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| XBMC | |
|---|---|
| Name | XBMC |
| Developer | XBMC Foundation |
| Released | 2002 |
| Programming language | C++, Python |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Genre | Media center |
| License | GPL |
XBMC is a free and open-source media center application originally developed for digital media playback on personal computers and set-top devices. Begun as a project to create a unified media hub, XBMC evolved through contributions from hobbyists, independent developers, corporate partners, and international volunteers to support audio, video, image, and networked media. Over its lifespan XBMC intersected with many projects and technologies in media playback, graphical toolkits, and embedded systems.
XBMC originated from efforts to port media playback and user interface design from console and PC projects to household media centers, influenced by initiatives such as Xbox (console), Microsoft Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and communities around Dreamcast and GameCube. Early development involved contributors associated with forums and repositories like SourceForge and GitHub who adapted codecs from projects such as FFmpeg, libdvdcss, and LAME (software). The project attracted attention from magazines and conferences including Wired (magazine), CES, and FOSDEM while interacting with standards bodies like MPEG and organizations such as the Free Software Foundation and Open Source Initiative. Over time XBMC incorporated ports, plugins, and skins from developers engaged with Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenELEC, and vendors like Intel Corporation and Raspberry Pi Foundation.
XBMC provided modular media playback capabilities integrating libraries such as FFmpeg, GStreamer, OpenAL, libdvdnav, and libbluray. It supported formats standardized by ISO/IEC specifications and codecs used in projects like x264, x265, AC-3, and Vorbis. For image handling and presentation the software used toolkits and engines akin to OpenGL, Direct3D, and Mesa (computer graphics), enabling hardware acceleration on platforms utilizing NVIDIA, AMD, Intel GPUs and SoCs from Broadcom, Allwinner Technology, and ARM Holdings. Network features leveraged protocols from DLNA, UPnP, SMB/CIFS (used in Samba (software)), NFS, and streaming services inspired by Spotify, YouTube, and Netflix architectures. Metadata aggregation relied on scrapers referencing databases like The Movie Database, Gracenote, and MusicBrainz.
XBMC's architecture combined a core media engine written in C++ with an embedded scripting layer using Python (programming language) for extensions and add-ons. It interfaced with operating systems including Microsoft Windows, macOS, Android (operating system), iOS, Linux kernel, FreeBSD, and embedded distributions such as OpenELEC and LibreELEC. Build systems and continuous integration workflows used tools like CMake, Autotools, Jenkins, and Travis CI. Cross-compilation toolchains targeted devices like Raspberry Pi, Apple TV, NVIDIA Shield, and generic x86/x86-64 hardware, with packaging formats from RPM Package Manager to DEB (file format) and containerization using Docker.
The user interface combined 10-foot design principles popularized by TiVo and Windows Media Center with skinable layouts influenced by projects such as Confluence (software) and themes from GTK. Interaction modalities included traditional input from MCE remote control standards, infrared receivers using LIRC, smartphone control via UPnP and WebSocket implementations, and gamepad support from Xbox 360 Controller and PlayStation peripherals. Integration with home automation and smart-home ecosystems referenced protocols and platforms like Zigbee, Z-Wave, Home Assistant, OpenHAB, and voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant through community add-ons.
Development proceeded under the governance of a foundation-like structure with contributions coordinated through repositories and issue trackers on GitHub and mailing lists on Mailman. Contributors included independent developers, companies such as Intel Corporation and Raspberry Pi Foundation, and volunteers from communities around Slashdot, Reddit (website), Stack Overflow, and IRC. Localization and internationalization efforts tapped resources from Unicode Consortium standards and translation platforms similar to Transifex. Legal and licensing discussions invoked entities such as the Free Software Foundation, Open Source Initiative, and courts involved in multimedia litigation like cases referencing Digital Millennium Copyright Act interpretations.
Several notable forks and successor projects emerged, including projects that rebranded or refocused on embedded appliance use, collaboration with distributions like OpenELEC and LibreELEC, and commercial forks integrating with hardware by companies like Amazon (company) and Google LLC. Independent projects inspired by the codebase include media center ecosystems such as Plex, Kodi (software), OSMC, Emby, and comparative systems like MythTV, VLC media player, and XBMC4Xbox derivatives. Academic and hobbyist projects in embedded media referenced platforms like Yocto Project and Buildroot for custom appliance builds.
XBMC influenced consumer electronics, open-source media stacks, and user expectations shaped by devices from Apple Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Sony, and Netflix, Inc. Its ecosystem informed commercial offerings such as Plex, Roku, and streaming boxes by NVIDIA Corporation and Amazon Fire TV. Coverage appeared in outlets including The Verge, Engadget, Ars Technica, TechCrunch, and Wired (magazine), and it was discussed in academic venues addressing multimedia systems and human-computer interaction at conferences like ACM SIGGRAPH and ACM Multimedia. The project's code, forks, and community practices contributed to standards adoption in streaming and metadata, and influenced subsequent projects in digital living room technology and embedded Linux distributions.
Category:Free media players