Windows Media Center alternatives

Paid 19 alternatives

Windows Media Center is software that transforms your computer into a rich home entertainment hub, pulling media from the internet and your computer into a single interface. It can be sued to record TV, but this option requires a TV tuner. Leverage the full potential of WMC by linking your computer to an HDTV along with a compatible remove to manage all the controls from the comfort of your sofa. Media Center was first added to the Windows XP in 2002.

After that, it was packaged in the Ultimate and Home Premium editions of Windows Vista and also on Windows 7, leaving only Home Basic and Starter editions to be the only ones without it. The software has the ability to play music, slideshows, and music from network locations, local hard drives, and optical drives.

It enables the end-user to stream films and television programs via selected services like Netflix. Windows Media Center Extenders can be used to playback content on television sets or computer monitors. It offers options to watch and pause live TV. Support is given to a maximum of six TV tuners on a tuner card. Windows Media Center supports high and standard-definition unencrypted video by means of ATSC and DVB-T standards. Use an external or internal tuner compatible with CableCARD to view encrypted cable television channels.

Ranked alternatives

1
SquireFreemium
Squire is a prominent video player that allows you to stream movie and TV shows everywhere and comes with a wide range of features that makes it a must-have. You can begin your experience with it by installing it on Apple TV, iPhone, or iPad. Once that’s done, connect your accounts from services like Put.io, Plex, and browse the shows from iPhone for the best channels from the Internet or create custom ones using the Squire Stream Editor. An optional step is the installation of Squire Helper on Mac, which can be transformed into a robust multimedia server. The features include Subtitles, Ratings, Plex support, Trailers, Favorites, Similar, Cast, Cloud Service Integrations, Behind the scenes, News, and Push notifications.
Squire alternatives
2
nextPVRPaid
nextPVR is a video recorder that you can use for personal use for Docker, Microsoft Windows, Mac, and Linux. It simplified watching or recording live TV and comes with some fantastic features like Kodi integration, series recordings, iPhone/iPad client application, and web scheduling. It supports almost all devices such as Copy Freely CableCard, ATSC, HDPVR, DVB, Analog, SAT>IP, DMB-T, and QAM. The solution allows you to manage different actions via its easy-to-use and user-friendly interface. You can use all the TV functions like Web Scheduler, Live TV, Search, TV Guide, and Recordings. Professional Support is provided to help everyone solve problems related to the software.
nextPVR alternatives
3
Easy-Data MediacenterFree
Easy-Data Mediacenter is an audio and video player that is perfect for your personal and family use. It provides many tools and is capable of delivering bit-perfect audio while not needing any external codecs. You can run it from a memory stick without bothering with time-taking installation. Some of the features include an audio library, CD ripper, pictures and audio to video, search engine, recording studio, video converter, video playlist, and audio library. Besides these tools, there are many effects packaged with the solution like equalizer, adjusting sound/picture, Text, and various filters. Apart from viewing a movie, you can also join different movies into single, pull audio from a movie, create movies from pictures and webcam, decode a movie frame by frame, and create thumbnails and snapshots of movie files.
Easy-Data Mediacenter alternatives
4
JRIver Media Center
JRIver Media Center is a complete multimedia solution that allows you to organize all type of media content and play it on any digital device or operating system. It is available to use on Mac OS X and Windows operating system and allows the users to build their own media center to organize media files of all type.
By using JRIver Media Center, you will be able to organize all of your media, including audio, video, music, web media, HTPC, DLNA, etc. All at one place because JRIver Media Center provides the one complete media solution. The platform even supports the creation of playlists as well and can export playlist in various formats as well.
The formats supported by JRIver Media Center for the purpose of exporting playlists are CSV, MPL, M3U8, M3U, and ASX. There is another unique feature by the name of smart lists that is similar to the playlist system but very different in various aspects.
The smart lists system of JRIver Media Center instead of the creation of the favorite songs is based on the system of some rules. JRIver Media Center has four different user interface view that allows the users to select the interface according to the situation.
JRIver Media Center alternatives
5
PlexFree
Plex is a multiplatform media organizing system that allows you to organize your digital media and stream all kinds of digital media screens. It is the best way to enjoy your favorite media resources anywhere and anytime. Plex is a centralized home media playback system having robust pivotal server streaming with several player apps. The server is available on platforms like Windows, OS X, and many flavors of Linux, along with many NAS devices like ReadyNAS or Sinology.
It comes with the capability to play a range of videos, audio, and photo formats, along with online streaming. The odd part of Plex is that it is traced in its store features. The main highlighted features of Plex is that it will double your enjoyment and support all kind of media files, beautifully organize the data, manage everything, own music home, automatically upload the photos and much more.
Plex alternatives
6
EmbyPaid
Emby is an open media solution for centralizing all of your digital media collection and accessing it from any part of the world. It has a lot of cloud storage services but not efficient in dealing with the arrangement of music and videos in proper order.
Emby is the way to get your media files organized at a central place. By using this, you can bring all of your media files like audio, video, music, movies, and photos at a centralized location.
Having Emby means have a personal server for automatically arranging all data and accessing it anytime and anywhere. Emby is the simplest and easiest way of keeping your media all the time with you. The best about Emby is that the Emby will automatically convert the media that you will upload at this platform to play it on other devices.
In that’s way Emby ensures the compatibility of the media to be played across all digital devices. The three most important advantages of using It is easy to access, support for live TV from any device and manage content for the access of the children. Emby allows its users to monitor the activities of the children over Emby as well.
Emby alternatives
7
MediaPortal
MediaPortal is a single platform media solution that transforms the multimedia data of the PC into a personalized media solution. It runs on the basic digital hardware and connects the PC directly to the PC, and allow users to explore the multimedia files on TV right from the PC. That is the way of working of MediaPortal.
The main advantages of using MediaPortal is that watch or schedule movies, play any videos of any format, listen to even radio and music, create a slideshow, stream media of any format, use remote control to control all media, check the weather news, and access the MediaPortal even from the mobile devices and website.
In term of supporting devices, it is not as more significant, but when it comes to essential features. MediaPortal provides a lot of skins and plugins to provide users with a lot of options. The plugins that are available in the platform are view sports scores, monitor the HTPC, view local movie showtimes, stream or download web TV, define the playlist, and much more.
MediaPortal is the best way to control the media as per its demand. It provides the users with the system of watching, listening, reading, and playing the media as per the own demand of users. The navigation system of MediaPortal is very user-friendly.
MediaPortal alternatives
8
KodiPaid
Kodi is an open-source and home theater solution for personal and commercial purposes. It is a multifunctional and multiplatform theater system available for various hardware that features the support for TV and remote controls.
When you use the Kodi, it will provide you with the feature of playing and viewing videos, music, podcast, and other digital media files from the network and local storage media. Kodi was launched as a replacement to Windows Media Center for home theater PC.
The best about Kodi is that it is a highly customizable media solution that provides a lot of user interface and other functions. The availability of various plugins makes the users able to stream media content via various online entertainment services like Crackle, Amazon Prime Instant, YouTube, and various other streaming and video-on-demand platforms.
In addition to available for the multiple operating systems, Kodi is also available in a standalone version as well by the name of Kodibuntu. The main highlighted features of Kodi are add-ons manager, plugins infrastructure, plugins & scripts, metadata extraction, web scraper, skins & themes, web interface, application launcher, Live TV with EPG/PVR/DVR frontend, video playback, support for various media formats, and much more.
Kodi alternatives
9
MezzmoPaid
Mezzmo is a multiplatform DLNA based media server for streaming media of all format. It supports the streaming of media files to the home-based DLNA and UPnP devices. The software is capable of dealing with TV shows, movies, HD videos, photos, 3D video, and much more.
The best about Mezzmo is that it even support for the media sharing as well that is missing in most of the Windows based media servers. Install Mezzmo in your PC and start streaming all type of media to DLNA and UPnP enabled devices in the home as well.
Mezzmo makes it possible for the users to stream all of their media files to PC, home theater, games consoles, TV, and various other digital media appliances. It will take your home entertainment to an extremely new level. Once installed, Mezzmo will extract all the text and artwork metadata from the media files.
Mezzmo is also capable of extracting the metadata and artwork from the external metadata files as well. It will also automatically retrieves backdrop and poster text and artwork metadata from the online movie and TV show based websites.
For the purpose of transcoding and pre-transcoding, the solution also supports all popular formats. Mezzmo supports the creation of playlists and allows the users to stream even the subtitles to all devices in a beautiful style.
Mezzmo alternatives
11
Windows Media ServicesFree
Windows Media Services is a media streaming service by Microsoft that supports the generation and controlling of streaming media files. It supports formats just from Windows Media. Like in the case of audio and image, this service supports MP3 and JPEG formats only. However, there are few additional functionalities that you will not be found on any other streaming platforms.
First of all, it has the ability to cache and record streams, impose various connection limits, restrict, record streams, use multiple protocols, forward error correction, and much more. Another functionality of Windows Media Services is that it can distribute the streaming in various servers as part of a distribution network. Each server feeds a different audience and network. It also supports both unicast and multicast streams.
Windows Media Services alternatives
12
ServiioFree
Serviio is a freemium multifunctional media server for the Mac, Linux, and Windows operating systems. It is capable of streaming the media files of all types for home-based DLNA devices only. Serviio is the expert in streaming media files to renderer devices – Blu-ray player, smartphones, games consoles, TV sets – on the connected home network. In addition to a free version, there is also has a paid version for professional users and commercial purposes.
If you talk about the free version of Serviio, then it is also capable of delivering the best options and functions. The server is capable of streaming the data on almost all those devices that support the internet connection. It also supports the profiles for particular devices that make it easy for the Serviio to be tuned to maximize the device’s potential and minimize the lack of media format playback support via transcoding.
The features restricted to the Pro version of Serviio are the availability of web-based player, QAPI for accessing the content over the internet, video stacking, controlling access to shared content, and third-party Android application for streaming content.
Serviio alternatives
13
TVersity
TVersity is a DLNA based media server for streaming multimedia data from PC to DLNA, smartphones, and UPnP devices. In addition to streaming, it operates as a media sharing and screen mirror as well. It was also the pioneer of real-time transcoding. Before this tool, no other media servers were supporting this feature. The two main advantages are delivering media to any device and providing a personal entertainment guide to the users to create a personalized channel even from RSS feeds, URLs, and playlists.
As TVersity is based on the open-source component, most of the bundled codecs are open source. TVersity Pro is capable of streaming from online video sites and doesn’t deal in the transcode. There is no streaming from online video websites in the case of the Free version. Using this tool, you will get a simple and user-friendly environment that will provide you an ultrafast search and navigation system to play and view the entire media library.
TVersity alternatives
14
MediaTombFree
MediaTomb is a free and open-source UPnP media server with an amazing and simple web user interface. It allows entertainment lovers to stream their digital media files via their home network and watch and listen over different UPnP compatible devices. Currently, the features being offered are browser and playback of the media files for all formats through UPnP, metadata extraction from all types of media files, support for the EXIF thumbnail, user-defined server layout, extraction of metadata from scriptable virtual containers, and various others.
The other best feature is that it has a very sophisticated web interface in the shape of the tree view of the file system and database that supports the system of adding, removing, editing, and browsing the media. The support for content directory service for getting updates is also part of the MediaTomb.
MediaTomb alternatives
15
TVMOBiLiFree
TVMOBiLi is a high-performance media server for the Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux operating systems that provide its support for Smart TV and a few other internet-enabled devices. It takes very few steps to install this tool. All files will be added automatically without any need for further tools during installation in the system. It will automatically fulfill its necessary files and then sync automatically to the system.
In addition to a simple home media server, it also supports a wireless media server, Chromecast media server, Samsung AllShare media server, and iTunes media server. TVMOBiLi is surely a high-performance media platform that is easy to install. The best part about it is that it will never disturb your default media settings during installation.
TVMOBiLi alternatives
16
InfuseFreemium
Infuse is a multiplatform and multifunctional media server and media player that supports both subtitles and media codecs. It is a nice and beautiful way to watch videos and movies across multiple devices connected via Infuse. The best about Infuse is that it has diminished the requirement of basic conversion of media files to play on other media devices. The support to play media files of all types is beyond the system of iTunes.
Infuse is the best way to play most of the media formats, including the most popular MKV, AVI, WMV, and other popular audio and video formats. The main highlighted features are a high-performance playback system, stream effortlessly, import media files from the other apps including cloud storage, organized all data in proper order, a system for playing subtitles, and much more.
The drag and drop transfer system of Infuse allows the users to transfer their videos and other data from one platform to another one in a snap. The best about Infuse is the compatibility system that makes it possible for the users to connect easily with DLNA and UPnP apps and even with the other media servers as well for browse, stream, and download the videos.
Infuse alternatives
17
TwonkyPaid
Twonky is a media server that allows users to discover media libraries of digital videos and music files in their homes. Users can control them directly from their cell phones. The software allows users to play them on multiple screens and speakers and enjoy the audio or video files together. The platform offers its users to share media files and images between the connected devices and comes with the industry-leading DLNA media server.
Moreover, the user interface provides the capability to control everything about media files easily. Users can create playlists in which they can add music files from different locations and play them in the order in which they are added. Twonky comes with a digital media server that enables it to connect with unlimited devices. Moreover, users can add new folders from their computers even if they are on portable devices.
Twonky alternatives
18
Playon
Playon developed and published by MediaMall Technologies Inc. It is a powerful app that lets you enjoy local videos from your PC on your mobile device. The app also aggregates all of your favorite streaming content from more than 60 sites into one easy-to-use interface on your computer.
Playon is also known as a streaming media brand that enables users to view and record videos from multiple online content providers. It is a complete suite that consists of two main products, such as Playon Desktop and Playon Cloud. Playon Desktop is a window-based solution that acts as a steaming dashboard and hub on the computer.
The Playon Cloud is an online service for recording digital video streams, accessible via native mobile device applications. All the available streaming sites are organized as a channel in both products, and the user browses through or searches the video content found in those channels to record the video for later watching.
Its desktop product enables watching the videos in real-time on PC or casting the videos to the TV via the streaming device or video gaming console. Its recording feature works like a DVR for streaming videos, creating a MPEG-4 file that can be transferred to supported media devices. Users are then able to watch these videos without necessitating access to the internet connection. Playon is a complete streaming solution for all kind of users.
Playon alternatives
19
JamcastFree
Jamcast is a platform that allows users to cast audio directly from their favorite Windows programs, and users can stream from different apps and web browsers. The software comes with integrations with audio-enabled applications such as iTunes, Spotify, which help users to play music through it.
Every application comes with the button of the software that enables users to cast it into the applications. The platform allows users to play the files to any other device which is in the range and connected to it. The software allows users to not use any other tool for playing music on different devices.
Users can see the complete list of the devices which are connected with Jamcast. Jamcast works with the latest streaming protocols, and users only have to click on the cast button, select a device, and they can enjoy the music. Lastly, it requires the Microsoft.NET framework for its working.
Jamcast alternatives
20
FreevoFree
Freevo is a cross-platform, open-source solution that integrates DVR/PVR functionality alongside home automation, music, gaming, video, and more. It runs on Linux, Mac, Windows and is developed using Python. It harnesses the power of existing software such as VLC, MPlayer, and Xine.
The primary features include reading news headlines and the weather, watching and recording television, playing and backup DVD video, retrieving video covers and information, commercial detection/removal, playing games, tuning into internet radio from anywhere, watching new trailers of movies, view and import images through a digital camera, compatible with multiple tuners to help you watch and record simultaneously, play FLAC/mp3/Ogg/wav or any audio source supported by xine or MPlayer, and retrieve video covers and information.
Freevo alternatives