[efigalaxie]

I know what Kodi does. - Kodi allows the playing of media files on a machine.

I know what Plex and Emby do. - They use a client/server architecture. They use a server to maintain a media database. Then various clients can hit the server for the media. The server can, if needed, transcode the media to something a particular client can use.

The plex/Emby plugins for Kodi - Allow the use of the skinnable and malleable kodi front end withe the Plex or Emby database.

Playon - is a server on a pc that will bundle streams that a PC can receive to relay them to other devices.

Have I got all this right

Right Now, I am using Emby on a Core I5/16GB/256GB SDD machine. It ONLY runs Emby...and PlayOn.......for which I use PlayLater...which I will not speak of further.

My experience is - It is nice to have the centralized database and streaming capability...especially outside my network. (I love having my own private Netflix. Yes I have the extra Emby pay service. )

So, if I have the delineations right, then if Emby/Plex develop a skinnable versatile front end, Kodi is not needed. If Kodi develops a server/stream capability, Plex/Emby are not needed.

[zpaolo]

So, if I have the delineations right, then if Emby/Plex develop a skinnable versatile front end, Kodi is not needed. If Kodi develops a server/stream capability, Plex/Emby are not needed.

This is somewhat already true: there's a skinnable client for Kodi which is OpenPHT (fork of Plex Home Theater gone open source) which is based on Kodi (AFAIK, correct me if I'm wrong) but has a very limited set of skins, very good skins and well integrated with Plex, but limited anyway. And on the other hand Kodi _can_ be used as a centralized server, never tried it so I don't know if it's as seamless as Plex or Emby to that regard.

Just a couple more points to clarify the differences between these softwares. One important point is platform support: there are Plex lients for iOS, Android, PC/Mac with various OS, Android TV and other Smart TVs etc. This is one of the key points of Plex and even if the quality of clients is not always the same, it's one of the reasons why I chose it over Emby (also because I didn't know Emby existed when I started messing with Plex )
Also for Plex there are some other integration options with Kodi: PlexKodiConnect wipes Kodi database and substitutes it with Ples database data, you can use any skin. PleXBMC creates two databases, one for Kodi one for Plex, but you need skin support, and Plex Addon for Kodi is an official client with a custom, non skinnable UI that uses kodi as a player.

[efigalaxie]

Emby also has an add-on that substitutes Emby's database for that of Kodi's. Kodi itself can use a MySQL Db that all the clients hit. The lines are really blurred in some regards. I am currently having Kodi use the Emby Db. I believe that in some ways, Kodi is using Emby's Db to make it's own...that it isn't actually using or touching Emby's Db in a live sense. The reason I say this is that Kodi does a sync upon activation. If Kodi were actually using the EmbyDb, there would be nothing to synchronize. This can cause issues if one tries to start using Kodi to quickly before the sync is done. I find it best to allow the sync to complete.....usually within 3 minutes...(5 at the most so far..when I have just added movies and a TV series.) Once the Sync has completed..all is well.

[smitchell6879]

I setup MySql for Kodi and haven't looked bad works very well and I can setup different databases for different profiles(haven't tested it much) but the main database runs perfect and it is just like a dish or direct tv I can pause in one room and resume in another.... Everything is synced and very seldom do they become instances....All of my stuff is offline so I am not sure if internet would have any effect.

[zpaolo]

I setup MySql for Kodi and haven't looked bad works very well and I can setup different databases for different profiles(haven't tested it much) but the main database runs perfect and it is just like a dish or direct tv I can pause in one room and resume in another....

I think the "plus" of Plex and Emby is that they can transcode media for the client, if you want to look at your media on an iPad it can transcode formats that are not natively supported by the client, and of course this is true especially for systems where you can't install Kodi. The alternative being DLNA and VLC on the device, but you loose the "rich" experience of Kodi or Plex clients.