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Kodi

A media centre for your TV that plays your own films, shows and music.

Instead of Netflix, streaming boxes

M · SystemOpen sourceNonprofit
kodi.tv
Screenshot of the Kodi website

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Nobody wants to use a mouse from the sofa, and Kodi is made for the remote in your hand. It turns a computer or small box into a media centre for the video and music you own, with a screen designed for a TV. The Kodi Foundation, a US nonprofit, looks after it, it has been going for many years, and it runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and tvOS.

Kodi scores a 5 on lock-in, self-direction and longevity, a 4 on power and a 3 on footprint and delivery.

Kodi supplies no content of its own, and its add-ons come from many third parties, so you need to choose them carefully. Setup takes patience, and Delivery is a 3.

Having it means your own library on the living-room screen, with the add-ons you chose and nothing you did not.

    What stands out

  • A TV-friendly media centre for the video and music you own
  • Open source, backed by a nonprofit foundation
  • Third-party add-ons vary a lot in quality
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For comparison, we also reviewed YouTube (16/30) as a benchmark.

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