What is Kodi Media Player? Everything You Need to Know

In this modern world, people get entertained in plenty of ways. Streaming media is one of the topmost entertainment that is used by people all over the world. Here is what Kodi comes to play, It is the most powerful media player, that enables you to stream an enormous amount of contents easily. With Kodi, you can enhance your entertainment capability in your home without any restrictions. It is such kind of free open source software that enables you to watch all your favourite Movies and TV Shows without any hassle. It is previously known as XBMC, that was founded by the XBMC Foundation. Are you a movie lover or an avid TV Shows watcher? then Kodi is the perfect way to go.

The software was developed in 2002 as XBMC (Xbox Media Center) for Xbox only, Later it rechristened as Kodi. It is available for multiple operating systems and hardware platforms So that you can get Kodi for Windows, Android, Mac, Windows Phone, Tablets, Linux, Amazon Firestick, Smart TV, Raspberry Pi, Android TV Boxes and many more. It allows you to play and view most streaming media, such as videos, podcasts, music, and videos from the Internet, and also all the common digital media files from the local and network storage media.

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Table of Contents:

• What is Kodi?
• What is Kodi Build?
• What is a Kodi Repository?
• Is Kodi Legal?
• Is Kodi safe to use?
• What is a Kodi EPG?
• What are the Devices does Kodi Support?
• What is a Kodi Wizard?
• What is a Kodi Addon?
• What is Kodi Skin?
• How to Use Kodi?
• Kodi Alternatives
• Kodi Review and Final Thoughts

What is Kodi?

Many of you may still confused about What Kodi is? let me explain this to you clearly. Kodi is an open source and free media player, formerly known as XBMC. It is designed to be used for home entertainment purposes. If you want to watch Movies, Live TV Channels, Latest Hollywood Movies or TV Shows, then the Kodi is the excellent option for you. It turns your devices into a virtual hub. Once after installing the Kodi app you can play and download all your favourite videos, music, pictures etc., You can even access all the latest news, documentaries, movies and many more. Kodi’s user interface is simple and easy to use, it is also called “10-foot UI”, meaning it can be read from the theoretical distance of up to 10ft away.

Kodi enables you to access contents from the internet with the help of various addons, these Addons are developed by the members of the Kodi open source community. It brings all your contents together, no matter whether it is on your personal library or from the Addons. You can access all your contents through one media centre. It also has some cool features, such as the ability to use the metadata to organize your music and videos. You can also import posters, trailers, fan art, and video extras, you can enhance your movie collections by doing this so. You can customize the display and menu system in whichever the way you want. Although the software provides you with plenty of features, still it has some disadvantages too.

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Advantages of using Kodi Media Player:

• Free and open source media player.
• Playback, playlist and media library can be controlled remotely even without the monitor.
• It organizes all your media files together at a single place.
• Access paid contents including (Movies, Live Sports, TV Shows, Animations and more) for free with the third party Addons.
• Supports almost all types of audio and video files.

Disadvantages of using Kodi Media Player:

• Some of the Official Addons do not work.
• There may be malware with the third party or unofficial Kodi Addons, which might cause a serious threat to your privacy.
• Only a limited amount of Official Addons are available.

What is Kodi Build?

Kodi build is an excellent way to set up the software by running it within the app. The build will install everything in a single click such as popular addons, settings, skin, electronic program guide and many more.

Once after installing the Kodi you can customize it as you wish. You can look for the different addons and choose based on your needs. You can also install just one build, which includes numerous addons with a lot of content. Kodiapps Build saves your time that is required for hours of searching and selecting specific addons and you can run it in minutes with few clicks. Using Kodi Build is the much simplest way to use Kodi to stream and download the contents quickly and easily.

Related: How to Install Vader Streams Kodi Addon?

What is a Kodi Repository?

Kodi Repositories, also known as Repo’s are containers for Addons, these are the apps for Kodi. This is the place where you can find Addons. There is a lot of repositories available, some of the repo has only one Addons, other has many. You can install a set of Addons by simply installing the Repository, instead of individual Addons, the Addons, when the new version is released. The Repositories are available in the form of ZIP files. It gets updated once the newer or better version has been released.

Is Kodi Legal?

The answer to this question is yes, It is absolutely legal when you use the official addons. It has made the process easier for the users to access official Kodi Apps by providing the built-in official repository when you install the App. It doesn’t recommend using the third-party addons. The official addons do not offer you free Movies and TV Shows. And many of the addons not even work. Many people are using third-party addons, those addons may provide access to the copyright material, this may cause some legal issues.

Is Kodi safe to use?

Kodi is safe to use with its official addons, that can be found under the Kodi Repository. But when you use the unofficial addons like Exodus or SALTS, you might be doing something illegal whether you know it or not. Why because these third-party addons may provide access to plenty of pirated and copyright contents, that are illegal to watch. If you want to use Kodi safely its better to use only its official addons. But there is another option to safeguard yourself when using third-party addons, that is VPN. By using a VPN you can get rid of your ISP monitoring your activities. You can browse your favourite contents without leaving any trace. We recommend ExpressVPN, which is the fastest and most reliable VPN Service.

Related: Kodi for PS4 and PS3 – How to Install Kodi on PS4 & PS3?

What is a Kodi EPG?

Kodi EPG is an Electronic Program Guide, that works with your live tv addons, that you have installed on your system. It is pretty much the same as the program guide that comes with the cable or dish service. You can see what is currently playing and start the stream through this user-friendly interface. You can also access many different Kodi EPG addons, But those addons depend on the live tv addons, that you installed on your Kodi.

What are the Devices does Kodi Support?

When the XBMC (Xbox Media Centre) was developed, it only supported Xbox and it required a lot of learning curve to set it up on Xbox. Now it supports almost all the devices including Windows PC, Android, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android Smart TV, Android TV Boxes, Amazon Firestick/FireTV, and even Raspberry Pi. Now it is easy to install Kodi on your devices and you can even choose to sync your media libraries across multiple devices with Kodi, this can be made possible with the help of addons or you can even make it over a local network.

What is a Kodi Wizard?

Kodi Wizard is a container of Kodi builds, with this builds you can choose to install with a single click. A wizard also includes some handy tools which can help with the buffering, speed test, installing Android applications etc., You can get access to addons, repositories, and builds within the Wizard. You can save your time through this wizard since it handles multiple functions with a click. You can install the Wizard as a .zip file within the settings panel.

Related: How to Download and Install Kodi on Roku?

What is a Kodi Addon?

Kodi Addons are also called as Kodiapps, these are a small application that extends the kodi’s functionality. There are thousands of addons available for Kodi. The addons provide you with an enormous amount of benefits and higher accessibility for streaming media online. You can get addons in both the official Repository or from the third-parties on the internet. Some of the most popular addons provide access to free movies, live tv streams, television shows, live sports, and pay per view events.

What is Kodi Skin?

The Skin changes the look of your Kodiapp. It gives you a new look and feel, in which you can change your colors, themes, position of the menu and using the new Kodi Skin. With these skins, you never get bored of looking at the same interface. You can have such a great level of customizable options with the available Skins.

How to Use Kodi?

Once after installing the Kodi, you can see the home screen that allows you to select images, videos, audios, and more. You can upload the content by simply clicking on it. Then your content will be stored locally or on the network drive. Contents that are stored on the network drive can be easily accessed, no matter whenever you want or wherever you are. It has all the contents in a well-categorized form, that enables you to access the content much easier. You can enhance its functionality by installing the Addons to enjoy watching your favourite Movies and TV Shows. It doesn’t have any learning curve so that you can easily use it to watch video contents.

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Kodi Alternatives

The following are the best alternatives to Kodi, that can be used insead of Kodi Media Player.

Plex Media Server

Plex is one of the best alternatives to Kodi. It is available as both free and paid version. The paid version offers you with some extra features. Plex lets you organize and stream the media content on your devices such as PC, Mac, Mobile, tablet, TV etc., Plex is available for almost all the platforms including Windows PC, Mac, Android, Linux and iOS.

Popcorn Time

Popcorn time is the multi-platform, free software BitTorrent client that has a built-in media player. It enables you to play hundreds of movies and Tv shows directly on your device, without the need for downloads. It is the another best alternative to be used.

Emby

Emby is another highly featured software for streaming your favourite collection of Movies, TV Shows, Music, home videos, and photos on your devices. You can use Emby as an alternative to both Kodi and Plex, that organizes all your contents for easy access.

Stremio

Stremio allows you to save and watch video files from third-party websites. You can discover, organize and watch videos from any sources without any hassle. Moreover, the interface of Stremio is easy to use and the contents are quickly accessible.

OSMC

OSMC (Open Source Media Center) is a free and open source media player based on Linux. It is one of the reliable open source media players that can be used as an alternative to XBMC. OSMC supports a wide range of devices including Windows, iOS, Linux, and also Raspberry Pi.

Universal Media Server

Universal Media Server is the highly featured DLNA-compliant UPnP Media Server. It supports all major operating systems like Windows, Mac, Linux etc., UMS can stream or transcode different media formats even without any configuration.

Kodi Review and Final Thoughts

Kodi is the most versatile media player that allows you to stream almost all kinds of media such as photos, music, Movies, TV Shows, Sports, Animation, Live TV and many more. It is one of the best options for people who are interested in multiple genres of contents. It not only supports stream, but you can also download the on-demand contents to your devices. You can even access country-specific media through this software. It is one of the most used family entertainment sources all around the world.

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