Windows Media Center Alternatives

Windows Media Center is described as '(WMC) turns your computer into a home entertainment hub, compiling media from your computer and the internet (plugins required) into one interface. You can even use WMC to record TV (TV tuner required)' and is a popular Media Center in the video & movies category. There are more than 25 alternatives to Windows Media Center for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, iPhone and iPad. The best alternative is Kodi, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Windows Media Center are Plex, Emby, Universal Media Server and Infuse.

Windows Media Center alternatives are mainly Media Centers but may also be Media Servers or Media Players. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Windows Media Center.

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Windows Media Center

Paid • Proprietary
Media Center
Windows

Windows Media Center (WMC) turns your computer into a home entertainment hub, compiling media from your computer and the...

Learn more about Windows Media Center

Kodi
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No
Free • Open Source
Media Center
Media Player
Audio Player
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
BSD
iPad
Raspberry Pi
Fire TV
Flathub
Flatpak
69 alternatives to Kodi
Kodi, formerly XBMC, is a free and open source media player and entertainment center for Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, XBox, and iOS. Kodi is designed to be the perfect companion to a home theater PC - it supports an almost endless range of remote controls, and combined with its...
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Kodi Features
1. Ad-freeKodi doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
2. PortableKodi can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
3. AirPlay SupportKodi can stream or share content to your Mac, Apple TV, or compatible smart TV.
4. Support for 4KKodi supports watching, rendering or exporting 4K content (also know as UHD or Ultra HD).
5. Dark ModeKodi supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
6. Works OfflineKodi can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
7. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsKodi can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
Media Streaming
TV Shows meta data support
Video library
Media library
Automatic subtitles download
Built-in Media Downloader
Support for subtitles
Music Library
DNLA Server
Built-in Media converter
Kodi vs Windows Media Center opinions
Most users think Kodi is a great alternative to Windows Media Center.
Plex
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Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
Media Center
Media Server
Media Player
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Chrome OS
Windows S
Android Tablet
Windows Phone
iPad
Apple TV
Daydream
Kindle Fire
Android TV
Kodi
Roku
91 alternatives to Plex
Plex is a one-stop destination to stream movies, TV shows, sports & music. Check good movies to watch on Plex and stream all your personal media libraries on every device.
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Plex Features
1. Kids ModePlex allows you to create and manage your kids' profiles in order to protect them.
Media Streaming
Play local content
Local Storage
Media Transcoding
Remote Media Access
Automatic Library Search
DNLA Server
Media sharing
Support for subtitles
Automatic subtitles download
Plex vs Windows Media Center opinions
pros, cons and recent comments
Guest
plex's website does not mention anything of live tv.
Negative comment•
-4
Emby
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Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
Media Center
Media Server
Media Manager
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
BSD
Windows Phone
iPad
Self-Hosted
Apple TV
Kindle Fire
Cloudron
Playstation
Xbox
45 alternatives to Emby
Emby, formerly Media Browser, is a media aggregator plugin for Media Center that takes your recorded, digital, or ripped media and presents it in a simple, easy to use interface. Emby prides itself on delivering a fast, intuitive, media rich experience for the whole family.
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Emby Features
1. Chromecast SupportCast your content to a Chromecast connected device with Emby.
2. Ad-freeEmby doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
3. Kids ModeEmby allows you to create and manage your kids' profiles in order to protect them.
Media Streaming
Browser Gallery
Private gallery
Optimized for Mobile
Local server
Remote Media Access
Media Transcoding
Asset Pipeline
Remote playback
Universal Media Server
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Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Server
Media Center
Mac
Windows
Linux
48 alternatives to Universal Media Server
Universal Media Server is a media server capable of serving videos, audio and images to any DLNA-capable device. It supports any device capable of DLNA and runs on all major operating systems: Windows, OS X and Linux.
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Universal Media Server Features
1. LightweightUniversal Media Server consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
Configurable
DNLA Server
Dedicated Server Hosting
Media Transcoding
Simple installation
Playstation
Support for DLNA
Java based
Streaming
Universal Media Server vs Windows Media Center opinions
Infuse
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Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
Media Center
Media Server
iPhone
iPad
Apple TV
Mac
72 alternatives to Infuse
Ignite your video content with Infuse – the beautiful way to watch almost any video format on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. No need to convert files! Infuse is optimized for iOS 12, with powerful streaming options, trakt sync, and unmatched AirPlay & subtitle support.
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Infuse Features
Vast format support
Support for DLNA
TV Shows meta data support
HDR Support
Metadata Search
Serviio
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No
Freemium • Proprietary
Media Server
Video Streaming App
Mac
Windows
Linux
47 alternatives to Serviio
Serviio is a free media server. It allows you to stream your media files (music, video or images) to any DLNA-certified renderer device (e.g. a TV set, Bluray player, games console) on your home network.
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Serviio Features
Create Playlist
Playstation
Support for DLNA
Media Streaming
Stream audio
Support for subtitles
Xbox
OSMC
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Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Center
Audio Player
Apple TV
Raspberry Pi
41 alternatives to OSMC
OSMC (Open Source Media Center) is a free and open source media player based on Linux and founded in 2014 that lets you play back media from your local network, attached storage and the Internet. OSMC is the leading media center in terms of feature set and community and is based...
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OSMC Features
1. LightweightOSMC consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
Designed for TVs
Momentjs integration
Auto-identifies vids
Based on Debian
Stream video to Apple TV
OpenELEC
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Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Audio Player
Media Center
Media Player
Linux
Raspberry Pi
11 alternatives to OpenELEC
Open Embedded Linux Entertainment Center (OpenELEC) is a small Linux based Just Enough Operating System (JeOS) built from scratch as a platform to turn your computer into a Kodi (previously XBMC) media center.
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OpenELEC Features
1. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsOpenELEC can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
Streaming
TV Streaming
OPENGL
Discontinued
Since 2017 source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenELECalso, the website is dead.
MiniDLNA
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No
Free • Open Source
Media Server
Linux
32 alternatives to MiniDLNA
MiniDLNA (aka ReadyDLNA) is server software with the aim of being fully compliant with DLNA/UPnP-AV clients. It is developed by a NETGEAR employee …
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MiniDLNA Features
1. LightweightMiniDLNA consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
DNLA Server
Support for DLNA
MediaPortal
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Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Center
Media Player
Audio Player
Windows
29 alternatives to MediaPortal
MediaPortal transforms your PC into a complete media solution. It runs on basic hardware, connects directly to your TV and displays your TV Series, Movies, Photos and Music in a much more dynamic way.
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MediaPortal Features
1. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsMediaPortal can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
Skinnable
DVB-C
Dvb-t
TV Tuner
TV Streaming