Kodi is a free and open-sourced media player that caters to the users seeking home entertainment. It was built back in 2002, and on its launch, it was known as the Xbox media player. A few years later, we had the Xbox media center and the final version since 2014 that was renamed as Kodi. Kodi is brought to you by the XBMC Foundation.
The popularity and the use of Kodi
In reality, Kodi has a variety of uses as far as entertainment is concerned. It allows you to access all kinds of movies, music, TV shows, and live streaming content. You can even watch your local content of hard-drive or laptop storage. Once you have your file, Kodi can search for posters, trailers, video extras, and trivia. Kodi is a favorite among users due to stream live sporting events from all over the world.
The legality of it
With all the crackdown over the legality of streaming content and pirated movies/TV shows, it is quite a natural query regarding the legality of Kodi use. However, we assure you as Kodi is entirely legal and is currently under the banner of Microsoft. Mostly Kodi is used as a web browser.
But here is something that you need to keep in mind. To explore the full potential of your Kodi build, you will need add-ons, and here is where the legality of the matter comes into play. Specific add-ons are illegal, depending on the state/country of your residence. Keep in mind that the official Kodi team also distances itself from most third-party add-ons that might bring law enforcement’s attention to the user.
The need for VPN
A Virtual Personal Network or VPN service is therefore extremely crucial to hide all your internet activity from the prying eyes of ISPs and various government and cyber-crime agencies. When you are trying to access geo-restricted streaming content, always search for the best free VPN for Netflix or similar and install before starting the watch party.
In the following post, we have carefully gone over the details regarding the Kodi setup, and we hope that our list helps you to understand and use the tool the best way possible.
Compatibility features
Before installing any software or app, it is essential to understand the compatibility features of the same with your platform. Keep in mind that Kodi was built for global domination and therefore is compatible with a host of devices that include tablets, desktops, laptops, android/iOS devices, Set-top boxes, NVIDIA SHIELD TV, Android TV, and Amazon FireTV. So, whatever may be the device you are using, there is a high chance that Kodi will be compatible.
Installation guide
Windows
Let us start with Windows. Here is a step by step guide.
- Navigate to the official site for Kodi at Kodi.tv
- From the list of compatible platforms, select Windows OS
- You will have two options for installation following step 2
- If you choose the Windows store, you will need to sign in to your Microsoft account and click install. The file will automatically download and install it on your device.
- For the second option, if you are looking to download the .exe file manually, you need to click on the “installer” function to download the executable file and install
MacOS
- Navigate to the Kodi.tv official download site
- Select Mac OS from the list of compatible devices and download the installer
- The download will complete automatically, following which you need to extract the image to install the file.
- Mac devices, by default, do not allow downloadable files from unverified sources, so you might need to disable the firewall before installation.
Android
There are two ways of going about it; the official Google Play store or the executable .apk file. Let’s have a look.
- For the Playstore version, all you need to do is navigate to the store on your Android device and click download and install
- The file will automatically install, following which you can start using it right away
- For using the executable .apk file, first, you will need to “allow” download and install files from untrusted/unknown sources at the “settings” menu of your Android
- Then download the application from third-party hosting service or the official site
- Once the download is complete, you can execute the installation
Android TV
If your Android TV box already has the Google Play store installed, then downloading and installing Kodi is the same as stated in the earlier “Android” device section. However, if you are looking to use the ES file explorer, then follow the steps.
- Navigate to the settings menu of the TV and then to the system and developer option
- Turn on download and install from unknown sources
- Run the ES Explorer application
- Go to download manager and search for Kodi to download and install
Amazon Firestick and Fire TV
If you have a downloader on your Amazon device, then the download and installation are a cakewalk. However, there are other methods, as well.
- Navigate to the home screen and search for “downloader” in the search area
- Click to install the application on your device
- Allow installation from unverified sources at the settings menu
- Boot up the downloader and copy-paste the URL of Kodi to get redirected to the official Kodi webpage
- Once there, you need to select the right package version depending on the platform you are using
- The Kodi build should get installed automatically, and if there is no pop-up then you can manually search and run the file from the recent file list
A pro-tip for subtitles
- Register on a subtitle domain like the OpenSubtitles.org to create an account
- Open your Kodi build and navigate to the add-on from the home screen
- Click the open package icon to navigate to the “install from repository” option
- Click on the subtitles category and select “org” and install are the next screen that comes up
- When asked to “configure” at the installation screen, you need to put in your username and password for OpenSubtitles.org
- Return to the home screen to play movie/series file
- To get the right subtitle, all you need to do is click on the caption and download the language you need
That concludes our Kodi set-up guide, and we sincerely hope that this allows you to install and use Kodi without any trouble as your one-stop-entertainment option. All the best!