Raspberry Pi owners can now quickly and easily turn their Pi into a low-cost media center for their home or office, with a new XBMC bundle from element14.
One of a strong pipeline of Raspberry Pi solutions to be launched this year, the XBMC bundle is available through Newarkelement14 and MCM in North America, Farnell element14 in Europe, CPC in the UK and Ireland, and element14 in Asia Pacific.
The XBMC bundle is a simple out-of-the-box solution to transform any Raspberry Pi into a powerful media centerfor the home or office. Containing all the additional hardware and software necessary to start using the device, the starter kit is the ideal solution for new and existing users to get the most out of their Raspberry Pi.
The XBMC bundle will allow users to stream content from devices on their home network through their Raspberry Pi, turning the screen or their TV into a media center. The Raspberry Pi will then stream content from any computer on the local network. Users can also access their Xbox Live ID to recommend content.
The XBMC bundle includes an SD card pre-loaded with Raspbmc software, an open source Linux distribution created by Sam Nazarko that brings Xbox Media Center (XBMC) to the Raspberry Pi. To help users get started quickly and easily, a straightforward user guide featuring an online video tutorial is included.
To control the Raspberry Pi in XBMC mode, the bundle includes an ultra Mini Keyboard and integrated Mouse Pad that wirelessly connects to the Raspberry Pi, while HDMI and Ethernet cables are provided to connect to a TV or monitor and the Internet.
"Home media centers have become very popular over the past year and we are excited to launch a version for Raspberry Pi, cementing our status as the largest global distributor of the microcomputer and its peripheral solutions." said Claire Doyle, Global Head of Raspberry Pi at element14.
With over nine million views of the Raspberry Pi group on the element14 Community the success of the micro-computer is clear for everyone to see. To join the conversation, go to http://www.element14.com/raspberrypi .
