One of the most comfortable ways to watch IPTV television is Kodi. This is open source software for Android smart devices, thanks to which users can easily view a huge amount of content. The media player is suitable for new technology in television, where video transmission occurs on the same principle as the Internet. This technology is called IPTV, but to access it you need to configure Kodi IPTV.
The process of installing and configuring Kodi is within everyone’s control; you just need to find clear instructions and follow them unquestioningly. By the way, the instructions are not universal for every device, so if you encounter difficulties installing Kodi on your computer or Smart TV, it is better to find a link to work specifically for your device.
Preparing to Set Up Kodi
The preparatory stage is no less important than the work itself. This is due to the fact that we will have to download several programs that will help us in our work, and we don’t have Kodi himself.
- We determine which OS is installed on the device and where the TV signal will be sent:
- Personal computer based on Windows, Linux or Mac OS X;
- Android set-top box or TV based on Android;
- Smartphone, tablet or Raspberry Pi board.
- We are searching for m3u. This is a very important moment, which directly affects how many channels will work and whether they will work at all. By the way, the format is also not specified by chance, since Kodi works with it. A playlist is a text file with specified links to channel broadcasts. You can find it on our website.
- Choose which version of Kodi is suitable for your device. Option 17 is the newest version so far, but setting up Kodi 16 IPTV is considered one of the simplest. So the choice of which version to install depends on the user.
- To download and install the program, go to the official website of the media center, or use any of these links:
- For Android on Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.xbmc.Kodi;
- For other systems, you can use the link to the official page https://Kodi.tv/download.
By the way, be careful, since the minimum version of Android that Kodi will run on is Android 4.2.
Setting up Kodi 17 IPTV
Now we’ll talk about the most important stage – setting up Kodi. If you do something wrong here, then all the previously made efforts will be wasted. But the developers understand that few people will want to work with a program that is too complex, so they have simplified the process as much as possible. The instructions look like this:
- We launch the media center and enable the TV function in it. This is done like this: "System-Settings-General-On". Next, a message appears, and you need to click on "OK". Select “PVR IPTV Simple Client-Enable”;
- Connecting a playlist to Kodi. Go to the menu "Tune", indicate the location of the sheet (via a link from the Internet or locally). IN "Path to M3U" insert the playlist link;
- The next step is to add a program guide. Go to “PVR IPTV Simple Client properties”, then in "EPG Settings", So "Path to XML TV", entering the address there without brackets;
- Reboot Kodi and wait a few seconds for the result. But you need to close all windows that are active on the device, otherwise the procedure will not be possible.
At the end of this procedure, information will appear on the screen, or rather in the upper and lower right corners, that programs and channels have been loaded. Then you can go to the main menu, where you will open a new item that was not there before - the TV item.
Kodi as a media center for all occasions
Even at the stage when this media center was known as XBMC, users had already managed to appreciate it due to its omnivorous nature. It can play almost any video or audio format. Here are just a small part of its capabilities, both related to IPTV and not.
Now it’s time to talk in more detail about the initial setup of this media shell, since we receive a lot of emails with questions about it. As you already know, there are versions of Kodi for various platforms, but I will tell you how to set up a media center on Windows OS.
1 Shell system settings
Initial Kodi setup
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First, activate the Russian language in the “System | Settings | Appearance | International | Language", select Russian from the list, then in the "Language and Region" section set the required region and keyboard layout. Next, in the system menu section “Settings | System”, change the settings in the “Video Output” and “Sound Output” tabs according to your computer configuration. For example, choose a 5.1 sound scheme and a display resolution of 1920x1080p.
2 Adding files to your library
To add your movie collection to your Kodi library, go to the “Video | Files | Add video" and click on the "Browse" button to select the folder directory with video files on your computer or home server (NAS). To connect two or more file sources, click the “Add” button and select a local folder or network device. The last step is to set a name for the file directory and click OK to move to the next step.
3 Create a directory classified by data type
Now we have to get data about our files uploaded to the media library, be it music or video. Kodi has several services (including Kinopoisk) for downloading our media library metadata. You can set the source content type in the menu: movies, TV series, etc., so that the plugin used in Kodi can get all the data about the files in the directory from the Internet. If your files are in folders whose names correspond to the names of the films, select the appropriate item additionally. It is worth noting that when using the Kinopoisk plugin to download metadata, you must specify the file name in any language with the year in brackets (for example, Youth (2015)). Also, do not forget to change the file metadata language to “ru” in the settings.
4 Media library management
You can access the catalog of your video files in the “Video | Files | [File name in library]”, or go to the required category on the home screen (Movies, TV series). By default, you get information about a movie by right-clicking on an entry and selecting this item. An additional way to navigate is by using the drop-down menu on the left side of the screen, where you can configure the “View” so that Kodi shows the information directly, without a context menu.
5 How to set up IPTV in Kodi
Go to the “SYSTEM-Settings” menu and select the section - TV. Then in the “General” menu, activate the TV function - select “On”, make it active and when a warning appears that there are no active PVR managers, click OK.
After we clicked "OK", you will be redirected to the page with add-ons - PVR clients. Select the PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on: then click enable and configure.
In the settings menu of the PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on, you need to configure the first and second fields. In the “Location” field, indicate the location where the iptv playlist is stored - a remote path (stored on the Internet, suitable for self-updating playlists) or select a local path (the playlist can also be located on the local network), you can select the playlist that you saved on your computer or tablet, phone when using Kodi on Android devices.
The second field is the path to the .m3u file or playlist. After all fields are filled in, click OK. Exit to the main menu and restart Kodi for the changes to take effect. After the restart, the TV item appears in the main menu of the player; when you go into it, you will see a list of iptv channels from the downloaded m3u playlist.
Select the required channel to check playback. Ready!
6 Play torrents in Kodi without waiting for download
To play videos from Bittorent peer-to-peer networks in Kodi without waiting for the full download and to manage torrent client downloads, I recommend the Torrenter v2 plugin. The plugin supports search across all popular trackers: RuTracker, NNM-club, RuTor, etc.
The Torrenter plugin supports Windows 7, 8.1 and 10; it can work on Raspberry Pi and mini-computers. Plus, the plugin supports mobile devices running Android OS. The plugin has been tested on Kodi version: 14/15.
Screenshots of the plugin interface
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To install the plugin, use the following repositories: MyShows.me Kodi Repo or XBMC.ru search db. You can install the XBMC.ru search db repository and in the future the repositories of many plugin developers will be available in the Kodi media center.
After installing the repository, in the Kodi menu, do the following: “System | Settings | Add-ons | Download add-ons | XBMC.ru search db | Add-ons repository." Select MyShows.me Kodi Repo and click “Install” in the window that opens. Set search engines for the trackers you use in the “Video | Video extras | Torrent | Search Control Window | Install trackers." In the window that opens, click on the required trackers and then “Install”.
This completes the installation of the repository, now you can open Torrenter and start searching for files.
List of plugin functions for playing torrents:
- integration with the uTorrent torrent client;
- ability to select trackers;
- preliminary download and automatic playback of the next episode;
- lists of films and TV series with metadata from TheMovieDB.org, TheTVDB.com and Kinopoisk.ru;
- search history.
The functionality of the Kodi media center is easily expanded with numerous add-ons (YouTube, media libraries, Internet radio, etc.). I recommend paying attention to the Watchdog plugin, which automatically scans your media collection for changes every time you launch it. You will find this add-on under “System | Add-ons | Install from repository | Services".
7 Kodi and setting up a DLNA network
Kodi supports DLNA networking (supports external UPnP/DLNA devices):
- act as a DLNA client - receive and play content from other devices (UPnP/DLNA), add devices to Kodi UPnP/DLNA for playing videos from the library;
- act as a DLNA server - provide the ability to play content from Kodi to other devices on the DLNA network;
- the ability to share your media library with other UPnP and DLNA devices;
- ability to manage UPnP/DLNA devices.
How to add UPnP/DLNA devices to Kodi
Open Kodi's media center and go to the Videos section, click Files, and then Add Video.
Go to the “System” section, click “Services” to share your media library.
With Kodi Boxes becoming increasingly popular, this article aims to explain the technology.
For those who are new to Kodi, you can run it on your desktop, install it on Android from the Play Store, or even follow a workaround to get it running on your iOS device. As for Kodi Box, they are becoming more and more common today.
If you regularly follow news related to Internet technology, you might have seen some disturbing stories about the legality of such devices. In this article, I explain what Kodi Box is and offer you the definitive answer on their legality.
What's happenedKodi?
Before explaining what Kodi Box is, it would be appropriate to first clarify what Kodi is.
Formerly known as XMBC, Kodi is a free and open-source media player. It acts as one centralized hub for all your locally stored entertainment. It also allows you to watch live videos. thanks to support for the most famous connections including MediaPortal, MythTV, NextPVR, Tvheadend and VDR.
The Kodi software is cross-platform (available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS), it can play virtually any media format you throw at it, and can stream your content to other Kodi installations on your network or on any device that supports UPnP.
However, for many users, the software's greatest appeal lies in its add-ons. Considering the app is open source, there are thousands of add-ons to choose from. Some of them are completely legal (like YouTube, Hulu and Spotify), while others are completely illegal.
Unfortunately, the illegal ones attract the most attention. They allow you to watch sports from around the world, stream the latest episodes of your favorite TV shows, or catch the latest Hollywood blockbusters the day they hit theaters.
What's happenedKodiBox?
The Kodi Box is a standalone device that runs the Kodi software and connects directly to your TV or monitor. Kodi Boxes come with the full version of the application, pre-installed and ready to use. All you need is the device itself, a power cord, and an HDMI cable.
Some Kodi Boxes are specifically designed to run Kodi software, while others are modifications to TV boxes and media players. Kodi can run on Amazon Fire TV, Chromebox, Google Nexus Player, NVIDIA SHIELD, any device that supports Android TV, Raspberry Pi, and a variety of products from small independent manufacturers.
Does itIs Kodi illegal?
The answer is a resounding “No.” Kodi is not illegal now and will almost certainly never become illegal in the future.
In simple words, Kodi is nothing more than a media application. When you install it on your device, it is blank. It is nothing more than a shell waiting for you, the user, to fill it with content. No add-ons come pre-packaged, and even if they did, there's no way the developers would release an app with illegal content.
Kodi even has an official repository for add-ons. Each of the add-ons you will find in it are completely legal to download and use in any jurisdiction.
AreKodiBox illegal?
The answer is again: “No.” But this time there is a caveat.
First, let's be very clear: if you buy a Kodi Box and it only contains a copy of the installed app, you're safe. Your purchase is completely legal and you have nothing to worry about. What you do with this device after purchase is your choice and you are responsible for your decisions.
The law in most countries, including Russia, is very clear: access to pirated content is prohibited. Therefore, if you buy a fully loaded Kodi Box, it will be illegal (just like downloading movies from torrents).
Interestingly, there is nothing special about fully loaded boxes. The seller simply loaded them with some of the most popular illegal add-ons. This means there is nothing stopping you from turning your Kodi Box into a fully loaded Kodi Box yourself.
Can the authorities killKodi dueKodiBox?
This is very unlikely. Fully loaded Kodi Boxes are attractive because they can act like a regular satellite or cable TV: you have a remote control, you can find any channel and get an on-screen guide on your TV.
But in terms of content, they are no different from using Windows, Chrome or any other application to access pirated content. You don't need any technical knowledge, and if you know where to look, there's plenty of illegal content you can watch for free.
If Windows is safe from the hands of the law, Kodi is also safe.
Can the authorities persecute you?
The answer to this question depends on where you live.
In the UK, strict measures are now being taken to block sellers of these devices. The UK courts have sent a clear message: it is against the law and sales systems that allow people to watch unauthorized broadcasts are a form of mass piracy and are serious enough to warrant a custodial sentence. Now consumers can rest assured that these systems are illegal.
It is unclear whether courts will ultimately be able to prosecute end users. There doesn't seem to be much of a chance at the moment, but things could change quickly.
It's fair to assume that Kodi Boxes will spread quickly in the same way as torrent clients. Subscribers of the country's major internet providers will have to disconnect their users if they continually ignore warnings.
In continental Europe the situation is somewhat different. According to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), you are not breaking the law if you use Kodi Box (or the Kodi desktop app) to send copyrighted material.
The law stems from a landmark case in 2014. Several media conglomerates are suing media services company Meltwater. The CJEU supported Meltwater. He said viewing copyrighted content is not copyright infringement because users only have temporary data on their computers.
However, you should not become complacent. The CJEU is currently reviewing the legality of transmitting copyrighted content via Kodi. Media companies brought the case after a complaint against a Dutch seller known for selling fully loaded Kodi Boxes. A decision is expected at the end of 2017.
You haveKodiBox?
To sum it up, the Kodi app is legal and the Kodi Box is legal. Kodi Boxes loaded with add-ons that allow you to access copyrighted material are illegal. Of course, using Kodi to access pirated content on your desktop is also illegal, but that's not something our authorities are currently concerned with.
Do you have Kodi Box? Is it a blank Kodi box or is it fully loaded with apps? Are you concerned about the growing debate about the legality of Kodi Box? Are you afraid of being charged for using Kodi box to view copyrighted material? Please let us know in the comments below.
Kodi is a full-fledged platform for playing video and music, watching TV shows, IP television and even streaming, which can be installed on various devices, from a computer to a Raspberry Pi or Android. This is a very powerful and multifunctional environment, and new users may not immediately understand what and how to do and configure.
In this article, we'll look at how to use Kodi, how to get started with the program, how to install it on your system, and discuss everything you should know before using it. But let's start with a short introduction.
Imagine a world where you can watch all your favorite TV shows, sports and movies anywhere, anytime, in a beautifully designed app. And all this is completely free. This is real, this is exactly the opportunity Kodi provides.
Kodi, formerly known as XBMC, is a software or application that functions as a media player. The program is open source, so you can download it completely free of charge. Kodi can play all types of digital media and all media formats. It is also possible to listen to music and even manage photos. Next we will look at how to set up kodi and install it on the system.
1. Install Kodi
You can get the program on the official website. There are versions for all supported platforms.
For Windows you can download an installer, and for Linux you can find installation instructions in various distributions. For example, to install the latest version of a program on Ubuntu, you need to run the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/ppa
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install kodi
You can also install kodi from the official repositories of most distributions by simply installing the package of the same name. Immediately after installation, you can use Kodi. The program can be launched from the main menu or through the terminal:
2. Interface setup
After the first launch of the program, you will see a beautiful interface but in English. But I would like the language to be Russian. To enable the Russian language, click on the gear in the upper left corner:
Then select "Interface Settings":
Just select the desired language from the list, for example, Russian. Immediately after clicking on the menu item, the program language will be changed.
3. Watch videos in Kodi
The most common way people want to use Kodi is to watch videos, as the program provides a single and easy-to-use interface for watching videos, TV shows, and movies. The program can open videos in two ways. You can watch videos saved locally or view recordings from the Internet. Let's look at how to set up Kodi to work with video. To open a video that is saved in your file system, select the menu item "Movies", "Series" or "Video", then open the files:
The program will display folders with files known to it, you can select one of them. For each video file, detailed information about it is displayed:
If the folder with your files is not yet known to the program, then you can add it by simply selecting "Add a video":
This will open a file system viewer where you can select the desired folder. At this stage, you also need to indicate that the folder contains a video and enter the source name.
After that, it will appear in the list and you will be able to see the video that is in it. The answer to the question of how to watch a kodi video is very simple, double click on it:
If you want to open a video from the Internet, the process will look a little different. You need to choose not "Files" A "Extras" from the main menu, and then go install the add-on for the desired resource. We'll look at working with add-ons below.
4. Play music in Kodi
In addition to watching videos and TV shows, you can listen to music stored on your computer in Kodi. Everything here is similar to the video. Only you need to select an item "Music", then "Files". Next, select the desired track or folder with tracks:
When adding a folder, you need to specify a name for the source:
Immediately after this, the source will be integrated into the library and you will be able to view your favorite tracks, sorted by name and artist. To get tracks from the Internet, you can install add-ons, such as Spotify.
3. Kodi extensions
You already know how to use the kodi program, but extensions are ways to greatly increase its capabilities. Kodi has quite a lot of features by default, but add-ons allow you to expand this list even further. With the help of add-ons, you can change the appearance, open sources from the Internet, both for video and audio tracks, and much more. For example, you can watch Kodi TV or play content directly from torrents. To install add-ons, select "Extras" in the main menu:
There are several ways to get add-ons, you can install them from a ZIP file, folder, remote site or Kodi add-on store. We will consider the last option. Select an item "Install from repository":
A list of add-on categories will open in front of you. Here you can choose audio add-ons, video add-ons, games, programs and much more. For example, let's install one of the video add-ons. To do this, select it from the list and click the button "Install". Very soon a message will appear that it has been installed.
Then you can find this add-on and open its menu in the section "Additions". Add-ons for Youtube, LastFm, Spotify and other services are installed in the same way. In addition to the official store, you can install add-ons from third-party repositories. To do this, first open the settings, go to the section "System Settings":
Then go to the tab "Extras" and turn on the checkbox opposite "Unconfirmed sources":
Confirm the action:
You can now install additional Kodi extension repositories on your system, as well as the extensions themselves. Let's add a repository. Go to section "File manager" in settings.
Then double click on the item "Add source":
In the window that opens, click on No and enter the repository address. For example, to add a Fusion repository you need to specify the address http://fussion.tvaddons.ag:
Then enter a name and click "Ok". Now the source has been added, but it is not ready to work yet, next you need to install the repository. Click on the program installation icon in the section "Extras":
Select "Install from ZIP", then select not your file system as the source, but the added network source. For example, Fussion.
Kodi is an entertainment media center right on your computer and for all popular formats. With it, you can watch movies in high definition and customize them as desired, as well as listen to music, creating your own playlists, watch pictures in a slide show or one at a time. There is also an online TV function, which also allows you to use a computer instead of a TV. All you need to do is download the latest version of Kodi in Russian and install it. The client does not take up much disk space, and during operation consumes a minimum of system resources. The installer is fully compatible with all versions of Windows OS and runs without administrator rights.
The main functionality includes a large list of supported formats. The most popular are GIF, JPG, MP3, DivX and Xvid. The utility also works with ISO images, which is convenient when playing DVD movies. You can download Kodi in just one click, quickly install and start using it. No system reboot, additional codes, etc. are required. The interface is made in a familiar style and has only the necessary functions and tabs. Thanks to the Russian language, it will be much easier and quicker for the user to navigate. The working environment itself is conveniently customizable and, when double-clicked, goes into full-screen mode. This way, there will be no distractions when watching movies.
There is a “Remember time” function, which allows you to quickly continue watching and listening from the moment you finished. The program also works with a remote control (remote control). All buttons are configured in a separate tab, and there is no delay between commands. This significantly improves the comfort of use, and also turns an ordinary computer into a home theater without special equipment. In order to download Kodi, you just need to click on the link and the download will start automatically. By default, the program is set to check for updates. You should not neglect it, because new builds and versions are regularly released in which the functionality and supported parameters will be expanded.
The main advantages of Kodi include:
- Russian language;
- cross platform;
- simple interface;
- working with all media formats;
- regular product updates.
