Install Kodi to turn Raspberry Pi into media center at home

You need a media center solution and you've heard about Kodi. Is it suitable? Can you install it on your Raspberry Pi? And once you have done that, how do you turn it into the best media center in the world? Today's article will show you how to install Kodi to turn Raspberry Pi into media center at home.

Hardware for Raspberry Pi media center

You won't need too much to start building media center with Kodi and Raspberry Pi. But if you want to improve the experience, there are a few things you can add to the basic setup.

Basic setup

You may already have a Raspberry Pi or are planning to buy one. At a minimum, you will need:

1. Raspberry Pi Model B + or newer.
2. Optional USB Wi-Fi dongle for pre-Raspberry Pi 3 devices.
3. HDMI cable.
4. USB 2A power adapter or specific Raspberry Pi feed.
5. MicroSD card (8GB or more recommended).

As long as you have a computer to download your favorite operating system, and then write to the microSD card, you will be ready to take the next steps.

How to install Kodi on Raspberry Pi

There are two options for installing Kodi on your Pi.

Installation of Kodi standard

If you are running Raspbian Jessie on the Raspberry Pi (or any Linux operating system compatible with any other Raspberry Pi), you can easily install Kodi easily via the command line.

With the Raspberry Pi set up, just open a terminal window and enter:

 sudo apt-get install kodi 

When this is done, you need to edit the configuration file to make sure the media center software automatically loads, whenever you start the Raspberry Pi.

 sudo nano / etc / default / kodi 

Change ENABLED settings to 1 :

 ENABLED = 1 

Press Ctrl + Z to exit and make sure you save the changes.

If not, you can run Kodi with one click from the desktop or with a single command in the terminal:

 kodi 

Everything will go well!

Install the operating system for media center

It would be better to use the option to have a dedicated Raspberry Pi run an optimized version of Kodi. In this way, it will automatically boot into the media center software.

You have two main options here: OpenElec and OSMC.

To use OpenElec, you can download the operating system from openelec.tv or use the NOOBS software to select it from the list (see picture below). OSMC can also be installed via NOOBS or you can download it from www.osmc.tv.

Manual installation will require you to format the microSD memory card first, then copy the extracted download to the card using the dedicated SD card recording software. Suppose you are using Windows for this, so you will need to download SD Card Formatter from the SD Association and Win32DiskImager from SourceForge.

With the SD card installed on your computer's card reader, run SD Card Formatter, select the correct drive letter (confirm this in Windows Explorer) and select Option. Here, select Full (Erase) and On, then click OK. When done, click Format.

When the SD card is formatted, exit SD Card Formatter and load the Win32DiskImager. Again, select the correct drive letter, then browse to the downloaded image file (from the OSMC website or from the OpenElec website). Click Write to start recording and wait until it is completed.

Remove the SD card then insert into the Raspberry Pi. The next time you start, Kodi will be ready to use!

See instructions for installing the Raspberry Pi operating system on a microSD card for more details about the process, if you have trouble.

Remote controller

Having a USB keyboard to use is always a good idea, since you only need to plug it in to be able to navigate the Kodi user interface. Most Kodi shortcuts work on Raspberry Pi. If you are using a built-in Bluetooth Raspberry Pi 3 or have a compatible Bluetooth USB dongle for your device, or Bluetooth keyboard, they will also be very helpful.

However, you have another option, some mobile device apps are available for iOS and Android, which can control media center over the network. On iOS, search for Official Kodi Remote in the App Store, while on Android, look for Kore by the XBMC Foundation.

After installation, these applications will automatically detect your Kodi settings, provided they are connected to the same home network with Raspberry Pi.

You also have different options for additional hardware that you can add to the media center Kodi on your Raspberry Pi. These include adding an audio module, or even an IR receiver for use with physical remote controls.

Take the media center Kodi on the Raspberry Pi to a new level

At this point, you have everything you need to enjoy your media center Kodi. But you can go further. With the right hardware and peripherals, you can make the media center on the small, admirable Raspberry Pi in the eyes of friends and family.

Using Raspberry Pi 3

Perhaps the most obvious option is to use Raspberry Pi 3 instead of B + or Raspberry Pi 2. If you are using Pi 3 (or a newer version), you will get outstanding performance from Kodi, OSMC or OpenElec .

Using Ethernet, don't use Wi-Fi

Raspberry Pi 3 is proposed to use, but this is really for performance reasons, not anything else. When the Raspberry Pi 3 is equipped with an integrated wireless dongle (and Bluetooth), you can use it freely. If your Pi is near the router and has strong signals, then this should be fine, but for the best results - especially when streaming HD content - you should rely on Ethernet cables. This means using powerline adapters. The important thing here is to get the best picture and sound quality possible, so use any useful device.

Sound

By default, you will receive an audio signal via HDMI and if you have an AV receiver, you will receive surround digital audio signals via HDMI available in your media. If for some reason you have to use a 3.5mm stereo socket, you may find the sound quality very bad. To improve this, you will need some kind of external audio module. There are many options compatible with USB, but in general, these options are not reliable or inconsistent. Instead, you should consider the HAT standard HiFiBerry.com range.

IR remote control

As mentioned above, remote-controlled mobile applications can apply to any Kodi device, but if you're leaning towards dedicated remote control hardware, you'll need an IR receiver. on Raspberry Pi.

Some of these devices are available, USB or something directly connected to the Raspberry Pi board. All are equipped with remote controls, allowing you to easily navigate the home theater on your Kodi. Note that for normal searches and adding third-party repositories, you will need a keyboard or at least one keypad.

Only install the add-ons you need

Finally, you need to know about the add-ons available to Kodi and which additional utilities you will use. With so many add-ons to choose from (official and third party), you should have a moderate set of options. The more add-ons you choose, the more updates you need and this will slow down your Kodi experience.

Although there is currently no Amazon Instant Video / Prime add-on, you can find options for other popular services like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Spotify and even BBC iPlayer (although you will need to a VPN if you don't live in the UK). Other add-ons can also be found in additional archives like TED Talks, YouTube channels, and podcasts. It is best to research what you want first, to avoid taking too long to browse the endless list.

Installation is not so easy, but it is certainly not too complicated and can be completed within an hour. Once Kodi is set up in your living room or bedroom, you will be able to enjoy a variety of additional utility options for entertainment, with some hardware enhancements, tiny Raspberry Pi will be able to create Equivalent results with other media center hardware cost ten times!

Do you use Raspberry Pi to run Kodi? What do you think of it? What do you see its strengths and weaknesses? Let us know in the comment section below!

See more:

1. Instructions for installing and using Kodi on computers
2. How to install Kodi on iPhone without jailbreak
3. Instructions for updating Kodi on Android