Guide · Media

Build a Raspberry Pi media streaming console

By Tiny · how I pick

Updated October 2026. Based on the LibreELEC, Kodi, and Raspberry Pi docs.

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Put LibreELEC on a Raspberry Pi and you get a quiet little streaming box for your TV. It plays your own movies, shows, and music, pulls from a home media server like Jellyfin, and works with the TV remote you already have. No ads, no tracking, no subscription.

Know one limit before you start: it's great for media you own, and a poor fit for Netflix-style apps.

Words you'll see in this guide
  • Kodi: a free media center app that organizes and plays your videos and music on a TV.
  • LibreELEC: a tiny operating system whose only job is running Kodi.
  • HDMI-CEC: a TV feature that lets your normal TV remote control devices plugged in over HDMI.
  • Direct play: your TV or phone plays the video file as it is, with no converting needed.
  • Transcoding: converting a video on the fly so it plays smoothly on a phone or TV that can't handle the original file.
  • DRM: copy protection that streaming services use. It limits which devices can play their shows.

See the full glossary

What you're building

Picture a Roku or Fire Stick that you own outright. It shows no ads, tracks nothing, and plays almost any file format. The software is free, the Pi draws a few watts, and it makes no noise under the TV.

It's a satisfying first project for a spare Raspberry Pi, and it's useful for ripped discs, home videos, a music collection, or a self-hosted library.

Step 1: Get your Pi and parts

You may already own some of this.

Pi stock and prices move around, so I link to current listings instead of quoting figures.

Step 2: Install LibreELEC

  1. Install and open Raspberry Pi Imager on your computer.
  2. Choose your Pi model.
  3. Under Choose OS, open Media player OS and pick LibreELEC.
  4. Select your microSD card and click Write. It downloads and installs in a few minutes.
  5. Put the card in the Pi, connect HDMI, and plug in the power.

    You should see: the Pi boot straight into Kodi.

Step 3: First-boot setup

  1. Follow Kodi's short setup wizard: language, then network (plug in Ethernet or join Wi-Fi), then a name for the box.
  2. Turn on SSH and Samba if you'd like to copy files to it over the network later.

You now have a working media player. Next, give it something to play.

Step 4: Add your media

Pick the path that matches where your files live.

Why Jellyfin? It's free and open source, with no subscription. Plex now charges for streaming your own media when you're away from home, and Emby has paid tiers too. Kodi works with all of them, and for a build from scratch, Jellyfin has no strings attached. See the best home media server builds for a box to run it on.

Step 5: Make it feel like a real console

The limit to know about

A Pi is a great player and a poor converter. It plays files your TV supports directly, which is most of them. When a file needs converting on the fly, for example 4K down to 1080p for a phone in another room, the Pi can't keep up.

The fix: let a server with Intel Quick Sync do any converting, and let the Pi play files straight to the big screen. That's why many people pair a Pi streamer with a small N100 mini PC server.

Want Netflix, Disney+, or Prime in 4K? A Pi with Kodi is the wrong tool. Their copy protection barely works on it, and an inexpensive commercial streaming stick does those apps better. The Pi is for the library you own, where it's more flexible and more private than any commercial box.

Where to go next

Quick answers

Can a Raspberry Pi be a media streaming box?

Yes, it's one of the best uses for a Pi. Install LibreELEC, a tiny system that runs Kodi, and the Pi becomes a quiet streaming box for your TV that plays your own movies, shows, and music, including from a Jellyfin server.

Which Raspberry Pi is best for a media streamer?

A Raspberry Pi 5 for smooth 4K. A Raspberry Pi 4 costs less and handles 1080p and many 4K files. For a box that only plays media, 4GB of RAM is plenty.

Can a Raspberry Pi run Netflix, Disney+ or other streaming apps?

Not well. Their copy protection barely works on a Pi with Kodi, and where it does, you're usually stuck at low resolution. For those apps, an inexpensive commercial streaming stick is the better tool. Use the Pi for media you own.

Do I need a separate server, or can the Pi hold my movies?

Either works. For a small collection, plug a USB drive into the Pi. For a bigger library or several TVs, keep the files on a NAS or a mini PC running Jellyfin and stream to the Pi, so a stronger box handles any converting.

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Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Nothing here is sponsored, and all the software is free.