Aeon is a new interface for XBMC that was built upon a very simple brief: to create an attractive, sophisticated and above all personal environment for organising and enjoying media. Of the many HTPC frontends in development and circulation, too many like to bombard the user with overwrought textures that draw attention away from the most important thing of all: the media itself. Aeon's solution is twofold. By favouring glass and otherwise transparent panels with little in the way of "bling", it allows digital media to express itself through its artwork. By drawing much of its texture and colour from themed definable backdrops, which it supports either as single images or cross-faded galleries, it allows individual tastes to dominate the experience. I didn't just want Aeon to be a organisational tool, I wanted it to be a place to decorate and call your own. You could say it puts the "home" in "home theatre" - just don't say it in public.
First developed for the Microsoft Xbox in 2002, XBMC is presently the most dynamic, reliable and powerful media player available for console or HTPC. Supporting almost all video and audio formats, it allows complete control over home media collections via multiple view options, database-driven libraries and internet lookups. Also available for Linux, Mac and Windows-based HTPCs, it's now the superior choice for HD playback, supporting all SD and HD resolutions.
The current version of Aeon includes the following features:

  • Unmatched levels of user customisation, allowing features to be toggled and repositioned, and backgrounds defined in multiple configurations for each separate media type
  • Native support for 1080p "TrueHD" televisions, meaning no upscaling or loss of fidelity
  • A combined Home and Settings window unique amongst the current crop of XBMC skins
  • Various fullscreen and "mounted" view types designed with a disciplined approach to information display, aesthetic balance and overall consistency
  • Interface-wide display of time/date and, optionally, local weather
  • Database library views for organising large movie and TV Show collections
  • Support for contextual artwork for movies and TV shows
  • Discreet, interface-wide "Now Playing" panels
  • Unique "Roller" object for music album covers
The version of Aeon pictured on this site is currently in development and not yet released.
An older, incomplete version can be found here: ALPHA14 (29th July 2008)
All new users should check the README document first

AEON interface and site design/code © Duncan Harris 2008
Additional AEON artwork by Emilio Ayala