Media Centers are useful tools that allow users to organize and play their media, including videos, music, and pictures. Media Centers make it possible to stream content from multiple computers to a home entertainment system or other central location. In this tutorial, we will show how to build a small and affordable media center using the Raspberry Pi computer and XBMC media management software. Prerequisite Knowledge: A basic understanding of file sharing, and networking is helpful before undertaking this tutorial, but not required. Time Required: Depending on your internet speed and setup this project should take between 2 - 3 hours. Now that we have all the necessary pieces, it is time to actually assemble the device. The first step in this process is to cut out the two plastic pieces on our case that obstruct the USB and Ethernet ports. We used an exaco knife to make sure we didn't damage the case, but the pieces are not firmly attached and can be removed without any tools. The next step is to place the Raspberry Pi board in the bottom of the case, lining the ports up correctly with the openings in the case. The board should fit snugly but not require any force to set in place. XBMC Desktop Integration provides an easy way for users to go back and forth between Windows Media Center and XBMC using a remote control. KODI is an award winning media center application for Linux, Mac OS X, Windows and XBox. The ultimate hub for all your media, KODI is easy to use, looks slick, and has a large helpful community. The final step in this process is to attach the top of the case and secure it with the 4 screws provided. We found that the screws are fairly difficult to secure in new cases but again should not require excessive force. Now that we have assembled the device, it is necessary to obtain the required software. The media center will run on the Raspbmc linux distribution, the most recent version of the which can be downloaded from: 2. Once you unzip the zip file, you will find the file setup.exe. Right click the file and select 'Run as Administrator' and select yes/continue to the User Account Control dialogue. You will be presented with an interface which will allow you to install the RaspBMC to an SD card. With the SD card inserted in your computer, select the SD card from the list above, check the box for 'I accept the license agreement,' and click the 'Install' button. After the software has been successfully installed on the SD card, remove it from the computer and insert it into the Raspberry Pi with the metal contacts facing up as illustrated in the above picture. As that same picture shows, the micro end of the micro USB cable must be plugged into the pi, just adjacent to the SD card slot. Next, the HDMI cable must be plugged into the side port of the raspberry pi as shown in our second picture with the other end connected to the monitor or television that you will be using to watch on. After that, you will need to connect a keyboard and mouse to the USB ports and an Ethernet cable to the LAN port adjacent to the USB ports. Finally, to begin the installation, you need to plug the adapter connected to the micro USB cable into a power outlet and the Pi will power on and begin the installation process.
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