KODIinfo

I've researched two media servers for my use, PLEX and KODI.

PLEX is has a very rich and good looking interface and streaming is its focus. It provides the means to stream to smart TVs, computers and handheld devices.

KODI also has a nice interface and its focus is on playback to the local device, which might be connected to a large LCD monitor or a TV for the display. KODI has the ability to grab metadata for videos automatically, making for a very nice 'catalog' experience. In addition to videos, KODI can also playback music. I also learned that while there are some special 'distributions' that will install a minimal Ubuntu OS and KODI on top, there is a backport of KODI for Debian 8.3 "Jessie". I am acquainted with Debian and prefer it over other distributions, so this is the path I took.