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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIf you need a program to organize all your media files that can turn a PC into a media center and be connected to a home theater setup, you\u2019ve come to the right place. In this article, you\u2019ll find the best applications to turn your PC into a streaming media center. All four programs are completely free. Some advanced functionalities are paid or need a subscription. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. <\/strong>MediaMonkey<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf you don\u2019t have the time to organize your videos and music, MediaMonkey is your best option. It doesn\u2019t matter how messy and unorganized your music, TV series, and movie folders are; this software will allow you to tag and categorize your files. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/media-monkey.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nFeatures: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n- Automatically identify movies and tracks that are missing information, whose tags are not synchronized, or that are duplicated elsewhere.<\/li>
- Easily switch from Windows Media Player to iTunes, allowing you to import your playlists and selections from MediaMonkey and use them with any media player without any issues. <\/li>
- The app also allows you to customize the way it looks to personalize the lists with albums, musicians, tracks, genres, and more. <\/li>
- Quickly share your files from MediaMonkey to any TV, DVD players, and other UPnP\/DLNA devices as well. This allows you to watch your favorite videos and listen to your favorite music in a few clicks. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You can install MediaMonkey on Windows 7, 8, 10 devices without any problem, and it is fully optimized for these Windows versions. It\u2019s also available in 15 languages, and won\u2019t affect the performance of your computer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. <\/strong>Plex<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re looking for a more advanced media center, Plex is an ideal choice. It\u2019s a unique media center software that has a client-server model. Because of this, Plex Media Server software is required, along with a Plex front-end app, which you can download on a Windows 10 device<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/plex.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nFeatures:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n- Free version limits media playback to one minute. You need to unlock it with an in-app purchase or a monthly $4.99 Plex pass subscription.\u00a0<\/li>
- Plex is a great software<\/a> to organize images, videos, and music collections. It supports almost all music and video formats.\u00a0<\/li>
- The library UI also shows your media with bios, plot summaries, artwork, and more.\u00a0<\/li>
- Plex allows you to set up multiple user accounts and place restrictions on unsuitable content.\u00a0<\/li>
- Includes DVR recording, with access to 86 of Nielsen\u2019s most-watched shows. In addition, you get online content from sources such as Spike, NPR, and Comedy Central.\u00a0<\/li>
- With the Plex Pass subscription, users can sync their media library to various devices, including phones, tablets, game consoles, and digital media players.\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You can also sync the library to different cloud storage<\/a> such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box. So, if you have images, videos, and music on two other devices, you can open all your files on both using Plex apps.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n3. <\/strong>Emby<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAnother media center that offers a centralized database is Emby. Like<\/a> <\/a>Plex<\/a>, it has its own server and can accommodate multiple clients. It also has apps for various operating systems and devices.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nYou can even add Emby Theater easily on more recent Windows devices through this download page<\/a>. Alternatively, you can download the app from the Windows store<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/emby.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nNote<\/strong>: Emby isn\u2019t a streaming service and does not provide you with any content. Instead, it is a personal media server platform so that you can access your music, video, and images on the go.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFeatures:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n- To play any media, you need to pay $49.99 annually for the Emby Premiere subscription. <\/li>
- Emby\u2019s Home Theater app provides live TV and program video recording support. With this, you can record your favorite TV shows and directly save them on your server. <\/li>
- The Emby library displays cover artwork and metadata, and the GUI allows you to browse your files with its advanced search tools quickly. <\/li>
- The home theater app features a Live TV Guide and an Emby DVR, allowing you to schedule TV recordings. <\/li>
- Emby includes plugins that can enhance your overall viewing experiences, such as Cover Art and a plugin that enables game support called GameBrowser. <\/li>
- Includes centralized database management that users can use with web tools. It has 20 apps for Android and iOS devices, game consoles, and digital media players such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You can compile your media files across a variety of devices. Emby allows you to sync and backup your video, photos, and music to cloud storage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. <\/strong>Kodi<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOriginally known as Xbox Media Center (XBMC), Kodi is one of the most popular media center software in the market today. This is because it is compatible with various devices and platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kodi is open-source software, and you can install it by clicking the OS you have on this page<\/a>. Currently, it is compatible with a lot of OS, including Windows 10, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, Apple TV OS, and Raspberry Pi. It also supports all the main audio and video file formats for playback and allows users to stream content from different online media streaming services.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nFeatures: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can install MediaMonkey on Windows 7, 8, 10 devices without any problem, and it is fully optimized for these Windows versions. It\u2019s also available in 15 languages, and won\u2019t affect the performance of your computer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking for a more advanced media center, Plex is an ideal choice. It\u2019s a unique media center software that has a client-server model. Because of this, Plex Media Server software is required, along with a Plex front-end app, which you can download on a Windows 10 device<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Features:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also sync the library to different cloud storage<\/a> such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box. So, if you have images, videos, and music on two other devices, you can open all your files on both using Plex apps.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another media center that offers a centralized database is Emby. Like<\/a> <\/a>Plex<\/a>, it has its own server and can accommodate multiple clients. It also has apps for various operating systems and devices.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can even add Emby Theater easily on more recent Windows devices through this download page<\/a>. Alternatively, you can download the app from the Windows store<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note<\/strong>: Emby isn\u2019t a streaming service and does not provide you with any content. Instead, it is a personal media server platform so that you can access your music, video, and images on the go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Features:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can compile your media files across a variety of devices. Emby allows you to sync and backup your video, photos, and music to cloud storage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Originally known as Xbox Media Center (XBMC), Kodi is one of the most popular media center software in the market today. This is because it is compatible with various devices and platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kodi is open-source software, and you can install it by clicking the OS you have on this page<\/a>. Currently, it is compatible with a lot of OS, including Windows 10, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, Apple TV OS, and Raspberry Pi. It also supports all the main audio and video file formats for playback and allows users to stream content from different online media streaming services.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. <\/strong>Plex<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n3. <\/strong>Emby<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n4. <\/strong>Kodi<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/kodi.jpg\")
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