Best Linux Media Center Distros for Your Home Theater PC

If you're looking for a media center operating system for your home theater PC, Linux has plenty of options available. Linux is known for its flexibility, customization, and stability, making it a great choice for a media center.

In this article, we'll take a look at some of best Linux media center distros for your home theater PC. We'll cover different features, benefits, and drawbacks of each distro, along with some examples of popular media center software.

What is a Media Center Distro?

A media center distro is a version of Linux designed specifically for use as a media center. These distros typically come pre-installed with media center software, such as Kodi or Plex, which allows you to easily access and play your media files, including movies, TV shows, music, and photos.

Most media center distros are designed to be easy to use, with a user-friendly interface that's optimized for use with a TV remote or other input device.

Now let's take a look at some of best Linux media center distros available.

LibreELEC

LibreELEC is a lightweight, fast, and easy-to-use media center distro based on Kodi. It's designed to be installed on a dedicated media center PC or Raspberry Pi, and it supports a wide range of media formats.

One of biggest benefits of LibreELEC is its simplicity. It's very easy to set up and configure, and it includes a variety of pre-installed add-ons and plugins for popular streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu.

Another benefit of LibreELEC is its stability. Because it's a lightweight distro, it doesn't require a lot of resources, which means it runs smoothly and reliably even on older hardware.

OSMC

OSMC (Open Source Media Center) is another popular media center distro based on Kodi. Like LibreELEC, it's designed to be lightweight and fast, and it supports a wide range of media formats.

One of standout features of OSMC is its ability to automatically update and maintain your media library. This means that as you add new media files to your collection, OSMC will automatically scan and organize them for you, making it easy to find and play your favorite movies and TV shows.

OSMC also includes support for a wide range of remote control devices, including smartphones and tablets, making it easy to control your media center from anywhere in your home.

Ubuntu MATE

Ubuntu MATE is a popular Linux distro that's designed for use on desktops and laptops, but it also makes a great media center OS. It includes a user-friendly interface that's optimized for use with a TV remote or other input device, and it supports a wide range of media formats.

One of benefits of using Ubuntu MATE as a media center OS is wide range of software available for it. Because it's based on Ubuntu, one of most popular Linux distros, there are thousands of software packages available through Ubuntu Software Center, including media center software like Kodi and Plex.

Ubuntu MATE also includes a range of customization options, allowing you to tailor your media center to your specific needs and preferences.

Manjaro Linux

Manjaro Linux is a popular Linux distro that's known for its stability, ease of use, and flexibility. It's based on Arch Linux, but it's designed to be more user-friendly and accessible for beginners.

While Manjaro isn't specifically designed as a media center distro, it includes support for a wide range of media center software, including Kodi, Plex, and Emby. It also includes a variety of media codecs, making it easy to play a wide range of media formats.

One of the biggest benefits of Manjaro Linux is its flexibility. Because it's based on Arch Linux, it includes access to Arch User Repository (AUR), which is a massive collection of user-contributed packages and software. This means that if you're looking for a specific piece of media center software or add-on, you're likely to find it in AUR.

Manjaro Linux also includes a variety of customization options, allowing you to tailor your media center to your specific needs and preferences. And because it's a rolling release distro, you'll always have access to latest software updates and security patches.

Xubuntu

Xubuntu is a lightweight and fast Linux distro that's designed for use on older or less powerful hardware. While it's not specifically designed as a media center OS, it includes support for a wide range of media center software, including Kodi and Plex.

One of benefits of using Xubuntu as a media center OS is its speed and performance. Because it's designed to be lightweight, it doesn't require a lot of resources, which means it runs smoothly and reliably even on older hardware.

Xubuntu also includes a variety of customization options, allowing you to tailor your media center to your specific needs and preferences. And because it's based on Ubuntu, there are thousands of software packages available through Ubuntu Software Center.

When selecting a Linux media center distro for your home theater PC, it's important to consider factors such as ease of use, compatibility with your hardware, and specific features and capabilities of media center software that you plan to use.

It's also worth considering support and resources available for each distro. Some distros, such as Ubuntu and Manjaro, have large and active user communities, which can be a valuable resource for troubleshooting and support.

Additionally, some media center software, such as Kodi and Plex, have extensive documentation and user communities that can provide guidance and assistance in setting up and configuring your media center.

Another factor to consider is level of customization that you require. Some distros, such as Manjaro Linux and Ubuntu MATE, provide a high degree of flexibility and customization, allowing you to tailor your media center to your specific needs and preferences.

In addition to factors mentioned above, it's also important to consider hardware requirements of Linux media center distro that you choose. Some distros, such as LibreELEC and OSMC, are designed to be lightweight and can run on low-powered devices such as Raspberry Pi.

On other hand, more feature-rich distros like Ubuntu MATE and Manjaro Linux may require more powerful hardware to run smoothly, especially if you plan to use resource-intensive media center software such as Plex.

It's also worth noting that some media center software may require additional hardware, such as a TV tuner or a digital-to-analog converter, in order to access certain types of media content. Before selecting a Linux media center distro, it's important to consider specific hardware requirements of media center software that you plan to use.

Security is another important factor to consider when selecting a Linux media center distro. While Linux is generally considered to be more secure than other operating systems, it's still important to take steps to protect your media center from potential threats.

This includes keeping your distro and media center software up-to-date with latest security patches, using strong passwords and two-factor authentication, and avoiding downloading or streaming media content from untrusted sources.

Overall, when selecting a Linux media center distro, it's important to do your research and consider your specific needs and requirements. With right combination of distro and media center software, you can create a powerful and flexible media center that will provide you with endless hours of entertainment.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a media center operating system for your home theater PC, Linux has plenty of options available. Whether you're looking for a lightweight, fast, and easy-to-use distro like LibreELEC or OSMC, or a more flexible and customizable distro like Ubuntu MATE or Manjaro Linux, there's a Linux media center distro out there that will meet your needs.

No matter which distro you choose, make sure to research different media center software available and choose one that best fits your specific needs and preferences. With right combination of distro and media center software, you can create a powerful and flexible media center that will provide you with endless hours of entertainment.