OSXBMC: A Better Front Row?

If Front Row just isn’t cutting it, there might be a better option. The Xbox Media Center on OS X (OSXBMC) is a port of the popular XBMC — for turning a Microsoft Xbox game system into a powerful media center — and like the Mac’s built-in media center application, OSXBMC can display videos, music and photos.

But where it really shines is in its totally skinnable interface and massive codec support, meaning you can watch just about any video and play most audio files — even ones that can’t be played in QuickTime or iTunes. Media can be played from just about any source, whether it be on the hard drive, on an optical disc, on a flash drive or stored on another computer on your network. Thanks to the built-in file manager, accessing those — or rearranging your desktop, if you so desire — can be done easily from the couch.

In the audio department it of course plays MP3 and AAC files but also supports Flac and OGG lossless audio types. So there’s no need to compress those flawless recordings like you would for Front Row or iTunes. OSXBMC could handle just about any video file I threw at it, and perhaps more impressive is its support for 1080P high-definition video content.

The app also features Internet-connected mini-apps, like media center widgets for checking weather or viewing online videos, and an RSS news ticker along the bottom of the main screen. You can navigate using the mouse, keyboard or Apple Remote, and lead developer Elan Feingold says connectivity with other remote controls like the wireless Xbox 360 controller is in the works.

OSXMBC only runs Intel Macs running Leopard, and it looks like it’s going to stay that way, according to the developer’s FAQ. But the future looks bright for the development of the media center with features like Growl notification support and auto-updates on the roadmap. The developers are also working on improving HD playback on low-end Macs, like the 2 GHz Mac mini, which handles 720P content flawlessly but begins to hiccup with more processor intensive videos. That’s a combination that would make the perfect media center hub for any living room.

If you’re looking for a Front Row alternative, download the free software and take it for a test drive. If you’re not convinced, check out a demonstration video of the app with the sleek, Apple-licious PMIII skin installed.

Editor’s Note: This article is a replacement for our previous (erroneous) article on OSXBMC. Sorry for any inconveniences!