We will take a look at one such open-source software’s called XBMC which will help you take all your media content to your living room big screen.

The first time I used this software I just fell for the interface and UI. Features and functionality this software offers make it one of the best in the market and the fact that is a free open-source software make it even better. In fact its softwares like these which bring a good name to open-source community.

XBMC supports MAC, Windows, Linux and XBOX. It can also be installed on Apple TV or a USB flash drive; this makes XBMC one of the most sort after media center software’s.

So far I’ve tried it on my Windows machine, we will update this post once we try it on other devices or operating system.

XBMC is an easy to navigate and flexible application which lets you customize almost everything based on your needs.

Using XBMC you can play Videos, Music, Pictures, check Weather and Install scripts for enhanced functionality, it can also play videos from online sources like Apple’s library.

The settings console of the software lets you customize Videos, Music, Pictures, Create and Configure Profiles, set locations to check Weather, configure Network settings, modify system values and change the appearance by installing new skins or modifying the values for the existing ones.

You can also download new Skins/Thems and Plugins/Programs to change the looks and add to its functionality.

Links for XBMC skins:

• Apple TV Skin for XBMC : here
• AEON Skin and other resources for XBMC : here
• List of XBMC Skins at SavvyGeek : here

Links for XBMC scripts:

• XbmcScripts
• XbmcZone
• Xbmc-Scripting

There is also a XBMCRemote application available for iPhone which lets you manage XBMC using the application wirelessly. The application costs $2.99 and can be downloaded here, watch the video below to see this application in action.

Here are a few screenshots just to give you an idea on what the interface looks like

This is the first screen you see once the application is launched after install (Click here to download)

Streaming videos from an online source, Apple Movie Trailers.

Thats one of the videos playing from the online source

Thats the music console of XBMC, the presentation format can be changed by just clicking on "View:" on the left side of the screen

This is the picture console of XBMC which can easily be customized for different layouts

Weather information in the weather layout. The location can be changed in the settings console

This is the settings console of XBMC, here you can customize almost everything

Click here to download XBMC or here to visit XBMC. If you do use it, let us know what you think of it

Following is what boxee wiki describes boxee:

Boxee is a social media center. With boxee you can play videos, music and pictures from your PC or from the Internet. You can also share with your friends what albums you’re listening to, what movies and TV shows you’re watching, send recommendations and more. Boxee is designed to work with a remote control (it looks great on a big screen TV), but you can also control it using your keyboard. Once installed boxee will start scanning your local Movies, Music and Pictures folders automatically. Boxee will attempt to bring artwork, reviews, cast, etc. for your media, so browsing your library becomes more useful and fun than looking at a list of files. Boxee is based on the best media center on the planet, xbmc.

The installation is pretty easy. Just follow the steps below:

1. Go to System > Administration > Software Sources.
2. In Sources Software dialogue, select Third-Party Software tab, click Add, and enter:
   • for Gutsy: deb http://apt.boxee.tv gutsy main
   • for Hardy: deb http://apt.boxee.tv hardy main
3. After closing this dialogue you can either use Synaptics and select Boxee for download, or use a terminal window, and enter sudo apt-get install boxee.

To run Boxee, Applications > Sound & Video > Boxee

So I launched it for the first time post installation with a lot of excitement, only to realize that there was no mouse support for using it and navigating through it. However, I found the setting to enable the mouse, much to my relief. The reason for this is because boxee is supposed to be used with a remote. The interface is pretty simple and easy to navigate using both keyboard and mouse.

However, it’s pretty heavy on my processor and RAM. I’d only recommend it to you if you are ready for some unstable and heavy performance. I have a few invites. Let me know if you need an invite. Following are couple of snapshot. The second one is of bliptv running on Boxee.