What is Kodi? The short answer is that it’s free, open-source, and available for almost any device. Besides, it has several nice features. What is Kodi and why to use it?
Kodi is an open-source media centre which lets you access a wide range of video content on any device. It has been available since 2002 and was called Xbox media player then in 2003 its name changed to Xbox media centre and remained the same until 2014 when it was finally changed to Kodi.
Kodi provides access to stream a wide variety of music and video content and even lets to save the data at home. It is also extremely functional with almost all the major operating systems and hundreds of devices including TV, laptops, tablets, mobile phones etcetera.
It has its interface and can work with both local and network storage services that you might be using. You can even do third-party add-ons to enhance your experience, also it does not have content outside the box.
Major functions of Kodi which make you choose it
When it comes to music, Kodi can work with numerous formats including MP3, AAC, OGG and many more. It contains the feature of smart playlists and can even tag different tracks.
In the video section, Kodi can work with 3D, ISO and H.264 formats alongside many more. Kodi can also stream content over the internet. After importing the films, you can add posters, trailers, video extras and fan art to them with the help of Kodi.
With TV, Kodi allows you to store your favourite shows in service. The TV shows section present in it let you add posters and tags and give descriptions about the show and actors.
When streaming live Tv, Kodi even lets you record it. It has now expanded its network range to YouTube TV, Sling, Hulu Live and DirecTV etc. To enjoy this facility, you have to use one of the backend services that support this feature, which can include TVheadend, NextPVR, MediaPortal, MythTV etc.
How does the Kodi function?
Kodi can function with Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows and Raspberry Pi which means that it can function on almost every device and lets you watch your favourite content anytime time from wherever you are.
It can run on television, set-top box and many streaming devices including Xbox One. It is absolutely free and contains many features that you would have to pay for in other apps. But since it is a universal Windows app, it does have its limitations but the company plans to expand its features in the near future.
The NVIDIA Shield TV is one of the popular Kodi devices. Once you start running it on your device, you’ll come across a banner that lets you decide on the Pictures, Videos, Music, and more. You just need to go to the content of your liking and upload it. The preferred content should be stored anywhere locally or on a network drive which you can access in your house or even from afar. Kodi dissects all your favourite content making its accessibility very easy on all the devices where it is installed.
How to set up Kodi?
Kodi contains a handy wiki which lets you know all the steps of setting up the service. After setting it up, you’ll have to add the content to the service. Kodi was made to be used in the living room which means that you can easily connect your remote con troll to work with the system and then you’ll just have to connect it to Kodi and you are all set to watch and enjoy.
If you have the desire to enjoy the service to its full extent, you can always check for the available add-ons which would enhance your experience with Kodi.
When running it on iOS, Kodi recommends using iOS 8.0 or higher to get the best experience. On the Mac, it should be Xcode 7 or higher for the best experience. Getting Kodi on iOS is comparatively difficult to get it on Android.
Devices that are compatible with Kodi
iOS users have a better chance for smooth functioning of Kodi on iPhones or iPads if their device is jailbroken. However, n the Android user only needs to be using Android 5.0 or later and get the app through Google Play.
Kodi also works with second, first and fourth-generation Apple TVs.
For running it on Linux you’ll need Intel Pentium 4 or newer and graphics cards that have been made within the last decade. You should also have 4GB of hard drive space available.
and For Mac users, Kodi will work on Mac OS X 10.13 or newer. And on Windows, it will need Windows 7 or newer to run.
If you want it to work on devices like televisions, you’ll need to check this Wiki (open the new tab).
Here’s how it works:
Free
Kodi is a popular media player that works on all platforms and is free to download and install. It allows you to view content from various sources and store multiple files. While Kodi is free and widely available, you should use a VPN to avoid installing illegal add-ons and geo-blocking websites when accessing the player. The best VPN service to use when accessing Kodi is Express.
Another free media player is Tubi, which Fox Corporation owns. It has a huge library full of movies and features easy-to-use filtering. It’s also great for watching the news and pulling streams from popular US news networks. This way, you can watch movies without worrying about downloading anything. While you can access your Tubi account without installing Kodi, you need an account to manage R-rated content.
Easy to use
You can install one of the available skins to make Kodi easier. Fortunately, there are several of them that you can choose from. Among them is the Black Glass Nova skin. This skin is a fanart-oriented, easy-to-use skin. It uses the Windows Vista interface and has been optimized for full HDTV screens. It also has higher customization options. For example, you can add widgets to the main screen. Andromeda also offers thumbnail viewing, which is particularly helpful if you have a large TV.
You can also use the BBC add-on to watch British television shows. This add-on links to the BBC’s online streaming service and has a mobile version. It also works on H.264 and ISO formats. Unlike Netflix, the BBC allows you to download and watch episodes later. Another helpful feature of the BBC add-on is its ability to download shows. You can watch episodes and full seasons of shows you’ve missed, so you don’t have to subscribe to any subscription.
Open-source
If you’ve been looking for a media player that works on Windows and Mac, you’ve come across Kodi. This free program supports many audio and video file types. You can enjoy all your media files in one place and even access paid content for free through unofficial or third-party add-ons. Just be careful when downloading these add-ons from unreliable sources. They may contain malicious software or track your online activity.
The developer of Kodi is a nonprofit organization. The XBMC Foundation, a tax-exempt, US-based nonprofit organization, is responsible for maintaining the software and contributing to its development. They also aim to make Kodi available on as many hardware and operating systems as possible. In addition to this, the project is available in many languages. Currently, it supports the most popular file formats.
Legal
A recent case involving the illegal use of Kodi drew the attention of the government and law enforcement. The case involved Brian Thompson, who was caught selling Kodi boxes that circumvented technology and were illegal to purchase. Thompson was fined PS1 and had no assets confiscated. However, he made PS38,500 from selling the boxes. Consequently, Kodi users must be careful to avoid such situations.
Moreover, the legality of Kodi is in doubt despite the numerous legal issues surrounding it. While the software is widely used for illicit purposes, it is also highly versatile and allows users to download free movie and sports subscription packages. However, despite its many advantages, Kodi users must remember that it is illegal to use it to stream content. Kodi users have even been arrested for selling preloaded boxes with illicit apps.
Is Kodi Safe?
The biggest question that matters is, is Kodi safe? I’m sure that you are happy to know that it is safe out of the box and won’t cause you any trouble. However, add-ons are not that reliable.
Some of them are expected to be not stable and might even create trouble in your hardware which is why it is always safe to check their quality before downloading them.
Hope you got all the information that you needed regarding the topic.
Is Kodi Legal? Learn about Kodi and why you should use it.