We recently shared here on the blog the news of the release of LibreELEC 12.0, one of those many distributions that use Kodi as a central element to offer a multimedia-oriented system. And on this occasion It's time to talk about another of those distributions, "OSMC".
OSMC (Open Source Media Center), formerly known as Raspbmc, is a distro built that uses Debian as a base and as I mentioned, Kodi is the central element of the system for media playback. OSMC was originally intended to make the Raspberry Pi an ideal component for a low-cost HTPC. Offers an intuitive interface that Allows you to browse your media library, play content seamlessly, and access a variety of plugins and services to personalize the entertainment experience.
One of the key advantages of OSMC is its full compatibility with a wide range of Raspberry Pi models, including the 1, 2, 3, 4/400 and Zero as well as Vero set-top boxes and the first generation Apple TV.
Main new features of OSMC 2024.04-1
In this new version that is presented of OSMC 2024.04-1 Kodi version has been updated to v20.5 (continuing on the basis of Kodi Nexus 20.x) basically integrating improvements for AppleTV and different bug fixes in general.
Regarding the improvements presented by OSMC 2024.04-1, we can say that The launch as such brings improvements and corrections for the majority of Vero decoders, and for example now Seamless synchronized AV playback is offered for the Vero 4K/4K+ and Vero V, Additionally, performance improvements were added when using Bluetooth when using A2DP audio.
Se significantly improved support for content playback on the Vero V set-top box, as well as Profile 5 tone mapping compatible with Dolby Vision with output to HDR and SDR. This allows Vero V to generate a tone map generating the best possible aspect ratio for the display.
Implemented processor frequency control performance improvements on all devices and better handling of subtitle presentation times on Vero 4K/4K+ and Vero V devices, among other significant improvements.
Additional improvements include support for a specific Ortek keyboard on the Vero 4K/4K+/V, as well as translation updates and optimization of VESA whitespace reduction modes used, e.g. by Dell monitors, among others.
Furthermore, this OSMC 2024.04-1 update addresses several important bug fixes, such as network issues in My OSMC, backup files accumulating in the Kodi user data directory, CEC issues in Vero the 4K / 4K + and other errors in the appearance of the OSMC skin, guaranteeing a more stable and fluid operation of the system.
Added the ability to change settings related to installing updates, eliminating the need to reboot when performing backup creation or restore operations.
Of the other changes that stand out from this new version:
- Improved PTS handling in Vero 4K/4K+ and Vero V
- Updated translations
- Fixed several issues with the OSMC skin.
- Solution to a network problem in My OSMC
- Vero 4K/4K+: Fixes an issue where using the 'toothpick' recovery method may cause an existing installation to fail to boot
Finally, it is worth mentioning that this is the last version of OSMC that uses Kodi Nexus (20.x), since the jump to Kodi 21 "Omega" is expected to be implemented in this May's update.
Download and get OSMC 2024.04-1
For those interested in trying or installing OSMC on their device, you should know that you can obtain the system image on the following link
As for the installation and configuration part of OSMC, I must say that it is quite simple, which makes it accessible even for novice users.