The Raspberry Pi line of mini-computers is used for multiple projects, but one of the most repeated is turn it into a media center that connects to a TV to access your own content or that stored on any computer that is part of the local network.
This inexpensive system, will extend the life and usefulness of your television that might look outdated and now it will look like a Smart TV, with internet connection and access to the most recognized and requested streaming platforms.
The advantages of having a multimedia center at home with Raspberry Pi there are many, offering you a range of entertainment for moments of relaxation. The way to configure it is simple and you will not need to spend a lot of money. We are going to show you the materials you need, the best options in terms of software and the equipment that passes the test to achieve optimal results.
What do I need to turn my Raspberry Pi into a media center? Necessary materials
The products you need to design your own multimedia center to watch series, movies or listen to music, whether stored on your local server or online streaming, are the following:
- A Raspberry Pi board with its respective casing to protect it from shocks.
- Heat dissipator to avoid excessive heating.
- Power cord electrical.
- HDMI cable at both ends.
- Keyboard and mouse with USB connection.
- Internet connection.
- Micro SD card high speed and with at least 4 GB of free space.
Learn step by step how to turn your Raspberry Pi into a multimedia center in all possible ways
By having all the necessary components to assemble our multimedia center, now we use the software and here we are going to use free applications that will put the appropriate player into operation.
Go for it:
With Kodi
East Media player It is available for various operating systems and allows you to watch live TV, play audio and video, emulate video game consoles and record audiovisual content. There are several ways to install this program on your Raspberry Pi, all very simple.
If you are running one of the systems supported by the Pi, you can install Kodi manually by following these steps:
-
Open the command terminal and enter:
sudo apt-get install kodi. - Then edit a nano file, which will allow the system to load automatically each time you turn on your mini-computer:
sudo nano / etc / default / kodi. -
Change the value option
HABILITADO = 1. - Before leaving, make sure you have saved the changes.
With OpenELEC
We continue with a second option to make a multimedia center.
We focus on how to install it and the basic configuration that we must make to the software to see it on the TV:
- To install OpenELEC a USB stick of at least 4Gb is required.
- There we will create an ISO image.
- Download the image that corresponds to the model of your card from the official site.
- Once the download is finished, open command terminal.
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Use the following command to extract the files:
cd ~/Downloads gunzip -d OpenELEC*.img.gz. - Remove the pendrive from your computer.
- Install the USB stick and configure the Raspberry Pi to boot from that drive.
- When the card boots, it will display the boot screen. Enter “Installer” and then press the key “Enter” to start the installation.
- Now, select the drive where OpenElec will be installed and then “Enter” to start installing.
- When I finish, reboot and load the OpenElec application for basic settings. If the device is wireless you will be asked to set up a network.
- Then it must “Configure remote file transfer”.
- Next you must configure the way to add media, entering the tab “Records” and “Add videos”.
- From that window you can add the different sources of visual content.
- The videos you can load them from any device that is connected to the Pi.
- Now, use the tool “File browsing“to search the individual directory. When you find it, enter name and press “Ok”.
- So, the next time you enter the home screen, you will see all the configured sections.
With LibreELEC
In this opportunity, we review the way to configure LibreElec, which is very similar to the previous ones, with some small variations.
So look at the steps you must follow:
- On a computer, download the application on a USB stick.
- Choose the correct form depending on the model of your Pi.
- Entering as administrator, open the LibreElec application.
- Now you are going to click on “Select version” to choose the model of your Raspberry and in the next step press “Download” for the system to download the disk image for the system.
- Now on the menu “Select your USB drive.”
- After, “Click write” and wait while the process is done.
- When I finish, remove the card and take it to your Pi.
- When you turn it on It will start up with LibreElec and display a screen welcoming you.
- On the first screen, you will be asked to choose the language, after you enter a “Host name “.
- Click next to “Configure remote access”, after doing it “Press next” and you will have LibreELEC ready to start loading your favorite movies, series or music files.
With Plex
The Plex app is similar to Kodi, which has in its favor remote transmission that when paired you have immediate access to your entire collection of files. Before installing, it is important that check the minimum technical requirements required so that you can run without any difficulty.
Then follow the next steps:
- Update the operating system of your Pi.
- For it, have keyboard, monitor and Ethernet cable connectedt to access the internet.
- Turn on the Raspberry Pi and when the time comes, include your details to enter.
- Open the apt update command to verify that everything is up to date or otherwise update whatever is missing. The process may take a few minutes.
- It will be necessary reboot the system, when switching on again, re-enter your data.
- To start Plex, you need to install
“apt-transport-https”, because it doesn’t do it natively. - Using the command “Wget” you have to select “Download the encrypted key”.
- And you are going to add it to the system using the following command: “
sudo apt-key add PlexSign.key". - The next step is add Plex, we do this with the echo command:
"echo 'deb https://downloads.plex.tv/repo/deb public main' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/plexmediaserver.list". - When setup is complete, you should run the following two commands to start the installation:
"sudo apt update"."sudo apt install plexmediaserver".- When finished, the application configuration steps begin. Start typing in terminal
ip addr show | grep 192.168. - Connect the hard drive and run the command:
"lsblk"to know the available partitions you have. - After knowing these data, use the command:
"mkdir"to create a folder where your media will be saved. Writes:"sudo mkdir -p /srv/usb-media/" - Keep adding the unit of work, use the path:
"/srv/usb-media/directorio". -
The next step is to add the entry:
"/etc/fstab"so that after you reboot the card the available drive will still appear. - When you finish these steps, return to web browser to add the available media to the home screen.
- Has to “Log in”, you can do it with an account of Google or Facebook.
- To enter, you must enter the stored media.
- Press option “Next” and little by little the library will be nurtured.
- Finally, you have the option to play any of the files that are uploaded and enjoy this entertainment center.
List of the best Raspberry Pi kits and boards to use as multimedia centers that you should know
Now, we show you some of the kits that are offered online based on a Raspberry Pi.
Likewise, we refer to the models that have the best characteristics to become our preferred multimedia center:
Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Kit for Multiroom Multimedia Center
Comes with Linux-based Max2Play software pre-installed on a card 8GB micro SD, ARM processor and 1GB RAM. Its handling is open to various media, admitting different audio formats and to enjoy them it has HiFi speakers that give a studio-type sound quality. As far as video is concerned, its streaming is HD and the settings are not complicated to perform.
Raspberry PI 3 Model B
Making a comparison of the previous models, this card has many features to be used as a multimedia center. We start with the ARMv8 Cortex Quadcore 1.2GHz processor, combined with a Core IV Dual Core 400MHz video card, that guarantee excellent reproduction.
CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 4GB
As reflected in its name, The kit comes with a Pi 4 Model B with a 1.5GHZ Quad-Core CPU that is complemented by a 4GB RAM. The micro SD card has a capacity of 32 GB. The package also includes the heat sinks, the HDMI cable, the on / off switch along with the start guide. Their assemblers claim that you only need to connect and start enjoying their content.
Raspberry Pi 4 B 2GB
This model, with a 2GB RAM already incorporates the 4K video playback, good news for lovers of high definition. Your processor exhibits the following characteristics: 1.5 GHz, 4-core Broadcom BCM2711 (Cortex-A72), includes wifi and Bluetooth 5.0. Other elements to highlight is that it has USB 3.0 ports and two HDMI ports. The price is lower than that of 4 GB of RAM, but it can fulfill the tasks entrusted without major inconveniences.
Vilros Raspberry Pi 4
This plate is from 8 GB of RAM memory, 1.5 GHz cortex processor and a 32 GB SD card in which the NOOBS system is already preloaded. Other components that come in the package are: the keyboard, mouse, cooling fan, USB adapter and the configuration manual. Due to all its capabilities, it can function as a multimedia center without any problem, guaranteeing maximum performance and stability in all processes.
Raspberry Pi Zero
And we close by including this model that, although it is a bit old, has good benefits, especially if you already have it at home and cannot find what to do with it. It is a fairly complete presentation, with a 1GHz processor but with a memory that still remains at 512 MB. This was the first of the models to incorporate the Wi-Fi connection what improved its speed in the network. Bluetooth is 4.0 and has mini HDMI and micro USB outputs, the latter also serving for its power supply.
It is possible to connect the rest of the devices through its ports and with a housing it is given the necessary protection to function as a multimedia center. Most Pi cards serve as a multimedia center, being able to reproduce high resolution video and be able to connect it to the television to turn it into a Box Tv.
Powerful models with various components make it easy for you to put together the project. If you have money available and you can buy one that is almost ready to go, they are a good option although the price is higher than the card alone.