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Build a Kodi Media Player Using Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi 3 offers an inexpensive way to create a small yet effective media player. The good part about a Raspberry Pi 3 system is it takes up little space and consumes low energy. If you are looking for a fun and easy project, make a Kodi media player. These boxes may not be as responsive as a full-blown system, but with a little tweaking, they can perform quite well. Some of these Raspberry Pi boxes can also make a great streaming music box that can be tucked away to provide endless amounts of online streaming music content. There are some really nice all in one kit available that allows you to assemble your own media system.

All Raspberry Pis supports full 1080p (Full HD) video playback of the most commonly used codecs, support for most if not all Kodi add-ons, and reasonably responsive GUI performance.

What You Will NeedBuild a Kodi Media Player Using Raspberry Pi 2

Choose an Operating System

Kodi will run on many different operating systems. Here are the easiest ones to install on your Raspberry Pi to get you up and running. All of these operating systems work very well, so the preference is up to you. You can experiment to see which one you like best.

  • OpenELEC – is a free open source Linux OS pre-loaded with Kodi.
  • OSMC – is another Linux distro that comes with Kodi pre-configured.
  • XBian – Offers a small OS that runs Kodi on several types of devices.

There are also some more advanced OS systems that work with Kodi that can be found here on their Wiki page.

Installing The OS and Kodi

The install process is pretty basic. Once you pick your operating system you will need to install it on your Micro SD card. That is where the OS and Kodi will boot from. Just download your operating system of choice. You can use their provided utility program to format and install the OS to make your Micro SD card bootable. Once installed, insert the Micro SD card into your Raspberry Pi device and follow the install prompts. Once it is done installing you can configure Kodi to your specifications.

You can check out Kodi’s full Raspberry Pi Wiki page to find out what tweaks works best to get the most performance out of your system.

You can get started with one of these Raspberry Pi 3 kits.

Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Kit

The Canakit will get you started very quickly. Everything you need to start your own Raspberry Pi 3 media player is included in this kit. You will need to provide your own keyboard and mouse.

Kit Includes

  • Raspberry Pi 3 (RPi3) Model B Quad-Core 1.2 GHz 1 GB RAM
  • Onboard WiFi and Bluetooth Connectivity
  • 32 GB Micro SD Card (Class 10)
  • CanaKit 2.5A USB Power Supply with Micro USB Cable and Noise Filter
  • Raspberry Pi 3 Case
  • Premium Quality HDMI Cable
  • 2 x Heat Sinks
  • GPIO Quick Reference Card
  • Quick-Start Guide

Where to Buy:

The CanaKit is available at these retailers:

eBay:

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit

Amazon:

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit

Looking for More Raspberry Pi Kits? Check AliExpress!

AliExpress.com Product - B Raspberry Pi 3 Model B kit-raspberry pi 3 board / pi 3 case /heat sink
Search AliExpress for more Raspberry Pi kits.

Keyboard/Remote/Mouse

iPazzPort Raspberry Pi Mini Wireless Keyboard/Touchpad

The iPazzPort Raspberry Pi Mini Wireless Keyboard is the perfect remote for your Raspberry Pi Kodi media player. All you need to do is plug in the USB wireless dongle into your Raspberry Pi device.

Build a Kodi Media Player Using Raspberry Pi 2

Where to Buy:

The iPazzPort Wireless Keyboard is available from these retailers:

eBay:

iPazzPort Wireless Keyboard

Amazon:

iPazzPort Wireless Keyboard

Kodi Running on Raspberry Pi 3

Kodi will run all of the same plugins and skins just like any other media box will. Once you have your operating system installed you really don’t need to fuss with it anymore. Kodi will be your main interface.

Check out our article on the Best Fully loaded Kodi boxes

Conclusion

Building a Raspberry Pi 3 Kodi media center can be a fun project. It is an energy-efficient and cost-effective way to have your own custom system. You can also impress all of your friends with this cool project.

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About Johan
I started this site to educate the public on alternative ways you can watch television besides subscribing to cable. I have been in the audio-visual business for over 20 years. I also have an extensive computer networking background. I am a Microsoft Certified Professional and CompTIA Network+ Certified Technician. I hope you will find my articles and reviews helpful in conscious uncabling.

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