and so on have evolves from VHS and cassette tapes to DVDs and really just storing them in a hard drive. The devices that play these things also change accordingly. Due to the trend of online sites that stream shows and require a monthly subscription, XBMC streaming media boxes are selling like hot potatoes.

Kodi, previously known as XBMC, is basically an open source software that is used by streaming boxes. These devices have different types of applications that help you access online channels. This can be attached to your home theater system to improve your viewing pleasure.

There may be some of these boxes that include piracy applications that could get you in trouble. These work great if you have a home theater or one spot at home where you prefer to lounge and watch movies or listen to music. There are many top rated boxes to choose from.

Most of these run on Quad core Central Processing Units, that come with at least 2 gb of RAM and internal hard drive storage capacities. Most of them come with different numbers of USB 3.0 ports so you can plug in external hard drives with your movies in them. Many of these boxes process 4k media too.

XBMC compared to its competitor, Plex, may be more difficult to use in terms of interface. You can be assured of infinite customizability though, which is something many users are after. Interface is really just something that you need to get used to along the way, once you do, everything should be comfortable enough to navigate through.

These boxes run with any type of operating system from IOS and windows to Linux, android and OSX. If you are a very tech oriented person then the XBMCbuntu will allow you to instal Linux and XBMC together. Since Kodi is open source there is no need to purchase. Although if you are going to use this with a MAC platform, your device might need jailbreaking.

Skins, add ons, plug ins and other downloadable features can be found online to customize your set. A wide range of support is available on the internet and there is even an wiki page that has all the instructions regarding installation, use and other in depth information. If you believe you can make something useful that can help your device through programming it yourself and check the source code on the mentioned wiki page.

The developers for this software even created a remote app that you can download on your android mobile for free. There is also a version for Apple users that they can download in the Istore for 3 dollars. You can also use you keyboard, mouse or media center remote if you do not plan on using your mobile.




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