{
  "id": 18363882,
  "title": "Kodi started life on the original Xbox, and that history explains why it still feels so different",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/kodi-started-life-on-the-original-xbox-and-that-history-explains-why",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-05T20:00:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "XDA Developers",
    "slug": "xda-developers",
    "url": "https://www.xda-developers.com/kodi-started-life-on-the-original-xbox-and-that-history-explains-why-it-still-feels-so-different/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kodi began its journey in 2002 as Xbox Media Player (XBMP) on modified original Xbox consoles. The software launched in 2004 and was later renamed to XBMC in 2005, eventually becoming Kodi in 2014. XBMC gained popularity for its ability to play compressed video and audio files directly through Xbox consoles, even if the files were stored on a computer elsewhere on the network. The developers focused on creating a 10-foot interface, optimized for couch navigation with a controller or remote, which became a fundamental aspect of XBMC and influenced Kodi's design. Despite the software moving beyond the Xbox, many of the original design principles remained, including the organization of media into separate sections like movies, TV shows, music, and pictures. Kodi's ability to handle media libraries from users' computers has remained consistent, even as the technology behind media consumption has evolved.",
  "summary": "Kodi has changed a lot, but its Xbox roots still show.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}