XBMC is a multi-media player developed by a non-profit firm called the XBMC Foundation. The original development for XBMC was directed towards the popular gaming console called the X-Box.  XBMC literally translates to x Box Media Center because of its Xbox origins. The multimedia player later became a strong alternative to more established and standard media players like Windows Media Center for example.  Being a free and open-source software, many versions of XBMC were created across different operating systems and platforms.  Its functionality across platforms like Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux made it very popular.  It also has several versions for mobile devices including those that are installed with iOS and Android operating systems.

Being a freeware that comes with multi-platform functionality, XBMC is considered one of many popular entertainment hubs or multimedia players available in the market today.  Its trademark 10-foot user interface allows for easy and smooth playing of music files and video files.  Music files saved in various formats like mp3, wav, and wma may be played on XBMC.  The most popular movie formats are also supported by XBMC.  It can also play online videos and podcasts that are available over the internet.  For people who are into television shows, XBMC offers a variety of viewing details and options regarding different episodes and series of shows.  Tags are made for favorite shows and users can also seek out descriptions and other details regarding a favorite TV show or actor.

There are also a lot of additional features and plug-ins that are integrated to the whole media or entertainment experience using XBMC.  Users that watch videos on YouTube may stream content through a specific plug-in on XBMC.  There are also add-ons and plug-ins for a variety of online services like Netflix, Flickr, Hulu, and Veoh among many others.  The user interface may also be customized with lots of graphics under the skins library.