Kodi Vs Plex, The Ultimate Media Center Showdown

When I was in my teens, I remember we couldn’t afford a VHS cassette video recorder. If we wanted to watch movies, we either had to crash at the neighbors that were lucky enough to own one or go to the movies. But eventually, as technology progressed, VHS was replaced with much cheaper, portable, sleeker optical DVDs. They were an instant hit because for the first time when my sister bought a Toshiba DVD Player, I was able to watch movies right at our home.

Fast forward to today, Full HD movies, Videos, music and photos are flooding my media library. What was once a game-changer — the DVD Player — can no-longer keep up with my ever-evolving media library which must be accessed from not just one, but a hoard of devices. My 4TB external Hard drive which I hook up to my home Windows computer is now home to my most cherished photos and videos taken from my smartphone camera and a collection of classic movies.

My personal media library must be organized in a way that I can easily find what I want to listen to or watch at any time. This is where home media centers come in. While we have had a lot of them, such as the now-defunct Windows Media center created by Microsoft and first introduced in 2002 on Windows XP Media Center Edition, there is now just a handful that have managed to reign in home entertainment space. You might have heard of others like Home theater PC, JRiver Media Center, Western Digital Media Center, Universal Media Server, PS3 Media Server, Serviio, TwonkyMedia server, but the battle seems to be around just two giants; Kodi vs Plex.

Newbies will often want to know the difference between Kodi and Plex and which one they should use for their own setups. If you don’t have time to read through this post, here’s a quick summary;

• Plex is a ready-to-go media center that simply works out of the box with little room for customization. It’s widely supported by multiple vendors, has support for multiple user accounts and streaming your content from anywhere in the world.
• Kodi is like swiss knife media center . Highly customizable via different really cool themes and extensible through multiple plugins. It’s compatible with various software and hardware platforms and so is more suited for users who want to build their own media center DIY style the way they envision it should be.

Released in 2004 under the name Xbox Media Center (XBMC) for the first-generation Xbox game console, XMBC renamed Kodi in 2014 became an instant hit among home Theater PC enthusiasts. Because of its open-source License, Kodi enjoys a wide variety of Operating System support including Android, Linux, BSD, Raspbian, macOS, iOS/tvOS, and Microsoft Windows. In fact, derivatives of the original XBMC software have been developed into competitors such as MediaPortal and Plex itself as well as Just enough operating systems like OpenELEC and LibreELEC.

Here’s a quick comparison between Kodi and Plex between we dive into the details.

Media library organization

For starters, both Kodi and Plex have great indexing engines. So you can pull media meta-data such as album artwork, movie posters, ratings, synopsis, lyrics, subtitles etc off the Internet from sites such as IMDB, themoviedb.org, Opensubtitles.org once which is then stored on your local device for offline access. They are both good at organizing your media based on genre, artists, years, directors, actors etc. I like this because it makes content search and discovery really easy.

kodi interface

For instance, I tend to love Historic, Scifi and Action movies. So whenever I want to set myself up, I simply click on those particular genres and boom I can find what I will enjoy.

Related post: Building a home media center with a $35 Raspberry PI and Kodi

With both Kodi and Plex, you can organize your media into photos, music, movies, TV shows or series and other videos. You can create playlists, add favorites and pull album and movie artwork from online sources.

Truthfully, I find both media servers going toe-to-toe on this one.

Plex media server

DLNA/UPnP support

Both support DLNA/UPnP protocols, so you can stream your media from compatible devices as long as they are on the same network. For instance, I ran Plex server on NAS drive and I can stream my movies on the big screen TV. I’ve done the same with Kodi installed on a Raspberry Pi.

Related post: Stream your own home media: A complete guide to DLNA and UPnP

DLNA is a multimedia protocol that enables sharing and streaming of media between different devices such as game consoles, smart TV, smartphone, laptops and tablets. Multiple media players now such as VLC, BubbleUPnP, Windows Media player, Roku Media player and vendor-specific media players pre-installed on modern TVs widely support DLNA standard. This means your media is not locked to a single device but can be accessed by multiple devices connected to the same network.

Kodi movie interface

Vendor support and Licensing

Both have wide platform support although Plex enjoys a lot more support from commercial vendors. You will find plex on Windows, OS X / macOS, Linux, NVIDIA SHIELD, Netgear Nighthawk X10 router, Many popular NAS devices such as Seagate personal cloud, WD cloud, Drobo, Netgear, Synology, and more . Plex is free but not entirely Open source, unlike Kodi which is completely Open Source.

Kodi makes for a great DIY home media streaming and library platform compared to plex which has some proprietary components. It’s completely open source and is widely compatible with several operating systems and several hardware platforms . Kodi is available for Android, iOS, Linux, Mac OS X, Windows and several other streaming boxes and devices such as;

• Amazon Fire TV
• Chromebox
• Cubox-i
• Google Nexus Player
• Nvidia SHIELD Android TV
• Raspberry Pi
• WeTek Play
• CompuLab Utilite
• Intel NUC
• ODROID
• Razer Forge TV

You are however more likely to find Plex available in app stores of commercial vendors than you are Kodi. Plex is available in Roku TV channel store, Samsung Smart TV app store, Seagate and Western Digital NAS drive app store but you won’t find Kodi. This makes Plex a great option for users who want a media center out-of-the-box instead of installing one.

Kodi vs Plex: Third party plugins and Add-on support

This is where Kodi clearly outshines Plex. Kodi has a wider variety of tens of third-party plugins you can install to extend the media center’s functionality while Plex has a handful. Some of these plugins have a lot of content including TV shows and movies all divided into easy to find sections. Some popular Kodi plugins include Genesis Reborn, Neptune Rising, Placenta, Covenant XvBMC Repo, Incursion, Maverick TV, Supremacy, Project M, The Dogs Bollocks NEW, Elysium Lite.

However, Kodi’s advantage has also landed it in trouble. Kodi has recently come under fire with law enforcement officers in the UK who are cracking down on some Kodi streaming set-top boxes that come preinstalled with plugins or Apps that infringe on content copyright and licensing. Kodi vendors preload their set-to-boxes with add-ons that enable you to stream TV shows and Movies that you would otherwise have to pay on other platforms.

Plex now supports plugins which it calls channels akin to Roku Channels. Some of the plugins you will find are BBC iPlayer, iTunes Movie Trailer, TWiT.TV, Vimeo, National Geographic, Fox, RT, Nickelodeon, Vice among others.

Customization

This is yet another place where Kodi clearly outshines Plex. Kodi has tens of themes or Skins you can choose from to customize the look and feel of your media center while Plex has none. You can choose from Aeon, Nox, Amber, Black Glass Nova, ReFocus, Eminence, Nebula, Xperience 1080 among several others . Each theme has a different way of organizing menus, navigation, button, content, system information etc while maintaining the underlying core functionality. You don’t lose anything my switch between theme, just the look and feel.

Plex, on the other hand, has a standard theme that ships with the application. You can’t change much in the look and feel which probably gives it that distinct look. Most users won’t really care about tweaking how their media center looks, but if you do, then Kodi is what you are looking for.

Plex Client Apps

Plex has clients/app that talk to the Plex server as opposed to Kodi which has none. That’s a very big differentiator actually. My TCL Roku TV supports Plex player which connects to the Plex server. Kodi doesn’t have a “client”. Instead, you rely on third-party vendor Players which can connect to Kodi via DLNA. This means you get inconsistent user experience across various platforms.

If you want to view Kodi with its interface, you have to connect a compatible device such as your laptop or set-top-box or Raspberry PI with Kodi directly to the TV via HDMI. This can be limiting if you have a crammed living room for instance with no space for a stand-alone Kodi box.

Transcoding

Plex support real-time transcoding or media conversion. So if your device doesn’t support a specific media format, Plex will try to convert it to a compatible version. For instance, I have AVI movies on the drive, but the TV doesn’t play .avi files, So Plex converts the file to maybe mp4 on the fly. This feature is only as useful as your device’s CPU power because transcoding is a CPU-intensive process.

plex transcoding

Kodi, on the other hand, doesn’t do this. If target device doesn’t support a specific media format, then it simply won’t play it. You will have to use third-party video converting software to convert file formats beforehand before they can be played

Content access

Plex has the ability to give you access to your content from anywhere via an Internet connection if you have a “Plex Pass” account. It also supports multiple user accounts. I obviously don’t find this useful given our Internet problems, but for guys in the western world, this is a big deal.

• Plex pass account will give you Live TV directly on your device with an additional antenna and a digital tuner.
• Plex DVR offers support for recording free HDTV digital channels to your Plex media server.
• Mobile Sync offers syncing of your media across multiple devices for offline viewership.
• Plex pass supports Lyrics for your favorite songs.
• Multiple users and accounts are supported by Plex Home.

Kodi I believe (probably) has a similar feature, though not as smooth as Plex.

What should you install: Kodi vs Plex?

The answer is it really depends on your needs. Both are really great media centers for organizing and streaming your personal media across home devices. For newbies or those who don’t want to get their hands dirty or just want something that works out-of-the-box without much configuration and customization, then Plex is the best choice. If you also anticipate accessing your media outside of your home network such as when you travel overseas, then again with Plex pass subscription service, your media can follow you. But if you want a media center setup your way, your rules on hardware of your choice, then Kodi is truly the best option for you.

David Okwii is the Editor-in-Chief of Dignited.com and a seasoned tech enthusiast whose journey began in the early 2000s. He started blogging while at university, diving deep into mobile apps, smartphone reviews, and operating systems—from testing Linux distros to tweaking Windows machines. David also explores Chromebooks, experiments with Raspberry Pi projects, and brings hands-on curiosity to every review. With vast experience in Uganda’s tech ecosystem and deep knowledge of Africa’s startup landscape, he offers informed, grounded perspectives on consumer technology. When he’s not writing or tinkering, David enjoys connecting with nature and exploring the outdoors.

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Talkio Mobile , Uganda’s newest telecommunications service provider, is excited to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Banana Life Investments, a leading chain of mobile phone and retail shops. This strategic alliance aims to bring Talkio’s innovative telecom services closer to Ugandans.

This collaboration will leverage Banana Life Investments’ extensive retail network of 26 stores strategically located across Uganda in major malls, towns, and cities to provide customers with unparalleled convenience. Through this partnership, Talkio Mobile will offer its full suite of services, including SIM cards, airtime, and exclusive product offerings at any Banana Life Investment location.

This partnership is more than a business initiative—it’s a shared commitment to transforming lives. By integrating Talkio Mobile’s forward-thinking services & nationwide reach with Banana Life Investments’ retail footprint, the two brands are setting a new standard for customer convenience and inclusivity.

READ ALSO: 5 Things You Need to Know About Talkio Mobile: New Telecom Company in Uganda

“This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission of connecting Ugandans to innovative and transformative telecom solutions,” said Vianne Allan Ahura, CEO of Talkio Mobile. “By leveraging Banana Life Investments’ trusted presence and nationwide footprint, we are not only expanding our agent network but also bringing our services closer to the communities we serve. This collaboration ensures that our online customers can now enjoy a seamless offline experience right at their doorstep. Together, we are empowering Ugandans with the tools they need to stay connected, grow their businesses, and unlock new opportunities.”

Solomon Ssemuyaba, the assistant general manager at Banana Life Investments, echoed this sentiment: “We are proud to join hands with Talkio Mobile to deliver innovative, customer-centric solutions. This partnership represents our shared vision of fostering a connected future for Uganda. Together, we are redefining what convenience and accessibility mean for our customers.”

The partnership goes beyond retail distribution, introducing joint initiatives aimed at value addition and personalized service. Customers can expect seamless access to:

• SIM Card Sales : Available at all Banana Life Investments locations.
• Talkio phone number bookings : Book your preferred Talkio number at any Banana Life Investments location.
• Airtime Services : Recharge easily through in-store purchases.
• Customer Support : Friendly and knowledgeable staff trained to assist with Talkio Mobile products and services.

Additionally, the two companies plan to launch promotional campaigns and expand services to even more locations, ensuring no Ugandan is left behind in the digital transformation.

Solomon Obwot is a tech writer based in Kampala, Uganda, with extensive experience in the local tech startup ecosystem. He covers the latest news and analysis on consumer tech, writes in-depth smartphone reviews, and conducts insightful interviews with industry experts. Solomon is also a passionate podcaster, sharing his knowledge and engaging in discussions about Africa’s rapidly growing tech landscape. Send emails to [email protected]

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The Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona , the world’s largest exhibition for the mobile industry, has just concluded. This annual event gathers leading technology brands to unveil groundbreaking mobile, AI, and digital solutions innovations. At MWC 2025, TECNO showcased a range of AI-driven products, reinforcing its commitment to cutting-edge technology.

The key launches included:

• CAMON 40 Series – AI-powered smartphones with One-Tap FlashSnap and advanced mobile imaging features.
• MEGABOOK S14 – The world’s lightest 14-inch OLED laptop, featuring AI-enhanced multitasking and Snapdragon® X Elite.
• MEGABOOK T14 Air & K15S – Lightweight ultrabooks with AI capabilities and extended battery life.
• TECNO AI Glasses Series – Smart eyewear integrating AI imaging, translation, and AR display.

Jan Stryjak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, shared, “In the past year, we have observed significant advancements in the field of AI. AI will continue to drive transformative changes in our daily lives. In this critical period for the economic development of emerging markets, TECNO’s AI technologies are unlocking potential for diverse needs.”

“The application of AI technologies is crucial and urgent in emerging markets. We’re committed to bridging the digital gap between emerging and mature markets,” said TECNO CMO, Laury Bai. “TECNO is taking a practical approach to make AI more accessible, ensuring users in emerging markets can access AI and cutting-edge technologies.”

Laury Bai, TECNO CMO

Driven by its commitment, TECNO has forged a robust partnership with MediaTek, establishing a joint AI laboratory dedicated to accelerating advancements in AI. At the event, James Chen, Vice President of Product and Technology Marketing at MediaTek, emphasized, “The synergistic R&D efforts between TECNO and MediaTek are set to democratize AI technology. Our collaboration powers a seamless, interconnected AI experience, bringing users a future of truly connected intelligence.”

James Chen, Vice President, Product and Technology Marketing at MediaTek

CAMON 40 Series Powered by AI One-Tap FlashSnap Revolutionizes Smartphone Snapshot Photography

TECNO’s Global Product Launch Officer, Olivier Mas, officially unveiled TECNO’s next-generation AI-driven products. Attendees at TECNO’s launch event witnessed the highly anticipated debut of TECNO’s new CAMON 40 Series, a device that embodies TECNO’s legacy of excellence in mobile imaging. Featuring One-Tap FlashSnap Mode and TECNO AI, the series sets a new benchmark in smartphone photography, delivering exceptional snapshot capabilities and AI-enhanced user experiences.

Olivier Mas, TECNO Global Product Launch Officer

The CAMON 40 Series exemplifies a commitment to innovation that transcends hardware and software, extending into strategic partnerships that deliver cutting-edge AI solutions to emerging markets. Matt Waldbusser, Managing Director of Global Solutions and Consumer AI at Google Cloud, remarked, “Our collaboration with TECNO on the CAMON 40 Series is a standout example. Leveraging Google Cloud’s capabilities, we’ve introduced groundbreaking features such as Ask Ella, AI Image Generator, AI Writing, and AI Translate. I am particularly impressed by the industry-leading and competitive edge of some of these innovations. For instance, TECNO’s AI supports text translation in 136 languages, voice translation in 44 languages, and photo translation in 51 languages. We are excited to further strengthen our partnership with TECNO, unlocking limitless potential to bring advanced yet practical AI capabilities to emerging markets in a convenient and secure manner.”

Matt Waldbusser, Managing Director of Global Solutions and Consumer AI at Google Cloud

The CAMON 40 Series’ innovative One-Tap FlashSnap leverages AI to enhance imaging capabilities, revolutionizing mobile photography. AI optimizes camera startup and continuous shooting for instant captures, while AI-powered multi-frame processing intelligently reduces noise and enhances details, delivering sharper, more refined images. Additionally, the BestMoment algorithm analyzes motion patterns, automatically selecting the optimal frames for precise, high-quality shots in dynamic scenarios, ensuring users an unparalleled mobile imaging experience.

TECNO CAMON 40 Demonstrates the Cutting-Edge FlashSnap Capability

To delve deeper into the imaging prowess of the CAMON 40 Series, TECNO invited Frédéric Guichard, CEO of DXOMARK, to share the image performance of CAMON 40 Pro. Frédéric highlighted, “The CAMON 40 Pro 5G has demonstrated exceptional imaging and performance capabilities in our rigorous evaluations. We’ve been particularly impressed with photo performance being the best for devices under 600$, and the 1st eligible device to our Smart Choice Label.”

Onsite photo of Frédéric Guichard, CEO of DXOMARK

Beyond its advanced rapid-capture functionality, the integration of TECNO AI further enhances the device’s capabilities. Intelligent imaging, a 360° AI Call Assistant, and productivity tools elevate creativity and efficiency. Powered by MediaTek’s latest chipsets, the series ensures smooth performance, fast processing, and extended battery life. With a sleek, durable, and water-resistant design, it seamlessly blends style with practicality for modern users.

MEGABOOK S14, the World’s Lightest 14-inch OLED Laptop, Inspires Creators and Game Lovers

The MEGABOOK S14 is TECNO’s first OLED laptop and the industry’s lightest 14-inch OLED laptop, featuring a 2.8K OLED display and incredibly weighing only 899g (31.7oz). The laptop is equipped with the outstanding power of the Snapdragon® X Elite compute platform, the flagship chipset for AI PCs from Qualcomm Technologies, and integrates TECNO’s world’s first self-developed edge-side large-scale AI model, to achieve AI-enhanced multitasking.

World’s Lightest 14-inch Laptop MEGABOOK S14

Specifically designed for next-gen AI productivity, TECNO AI enhances the Ella AI Assistant, AI-powered PPT generation, AI-driven image search, smart albums, and offline meeting transcription with multilingual support. The External Graphics Dock, equipped with a powerful NVIDIA graphic card, delivers scalable, high-performance capabilities for design, gaming, and content creation. The laptop’s 2.8K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate ensures exceptional visuals, while DTS:X Ultra dual 2W speakers, Wi-Fi 6E, fingerprint login, and PC Manager optimize connectivity and user experience.

TECNO’s strategic partnership with Qualcomm Technologies was a highlight of the TECNO AI Ecosystem Product Launch event, demonstrating a shared vision for the future of AI PCs. Kedar Kondap, SVP & GM of Compute and Gaming at Qualcomm, took the stage to discuss the integration of Qualcomm’s cutting-edge PC chipset into the new MEGABOOK S14 laptop, underscoring TECNO’s commitment to delivering high-performance computing solutions.

Kedar Kondap, SVP & GM of Compute and Gaming at Qualcomm

In addition, TECNO also introduced several standout new products. The featherlight 999g (35.2oz) ultrabook MEGABOOK T14 Air, features high-speed storage and LPDDR5 memory, while the ultra-thin, all-metal MEGABOOK K15S, equipped with a powerful 70Wh battery and supported by a 65W PD GaN charger, offers a smarter and more long-lasting user experience. Both devices are empowered by TECNO AI with advanced AI capabilities such as AI Album and AI Voice Assistant, making them perfect companions for all aspects of life.

The Next Game-Changing Tech Innovation: See the World with the TECNO AI Glasses Series

TECNO’s new AI Glasses Series also took center stage with the introduction of TECNO AI Glasses Pro and TECNO AI Glasses, reimagining eyewear with cutting-edge imaging, intelligent interactions, and a sleek aesthetic. The TECNO AI Glasses feature an aviator design, while the Pro model showcases a browline style, both embodying timeless elegance and modern fashion.

TECNO AI Glasses Redefine the Way People See the Future

Equipped with a 50MP high-definition camera, the series integrates an OV50D sensor, a 100° ultra-wide-angle custom lens, and an AI ISP imaging chip, forming a mobile-grade imaging system. This system lets users capture stunning, high-resolution photos with advanced AI noise reduction and HDR capabilities. With real-time translation supporting over 100 languages, TECNO AI’s Ella empowers accurate translation even for less common languages, as well as voice control, AI-powered object recognition, and intelligent information summaries for ultimate convenience.

Additionally, the AI Glasses Pro features a MicroLED display with 7th-gen resin waveguide technology, offering a 30° field of view, over 1,500 nits of brightness AR display, and a lightweight, ultra-thin design. The AR display allows users to effortlessly enjoy features like translation display, navigation, information prompts, and teleprompting.

Equipped with a 250mAh battery, these glasses offer over 11 hours of music playback and 8 hours of mixed use with just 30 minutes of charging. An advanced ultra-linear speaker, bass enhancement, and spatial sound deliver an immersive audio experience, while Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 ensure seamless connectivity.

With these innovative launches, TECNO is setting new standards in mobile imaging and AI-enhanced technology, shaping a more connected and empowered future for consumers in emerging markets. Once again, TECNO has showcased its cutting-edge innovation on the global stage at MWC. With the brand essence of “Stop at Nothing”, TECNO’s relentless pursuit of innovation is making AI-powered technology more accessible, allowing consumers to experience the future ahead of time.

Solomon Obwot is a tech writer based in Kampala, Uganda, with extensive experience in the local tech startup ecosystem. He covers the latest news and analysis on consumer tech, writes in-depth smartphone reviews, and conducts insightful interviews with industry experts. Solomon is also a passionate podcaster, sharing his knowledge and engaging in discussions about Africa’s rapidly growing tech landscape. Send emails to [email protected]

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