The Raspberry Pi 3 is a solid starting point for a Kodi Box. With that said, choosing the right power supply and case are vital to ensuring that your Kodi box runs stable and reliably for the long run.Īll things considered, here's the setup we would recommend: So, what do I need?īuilding a Kodi box is neither difficult nor expensive as the platform is open-source, compatibility isn't a huge issue. However, the Kodi platform and the use of a Kodi box is completely legal. A fairly recent trend that caused this misconception was the sale of Kodi boxes preloaded with plugins that enabled free access to paid content on Amazon and eBay, causing the association of Kodi with piracy. There are a number of plugins and add-ons available which enable users to access paid content for free. These forks are often much lighter, boot directly into Kodi and are as fluid and intuitive as competing solutions, but at a lower cost. Kodi can run as an application within an operating system – however, in recent years, it's become more common to build a Kodi box using low powered hardware and run it inside a Linux fork optimised for Kodi.

It's cross-platform, so you're not stuck with the same SKU if a manufacturer refuses to update your deviceĪ Kodi box is, simply put, a media system built with the purpose of running Kodi.

It supports add-ons and plugins to add additional functionality, or widgets to provide additional information.

It supports skins to completely transform the UI.

However, as it's open source and pocuses on customisation, it has a degree of flexibility that you don't get with an Apple TV or other alternatives. It supports HD DVR, EMC and all the other features you expect from an STB or home media solution. It allows you to stream media from the web and through streaming services such as YouTube or BBC iPlayer, as well as from local and network storage.

Kodi (formerly known as the XBMC) is an open-source media centre software. Today, we'll take you through the steps required to get your own Kodi box up and running.

However, there is an alternative that's cheaper, more flexible, and definitely more fun. You go over to your friend's place and he's showing off his flashy new Apple TV, or Nvidia Shield TV, and won't let you hear the end of how it's a 'state of the art home media solution' which 'wipes the floor' with your good ol' Chromecast. Today, we'll walk you through exactly how to build a Smart TV box using Kodi and a Raspberry Pi Kodi Boxes are a cheaper, easier alternative to out-of-the-box Home Media solutions, and offer a number of advantages over them.

Usb tv stick on raspberry pi