| Component | Role | Why It Matters | |-----------|------|----------------| | | OS platform | Provides driver support and flexibility for media‑center apps | | MPC‑Hc / MPC‑BE | Playback engine | Lightweight, supports every codec without extra plugins | | madVR | Video renderer | Upscales and color‑corrects with GPU‑level precision | | PowerStrip / ThrottleStop | Power management | Keeps CPU/GPU temperatures low for 24/7 operation | | Kodi (formerly XBMC) | Media library | Organizes large collections and streams from network shares |