14 DAY TRIAL // XBMC, an open source (GPL) software media player and entertainment hub for digital media that is available for multiple platforms, has just reached version 13.0 RC and is now available for testing.
The developers are getting closer and closer to a final version of XBMC, and it seems that this build promises to be one of the best releases so far. Usually, the first RC in a software or Linux distribution is a big thing because it signals the fact that the development cycle is getting closer to the final goal.
“We hope you are as excited about this as we are. After a year of hard work, improvements and testing since the release of version 12.0, we are delighted to announce the first release candidate of the upcoming XBMC 13.0, codenamed ‘Gotham’,” reads the official blog post.
There are so many interesting changes and new features that it's practically impossible to single any of them out. According to the developers, one of the most requested features for the distribution was Android Hardware Decoding, and now the users’ wish has been granted. XBMC should be able to run Android 4.0 or higher, but you will need to check the hardware specifications of your device before downloading XBMC for Android. Basically, if you have an ARM-based device, it should work.
The developers also explained that both Raspberry Pi and Android have received significant speed improvements, which means that opening libraries, browsing through them, loading images, and starting videos should happen much smoother.
XBMC 13.0 RC “Gotham” should also be capable now of supporting 3Dmovies, in a number of popular formats such as SBS, TAB, anaglyph, and interlaced. Blu-rays are no yet supported, not because it can't, but because they usually require powerful hardware configurations.
“The Audio Engine introduced with XBMC 12.0 ‘Frodo’ has been reworked to be simpler, faster, with better quality and less likelihood of breaking in XBMC 13 across all platforms. You may also notice that some users will need to reconfigure their audio settings. XBMC will now cooperate nicely with the pulseaudio server and will provide real pulseaudio suppor” is also noted in the announcement.
Check out the official announcement for a complete list of new features, updates, and changes. You can download XBMC 13.0 RC1 right now from Softpedia.
Remember that this is a development version and it should NOT be installed on production machines. It is intended for testing purposes only.