Turn your Raspberry Pi into a complete entertainment center and discover how to maximize your multimedia experience with these amazing applications.
The Raspberry Pi is a low-cost, high-performance device that can be used for a wide variety of projects. One of the most popular is to turn this small open source equipment into a Smart TV, Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV through dedicated applications.
This allows you to enjoy multimedia content and access streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ directly on your TV or computer.
If you are interested in turning your Raspberry Pi into a smart TV or streaming device, there are several apps that can help you. Next, We have compiled some of the best programs available to get you started on this exciting project..
plex
Plex is recognized as one of the best programs to transform your Raspberry Pi into a Smart TV. This free platform gives you access to a wide variety of shows, movies, music, and multiple live TV channels.
If you want to install this app on your device, there are three methods available. The first is to use the official Plex app, which is available for the Debian operating system, on which the Raspberry Pi operating system is based. You simply have to install it and use it like any other program.
On the other hand, in case you want to use it as a dedicated app, you can go for RasPlex. It is a free operating system developed to work with Plex Home Theater and LibreELEC. However, This app is not compatible with the most recent versions of the Raspberry, so its operation may be outdated.
The third and final option is to install Kodi or an operating system based on it, then add Plex as a plugin. In this way you will be able to enjoy the advantages of both programs in a single device.
jellyfin
Turning your Raspberry Pi into a smart TV using Jellyfin is a great option. This software is an open source media server that allows you to organize and stream your movies, TV showsmusic and photos easily.
Now, to carry out a successful process it is necessary to configure a server in Jellyfin on a separate device. It can be a Linux, Windows or macOS computer, which is where you will have access to your media library, either stored on the device itself or connected via an external hard drive.
Once you have added your content to the server you can proceed to install a Jellyfin media player. Also, in case you already have Kodi installed or any other system based on this app, there is an addon called JellyCon, which will offer you complete integration.
Plasma Bigscreen
One of the most complete and interesting options to turn your Raspberry Pi into a multimedia device is through Plasma Bigscreen. This application is an adaptation of the popular KDE Plasma desktop environment, which implies that it is based on Linux..
You can enjoy all the multimedia functions, access streaming applications that are installed by default, such as Firefox or YouTube, and take advantage of the system’s versatility to adapt and expand the capabilities of your television.
Just like the above apps, you can easily install Kodi from the command line, thanks to this you will have access to both the Plasma Bigscreen and multimedia features of Kodi.
LineageOS Android TV
LineageOS is an Android-based operating system, which is compatible not only with mobiles, but also with set-top boxes. Although it is an open source platform, it is not compatible with Raspberry boards, but the developer KonstaKANG created a version that is compatible with various models.
Thanks to this development you can install LineageOS and transform your Raspberry Pi into a Smart TV in a simple way. All you have to do is download balenaEtcher to mount the image on a microSD card and that’s it. But it is important to note that the build does not include Google apps, and you have to install them yourself with MindTheGapps.
kodi
We arrive with what is perhaps the best option of all the above, Kodi. The popular open source media center app is compatible with a wide variety of systems including Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, and of course the Raspberry Pi.
By installing this platform on your board you can use it as a smart TV, Amazon Fire TV or Chromecast, where you can watch movies, TV shows, photos and even play music. It stands out for offering support for a wide range of media formats, including AVI, MP4, MP3, JPEG, PNG, among others.
If you want to use your Raspberry Pi as a Smart TV, you have to install a Kodi-based operating system like LibreELEC, which is the most complete, intuitive and easy-to-use option.
The potential of the Raspberry Pi is enormous, the minicomputer low cost the size of a credit card opens the doors to the exciting world of maker. It puts at your disposal a wide variety of projects, and one of the simplest and most popular is convert the board to work similar to a streaming device.
