Kodi and XBMC

Below is a series of articles, how-to guides and news posts related to the XBMC media center, and later versions called the Kodi Media Center.

How To Set Up Kodi The Right Way: Complete Beginner’s Guide

By Callan on May 4, 2022
Updated on May 4, 2022 62 Comments

Updated May 2022

Need help setting up Kodi on your Android TV streaming box, PC, or another device? If you are a beginner and don’t really know where to start, this is the complete setup guide for you.

Our original Kodi setup guide for Kodi 16 Jarvis was one of the most popular posts on this site. Now, I’ve updated it for all you Kodi 19 users. Don’t worry if you are using an older version of Kodi; this guide will still help you. The software under the hood is mostly the same.

The best thing about Kodi is that there are so many different options and tweaks you can do to really make it your own – different skins, different backgrounds, and of course, third-party Kodi add-ons.

On the other hand, that also means Kodi can be pretty complicated – especially if you’re just getting started.

Kodi has a great community of Kodi users and developers, and there is the Kodi Wiki, as well. Those are going to be amazing resources as you get started, and even for tweaking your Kodi setup down the road.

For brand new users, though, finding your way around the forums can be challenging, and the Kodi community seems to assume quite a bit of existing knowledge that you won’t have yet.

This article should give you the basic information you need about Kodi to get set up and watching, and then you can take on the Kodi Wiki and forums to maximize your Kodi experience.

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How This Kodi Setup Guide Is Organized

If you’re starting from scratch, you can read this guide from start to finish and end up with a complete installation. If you’ve done some initial setup and want to improve it or see what you’re missing, you can use the hyperlinks below to jump to the sections you want and ignore the rest. It’s OK. My feelings won’t be hurt.

Keep in mind, though, that no matter what Kodi setup guide you read, you’re always going to want to tweak it a bit to suit your own needs.

Kodi works on lots of different hardware, and thus, there are many options and settings to change; there’s just no way to account for all of them, but if you follow this guide along with me, you’ll be well on your way.

Oh…and don’t worry about making any mistakes along the way. You can always reset Kodi and start with a clean slate if you mess up.

Information You (May) Want To Know

I mentioned earlier that Kodi works on many different systems: Android, Linux, Windows, and Mac to name a few.

To make writing this Kodi setup guide easier for this website’s audience, I have used screenshots from an Android TV box. Don’t worry, the interface is pretty similar regardless of what kind of hardware you are using.

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]The best thing about Kodi is that there are so many different options and tweaks that you can do to really make it your own.[/tweet_box]

What Is Kodi?

Kodi, which used to be called XBMC, is an open-source media center that grew from an amateur project to play content on the original Xbox. If you’re good with acronyms, you’ve probably already figured out that XBMC originally stood for Xbox Media Center.

It is designed to be used from your living room couch, so you’ll often hear that Kodi has a “10-foot user interface.” It allows Kodi users to play almost any file format for video, music, podcasts, and images on your TV, no matter where you store them.

If you’re wondering how the nicknames for each version come about, Kodi versions have usually been named after popular sci-fi, comic book, or generally geeky references:

XBMC v8.10 Atlantis (2008) – (Stargate)
XBMC v9.04 Babylon (2009) – (Babylon 5)
XBMC v9.11 Camelot (2009) – (King Arthur mythos)
XBMC v10.0 Dharma (2010) – (Lost)
XBMC v11.0 Eden (2012) – (Garden of…)
XBMC v12.0 Frodo (2013) – (Lord of the Rings)
XBMC v13.0 Gotham (2014) – (Batman – my personal favorite)
Kodi v14.0 Helix (2014) – (Helix TV show)
Kodi v15.0 Isengard (2015) – (Tolkien)
Kodi v16.0 Jarvis (2016) – (Tony Stark’s artificial intelligence)
Kodi v17.0 Krypton (2017) – (Superman’s homeworld)
Kodi v18.0 Leia (2018) – (Star Wars)
Kodi v19.4 Matrix (2022) – (The Matrix)

More than just playing your own files, Kodi brings in information from online databases, such as IMDB, to automatically categorize your music and provide blurbs, actors, directors, and further information. This means better searching and browsing.

Kodi also works a bit like an independent OS, in that you can download apps for Kodi, called add-ons, that can do a huge variety of things. They can give you regular weather updates, create smart photo carousels for your home screen, play live radio or TV, and search the internet for available streams of the hottest content. This is where Kodi gets really exciting.

Yes, you have read that correctly. With Kodi, you can get access to streams of the latest content including new releases. And no, you don’t need a subscription to a premium subscription service to access them. Is that legal? Well, while we can certainly argue that it is a gray area, the answer is almost certainly no.

While Kodi itself is legal (it is just media center software), if you choose to use Kodi to access copyrighted content without paying for it, then it is probably illegal. If you do choose to use Kodi in this way, make sure you use a VPN to protect yourself. More on this below.

What’s Changed In Kodi 19?

The main upgrade that you can expect with Kodi 19 Matrix over Kodi 18 Leia is the better quality video and audio playback, which is a top priority for most streamers.

There are also some improvements to the music library feature as well, as Kodi now brings in album release dates, album duration, multi-disc sets, and more detailed tags. Kodi has done this well for movies and series for several iterations, and now music lovers can expect the same level of functionality.

Are you ready to set up Kodi?

Download & Setup Kodi

Depending on what device you’re using, you’ve got several different options for installing Kodi. No matter what, you can always find all of the latest versions on the official Kodi download page at: https://kodi.tv/download/ (shown below).

While we always recommend downloading the latest version of Kodi, older versions are also available on the site if you want to stick to an older version for any reason.

For Android TV box users, for a long time, Kodi was not available in the Google Play Store so it was necessary to sideload the app. Kodi is now officially available via Google, so you can download and install the app from the Google Play Store like any other.

If you are using a locked-down Android TV device, like a Fire TV Stick, then you won’t have access to Kodi in your app store and you will need to sideload the app using Downloader. You can read our complete guide to installing Kodi on the Fire TV Stick (and other devices) using Downloader here.

Once you’ve installed Kodi, it’s time to learn how to navigate the interface.

How To Use Kodi/XBMC

Since this is probably your first time setting up and installing Kodi, I’ll touch briefly on how to navigate around the Kodi user interface, or “UI.”

Remember when I said earlier you’ll hear the words “10-foot user interface” quite a lot? Here’s what that means:

The older versions of Kodi had their main controls laid out in a ‘ribbon’ along the center of the screen and were configurable to a certain extent. Kodi 17 introduced a new Kodi skin (or theme) that aligned everything along the left-hand side of the screen to match the layouts of Netflix and Plex, and this continues in Kodi 19.

The main menu includes the following categories by default: Videos, Movies, TV Shows, Music, Music Videos, TV, Radio, Pictures, Add-ons, and Weather. (Whew. Try saying that in one breath.)

This is the default interface, but you can also add “skins” to Kodi that will change the user interface. These can make Kodi look very different, but there are so many that in this guide we will focus on the default interface since we can’t reference them all individually.

Context Menu

The Context menu will provide extra functionality depending on what screen you’re on when you click it. For example, in the image on the left, I brought up the context menu for the movie Wonder Woman. Here, the context menu gives us the option to play the video, mark it as “watched,” or pull up additional information on the movie.

On other screens, the options you see will be different depending on what makes sense for that media type.

How to pull up the Context menu depends on what type of device you’re using Kodi on:

Android: Long Press
Mouse: Right-click
Keyboard: ‘C’
Amazon Fire TV: Menu button
NVIDIA Shield controller: ‘X’ button

Kodi Setup Guide: Video Library

One of the most important steps in setting up Kodi is creating your media library; let’s start by adding videos. If you haven’t ripped your movie collection to your hard drive, you’ll need to do that first. Check out my tutorial on DVD and Blu-ray ripping with MakeMKV.

Before you start adding every file on your hard drive, though, there’s some prep work you need to do first.

Kodi expects media files to follow a certain format, and that format varies based on things like whether your file is a movie or a TV show. If the file name isn’t listed correctly, Kodi may not be able to tell what it is.

Why does that matter? Well, Kodi uses a process called scraping to pull data from the file. If Kodi isn’t able to scrape correctly, then it may do one of two things: It may ignore the file and skip over it when creating your library; or worse, it could mistake the file for a completely different movie.

You will want to put some thought into how your library is organized so that it makes sense to you, but if you follow these simple guidelines it will be easier for Kodi to figure out what’s in your library.

How To Organize Your Media Library

There are two common ways to organize your media folder:

One folder containing all of your media files
Each movie or TV series in its own folder

It’s your choice how you want to organize your media library. There are pros and cons to each method, and that’s a topic for another article, but I will offer this piece of advice. If you have a larger library, it will be easier to manage if each movie is in its own separate directory.

How To Name Movies

If you choose to use subfolders, movie folder names should include only the title and/or the year.

Tip: To improve the scraper’s performance, add the year in parentheses to the end of the folder or file name.

\Movies\Avatar(2009)\somefilename.mkv

\Movies\The Usual Suspects(1995)\somefilename.avi

How To Name TV Shows

If you’d prefer to have one folder for all of your media files, you would include the same information in the same order but you would change the filename rather than the folder name.

\TV Shows\House (2004)\Season 1\House.S01E01–Everybody Lies.mkv

\TV Shows\12 Monkeys\Season 1\S01E01 Splinter.avi

How To Add Movies To Your Library

Kodi uses the same general process to add Movies, Music, or Pictures to your media library. There are differences, of course, but the three processes all start out the same.

Start by scrolling down to Movies on the menu. Once you’re there, click the button that says Enter Files Section. If you don’t have anything in your library, it will take you directly to the screen below.

If you know the path of your media server, you can take a shortcut and enter it directly in the box here. I’m going to assume you don’t have that memorized, though, and in that case, you’ll need to Browse for it.

Depending on how your media server is set up, you’ll have a couple of different options here.

Kodi doesn’t care if you’ve got your media files on a Windows PC on your network, a dedicated Network Accessible Storage (NAS) device, or simply an external hard drive that has one folder with hundreds of movies on it. Kodi will figure it out.

For the purposes of this article, I’m going to assume you’ve already set up your server how you like it. The most popular option for home servers is some sort of Windows Network (SMB), so that will be the one we discuss here.

You’ll also have the option to add files from an external storage device, usually a flash drive or an external hard drive. Another popular option is via UPnP (Universal Plug and Play), but there are some inherent security risks with UPnP, so I don’t recommend using that method if it’s avoidable.

My network devices are named after characters, places, or things in movies. In this case, they’re characters from Big Hero 6. No judging, please.

Since I’ve already added some shares, you’ll see my external NAS listed here along with some subfolders. If your storage device doesn’t populate, you can click “Add Network Location” at the bottom of the list.

In this case, I’m adding the “Video Samples” folder, which is inside the “Videos” shared folder.

The way my files are set up, this is as far down into the file structure as I want to go. In each sub-folder underneath, there is a different video title. As you’ll see later, there are multiple versions of the videos in each folder, so there will be some duplication.

A good rule of thumb is to go as deep into your folder structure as you can, but not too far that you lose videos. Remember, Kodi can see in the current folder and any sub-folders below. It won’t look in the folders higher than whatever folder you’re in.

Once you’ve decided on your folder, click OK.

That will take you back to the Add Video Source window and add the file path to your media server in the box.

By default, Kodi will choose the folder name as the name for the share, but you can change the name of the share in the Enter a Name for the Media Source box.

Once you’ve chosen the folder, the next step is to tell Kodi what type of files are in the folder and to set some options for the Scraper.

This window is split into three parts. In the upper-left section, there’s a dropdown box titled This directory contains. The options here are:

Music Videos
Movies
TV Shows
None

Once you make a selection, you’ll have one or more options in the Choose a scraper section in the upper right.

In this example, I’m adding a folder of movies, so I’ve selected that from the drop-down box. Because of that choice, there are some Content Scanning Options in the bottom half of the window.

Remember when you set up your media library in the How to Name Movies section? Here’s where that choice is going to come into play.

Under the Content Scanning Options header, the first option is whether or not Movies are in a separate folder that matches the movie title. If your files are all in the same folder, leave this unchecked. If, instead, you have your movies in separate folders, make sure this option is checked.

The second option to Scan recursively is one I always check. This will force Kodi to look in any sub-folders for new files.

Depending on what scraper you use, there may be additional options listed under the Settings button at the bottom. These options determine whether or not Kodi will keep the original title, enable fanart, trailers, or where to get ratings from. Click OK when you’ve made any changes.

The final step is for Kodi to start scanning your new folder share and adding the videos to the library.

Thankfully, Kodi will let you move on to do other things while the scanning process does its thing. The only status bar you’ll see is in the very upper right-hand portion of the screen. Be warned: If you’ve got a rather large library, this process could take a long time. Once it’s done….

Your individual titles will have a full-color background image, a poster art, and some basic information such as resolution for each video, depending on what options you’ve chosen and what Kodi skin you’re using.

Back on the main Kodi home window, you’ll see thumbnail views of the last five movies you’ve added to your library above the center menu ribbon. In theory, if you’re consistently adding videos to your library these will be the files you’ll want to watch first.

There are a lot more tweaks and settings to help you get the most out of your videos, but let’s look at adding some music to Kodi next.

How To Setup Kodi: Music Library

Adding music to your library is the second biggest part of your Kodi setup. As of Kodi 16 Jarvis, it now follows a similar process as adding videos above, but that wasn’t always the case.

New Music

Prior to Kodi 16, there was a definite difference between how you used the Music and Video Libraries. For some reason, scanning files into your Music Library was a two-step process, unlike the automatic scanning available in the Video Library. You actually had to manually pull up the context menu and select Scan to Library.

Now, the system will ask you if you want to scan all the files in the folder immediately after you add a new source – just like it does for the Video Library.

Advantages

Kodi first announced the new Music Directory in December 2015 in a blog post on Kodi.tv. They listed quite a few enhancements, which I’ve highlighted below:

A library view consistent with Movies and TV Shows
Music file searching enabled
Library splits up the music into sections: Genres, Artists, Albums, Singles, All songs, Years, Top 100 (based on your playback), Recently Added/Played Albums, and Compilations
Ability to use Smart Playlists to further filter
Rate your music and filter based on that rating
Share music over your home network provided that the clients support UPnP
Scan for additional information like artist biography or album review/synopsis using the Context menu in the album or artist library

This can be enabled by default in Settings -> Music -> Library -> Fetch additional information during updates

Tagging Music In Kodi

In the Video section, I mentioned that Kodi needed files to be in a very specific format in order for the scrapers to figure out what the files were. The same holds true for your Music Library.

Unlike Videos and TV shows, Kodi doesn’t look at the file names themselves; it looks at the ID tags embedded in the file.

What this means is that each file (song) must have ID3v1, ID3v2.3, ID3v2.4, Vorbis Comments, or APE tagging. If the files aren’t tagged, Kodi won’t be able to figure out what the song really is.

Why Tagging?

If you think about it, this makes sense. When you look at a movie, you only need a combination of the movie title and the year in order to figure out what the movie is. For example, Transformers (1986) is very different from Transformers (2007), but with those two pieces of information, you can easily determine which is which.

With music, it’s much harder. A song can have live and studio versions of the same song, acoustic or full band versions, even karaoke versions – sometimes all on the same album. Or worse, different artists can release different songs with the same title in the same year.

How can Kodi figure it all out without making the file names incredibly huge?

That’s where tagging comes in. Tagging embeds information in the file itself including Artist, Album, Year, Track Number, Genre, Length, and Bit Rate. Tagging can even hold information on the beats per minute or rating of the song.

What if your music files aren’t tagged?

I’m not going to say it’s an easy thing to fix, but there are programs that can help you with the process. I’d suggest looking at MusicBrainz Picard or Mp3Tag.

How To Add Music To Your Library

Because the new Music Directory is modeled after the Video library, this will hopefully look very familiar if you’ve been following along. If you haven’t been following along….why not? 😉

Start by scrolling down to Music on the side menu. The submenus underneath Music may look different than the screen on the left; this image is from a fresh installation with no music files whatsoever.

If that’s the case, Kodi is smart enough to realize you’re either going to want to install a music add-on or set up your library. There’s no need for it to show any additional information such as Artists, Albums, Songs, or Library since they don’t exist yet.

Whether you have nothing in your library yet or you want to add files to an existing library, click Enter Files Section to continue. If you already have done this and you don’t have anything in your library, it will take you directly to the screen below.

Either way, we’ll be going to the Files section to set up your music library.

Depending on how Kodi is set up on your network, your shares may appear in this menu. If you know the path of your media server, you can take a shortcut and enter it directly in the box here. If you don’t know the path, you’ll need to Browse for it.

If you already have some files set up, there will be a list of folder shares in an intermediate menu before this with an option to Add Music. I covered folder shares in the Video section above, but just in case you skipped that section, I’ll touch on it again in a little bit. As you can see below, the shares I set up in the previous section are listed here.

My music is stored on the same NAS (Network Accessible Storage) server as my movies, so I’ll select Windows Network (SMB) to continue. Depending on how your network is set up, you may have your files stored on an external drive or even a UPnP server somewhere else on the network.

Since I know the name of my NAS server, I’ll select it from the list.

Once I select a device, Kodi then looks at any folders it finds and asks where my music is located. In this case, I only want to go one more level down, since that’s where the Artist sub-folders are located. As you’re navigating through your folders, Kodi will keep updating the file path at the bottom of the screen.

Once you get as far down as you want, click OK.

That will take you back to the Add Music Source window and add the file path to your media server in the box.

By default, Kodi will choose the folder name as the name for the share, but you can change the name of the share in the Enter a Name for the Media Source box.

As I mentioned earlier, one of the big improvements to the Music Library is that it will automatically ask you if you want to add the media from this source to your library. Unless you’re adding multiple folders and want to scan at the end, I would always select Yes.

Scanning your Music will usually take considerably longer than scanning your Video Library. Most of us have libraries with several thousand songs in them, and that can be time-consuming to scan and index. Be patient here.

Once Kodi finishes, you’ll find the recently added albums on top of the main ribbon on the Kodi home window.

Kodi Setup Guide: Images

Kodi does a lot more than just play movies and music. Kodi can also take your photo library for a spin too.

There isn’t as much functionality included in the picture viewer, mostly because there isn’t a whole lot you can do with images out of the box. That being said, there are quite a few great Kodi add-ons to help put a little spice into your image library.

Adding Pictures To The Library

If you’ve added music or movies to your library, this is going to look very familiar. From the Kodi home screen’s ribbon, scroll over to the Pictures option. Here there’s only one sub-menu listed below for any Add-ons you want to install. That’s not what we’re looking for, so click on the main Pictures option instead.

Just as with Movies and Music, you can install Kodi add-ons and add files to your media library on this screen. Also, when you do have pictures in your library, their folder names will be listed in this menu as well.

Unlike the Movies and Music tabs, the Pictures menu is much simpler. In fact, all you can do on this page is add pictures to your library or install an add-on.

Let’s walk through how to add pictures to your Kodi media library. As you can probably guess, you’re going to want to click on Add pictures… to start the process.

By now, Adding a Source should look familiar. If you know the file path, you can enter it in the text box, or click Browse to search for it.

All of the drives your Kodi installation can detect will be listed here.

My pictures are stored on a Western Digital MyCloud Network Accessible Storage (NAS) device, which could be found in one of three ways, depending on how I set it up: Network File System (NFS), Universal Plug and Play UPnP devices, or Windows network (SMB). In my particular Kodi setup, it’s configured as a Windows network (SMB) device.

Navigate to the folder your pictures are stored in. For this example, I went to one individual folder without any subfolders. Kodi won’t list the individual pictures, only the folder names.

Once you’ve found the folder, click OK to continue.

Once you click OK, you’ll be brought back to the Add Pictures source window and your folder path will be listed in the text box. Choose a name for your pictures and click OK to continue.

That will take you back to the main Pictures sub-menu and your folder will be listed on the menu. In my case, you can see my Sample Pictures folder listed between Picture add-ons and Add pictures...

Kodi will then attempt to scan the folder to get a better idea of what kind of files are in that directory.

After the scan is complete, click in your new directory and take a look at your pictures library.

Pictures Sidebar Menu

You can access the Pictures sidebar menu by moving the mouse to the left-hand side of the screen and selecting Options on the lower left-hand corner, or by pressing the left directional arrow if you’re using a remote control with a D-pad.

From the sidebar menu, you can change settings related to how you view your pictures and how you view slideshows. The View options are fairly self-explanatory, but I want to touch on the slideshow settings. They are listed under the Misc Options heading.

Actions

Once you’re in a folder that has pictures in it, you’ll see three things listed in the sidebar menu: Slideshow, Recursive Slideshow, and Randomize. The only settings change here is the toggle for randomizing the order your photos appear.

The Slideshow and Recursive Slideshow options will both (predictably) start a slideshow using the pictures in this folder. A Recursive Slideshow will also look in any and all sub-folders in the directory and include those images in the slideshow as well. Recursion really just means “include subfolders.”

Repository Add-Ons

Add-ons are at the heart of Kodi. In fact, many people would argue that without third-party developers creating add-ons and adding extra functionality, Kodi would be nowhere near as popular as it is today.

Kodi includes an Official Kodi Repository filled with hundreds of add-ons, which are supplied and supported either by members of Team Kodi or by developers they trust. You can find an add-on for just about anything you want – skins, streaming services, sports, live TV…the list goes on.

If that’s not enough for you, there are tons of unofficial repositories on the Internet you can download add-ons from. Many of these Kodi add-ons are of questionable quality and even more questionable legality, but if you Google a particular add-on, the reviews and comments will likely let you know which those are. I look deeper into add-ons in the following section.

How To Install Repository Add-Ons

The easiest method for installing Kodi add-ons is to scroll down to the Add-ons menu and then Enter add-on Browser.

The Kodi Add-On Browser

Once you open the add-on browser, you’ll find a couple of different options.

My Add-Ons: This will pull up a list of all of the add-ons, broken down by category, and whether they are enabled or disabled on this Kodi installation.
Install from Repository: This is all of the add-ons available for installation in the Official Kodi Repository. We’ll go through the process for installing from here below.
Install from Zip File: If you’re installing an add-on that’s not in the official list, you’ll have to download a zip file to your device and browse for it using this option. It’s a little more cumbersome, but it will let you install anything you want to.
Search: If you know what add-on you’re looking for, or just have a general idea of the topic, you can enter it here and see the results.
Recently Updated: This will show add-ons that have been updated recently.

For our purposes, we’re going to be installing one of the official video add-ons, so click on Install from Repository.

The Add-ons are broken down into several different categories like Context menus, Program add-ons, and Look and feel add-ons. We’re going to be installing a Video add-on.

In this example, we’ll install the HD HomeRun tuner add-on. You can find out more about HDHomeRun in this article.

Once you select the add-on you want to install, you’ll be taken to a screen with a brief description and some additional options. Since we haven’t installed the add-on yet, most of those options aren’t available to us.

Click Install to continue.

Once you decide to install an add-on, you’ll be taken back to the add-on browser and the installation will begin. You’ll receive a notification when the installation has finished.

Once that happens, click back into the add-on and all of those options that were grayed out on the description page will now be available.

The one you’ll probably use most often is the Configure button. This is where you’ll find any options that the programmers of the add-on have enabled. Many add-ons won’t have anything available on this screen, so don’t be too surprised if it’s empty.

One final note: Kodi now gives you the option of configuring each add-on to either automatically update on its own or never update. Generally, I set my add-ons to automatically update Kodi because I want to be sure I have the latest version with new features or bug fixes. Occasionally, though, updating an add-on will cause it to break, so this enables you to find a version that works and keep it indefinitely.

Third-Party Add-Ons

While there are many great add-ons in the repository, you probably have heard of other add-ons that do amazing things that you will want to install. These can usually be found through Googling or visiting the various Kodi forums.

Just remember that when you are installing from the Repository, the team at Kodi has already done the work for you in ensuring that the app is safe and won’t infect your device or steal your data. When you install a third-party add-on, you need to do your own due diligence. Spend a bit of time looking around to see what people have to say about the third-party add-on you are considering. The Kodi community is pretty vocal and will send out warnings about dodgy add-ons.

Similar to your Android TV box when you want to install apps from outside the app store, in Kodi you have to authorize yourself to install add-ons from unknown sources (i.e. not the repository) before you can do this. It is a simple process.

Go to the cog icon, choose System, and scroll to the Add-ons tab. There you will find an option to allow add-ons from unknown sources, and make sure that it is toggled to “allow.”

Next, you need the URL for the add-on that you would like to install. With this available, open the file manager in Kodi. Here you will have the option to add a source. Select where it says “none” and enter the URL for the add-on that you have decided to install; hit OK so that Kodi can download the source as a zip file. You will be asked to give a name to the source, so do that and hit OK again.

Now you can go to the Kodi home screen, click the open box icon in the top left-hand corner, and choose to install from a zip file. You can then choose the zip file that you just created. Depending on the size, you will likely need to wait for the installation to complete; you will receive a notification when it’s done. At this stage, you still haven’t installed the add-on! You have only installed the repository for the add-on, so there is still one more step.

Go back to the add-on menu and choose the option to install from the repository, then choose the repository that you have just added. You will be asked what kind of add-on this is, such as a video or a music add-on; choose whatever is appropriate, click install, and wait for it to complete the process.

Now it should all be ready. When you go back to the add-on menu, you should find your add-on under whatever category you chose

Weather

Just in case playing movies and music wasn’t enough, Kodi can also provide weather information.

There are six standard weather services in the Official Kodi Repository. Most are free to use, but some require registration on their websites to get the most out of them.

The official Kodi weather add-ons are:

OpenWeatherMap Extended
Weather Underground
Yahoo! Weather
Met Office
Oz Weather (Australia-specific weather)
Weather China (China-specific weather)

Each of these services has its pros and cons, so I recommend trying them out and seeing which you prefer. The basic installation process is the same for each, although as I mentioned earlier, you may need to go to the service’s website in order to register.

I’ll outline the installation for Yahoo! Weather below as an example.

Installing Weather Add-Ons

No matter which of the Kodi Weather add-ons you choose, the installation process will start the same way. From the main Kodi home screen, scroll down to the Weather section of the menu and you’ll see a screen that looks something like this:

You’ll have the option to Set a Weather Provider or Remove this main menu item. At the moment, there’s not much here because we haven’t installed a service yet.

The first line in the main window will let you choose the Service for weather information. Click anywhere on that line to bring up the service selection screen.

This screen will show you which weather add-ons you have installed on Kodi on this machine. At the moment there’s nothing here, but on the right-hand side, there’s a button that says Get more…

Here you can select which weather service you want to use. There’s no harm in trying a few of them out. You can only have one weather service active at any time, but you can switch back and forth between services very easily.

Installing Yahoo! Weather

Yahoo! Weather is one of the more popular Kodi Weather services because it is easy to configure and doesn’t require any additional information from the user other than what city you want the forecast for.

From the Get more… window, scroll down until you see the Yahoo! Weather add-on and click it to install. After a very brief installation process, you’ll be back at the Weather – Settings window, but Yahoo! Weather will appear on the top line as the Service for weather information.

Yahoo! Weather is installed, but it still needs to be configured for your particular city. There is a single Settings option on the second line of the main window, directly underneath the Service for weather information line. Click on Settings to pull up the Location Setup window.

You can enter several different cities depending on how simple or complicated you want your weather forecast to be. For me, I’m only interested in the city closest to me: Orlando, Florida. To enter a city, click on the line that says Location 1.

On the pop-up keyboard, type in the name of the city. I tried several different cities and small towns of various sizes and I wasn’t able to find one Yahoo! couldn’t recognize – even several ‘one stoplight’ towns I know.

If there is more than one entry for a particular city, Yahoo! will ask you to choose which one you meant. Since I’m not looking for Orlando in South Africa or Brazil, I chose the top entry: Orlando (Florida -US).

Once you make your selection, you’re taken back to the Location Setup screen. Repeat the process for as many cities as you want weather information for. Once you’re done, click OK to continue.

Getting Weather Information

Once you have a weather service installed, you can navigate to the Weather section of the menu on the left-hand side of the screen. Clicking on this option will bring up the most recent weather data, depending on your add-on choices.

Since we’ve installed Yahoo! Weather above, clicking on the Weather option now brings up the latest Yahoo! Weather information for my selected city.

Within Yahoo! Weather, the sidebar menu will let you scroll through multiple locations if you have them set up. It will also let you manually refresh the data and quickly jump back to the Weather Settings menu.

Kodi Builds

While a lot of people quite enjoy the process of setting up and personalizing Kodi, not everyone does. Some people just want to install and start streaming from online sources. If that is you, you do have another option.

Instead of personalizing your Kodi experience yourself, you can install a Kodi Build. This is basically installing a copy of someone else’s Kodi setup. They have already installed Kodi skins to control the UI and add-ons to bring in the best content, and rather than do this yourself, you just replicate theirs. This only brings in their layout, not their content, so there is no question of it not being legal.

These Kodi builds are easy to install; you install them just like any other third-party Kodi add-on, except that they need to be installed as a system add-on and you will need to restart Kodi after the installation is complete.

You can find our recommendations for the best Kodi builds here, plus further instructions for installation.

What About A VPN?

Before you start downloading content on Kodi, you should really set yourself up with a VPN. This is not just to protect your identity and anonymity if you decide to dive into the more legally dubious areas of Kodi!

A VPN helps you unlock content that might be geofenced, such as Netflix USA (if you aren’t currently in the US or are traveling) or BBC UK. It also encrypts your data to protect it against hackers. Think you don’t have anything of value on your TV box? Think again. What about your Netflix password and payment details?

These are only some of the very good reasons you should be using a VPN with your Android TV box. If you want to dive in deeper, you can read more here.

If you are using Kodi, not just any VPN service will do. Not all VPNs support streaming or P2P file exchange (torrenting). Also, while all VPNs will cut your internet speeds, some cut them more than others. While this might not matter much when you are browsing the net, it will when you are streaming 4K content.

Here are my top three VPN services I suggest you use for your Android TV box with Kodi. All of them:

Support streaming and torrenting
Maintain internet speeds fast enough for 4K streaming
Use 256-bit AES encryption technology
Have a no-logs policy, which means that none of your personal data or online activity is recorded anywhere
Feature a killswitch to cut your internet connection should your VPN drop out for some reason

1. CyberGhost VPN

$72 for a one-year plan for up to seven devices
6,500 servers in 90 countries
Unlocks all major streaming services

Click Here For Latest Price

2. NordVPN

$84 per year for six devices
5,500 servers in 60 locations
Special packages and support services for businesses

Click Here For Latest Price

3. IPVanish

$77.99 per year for ten devices
1,400 servers in 75 locations
Fastest VPN speeds available

Click Here For Latest Price

For more in-depth reviews, read our recommendations for the 10 Best VPN Services for Kodi.

More Resources

Are you interested in finding out more about Kodi, or reading my other articles for some tips, tricks, and tweaks?

Take a look at these to help you get started:

FAQs About Kodi

Should I Use Kodi?

Kodi is an excellent piece of software if you want to be able to control all of your media in one place, including streaming services, and share that media across your devices. With Kodi, you can network your television, computer, tablet, and smartphone, and watch all the same media. Where you left off on a movie on your television, you can pick up from that scene on your smartphone.

Kodi is one of the easiest ways to customize and streamline your viewing experience. You can access all of your favorite content where you want it, without having to continuously switch applications to engage with specific content. Kodi can play any file type, so there are no restrictions.

Is Kodi Legal?

Using Kodi is perfectly legal; however, you can choose to do illegal things with Kodi, and those things remain illegal. For example, there are Kodi add-ons that will allow you to stream copyrighted content for free. If this is illegal where you are, then it is still illegal to do with Kodi, even if it is possible.

How Do I Start Kodi?

Depending on what kind of device you are using, you can either download Kodi from their website or download the app from your app store. If there is no app available for your device, you can also download the APK from their website.

When you download Kodi you will find yourself with an empty library, so you will need to start adding media from your own library and installing add-ons to let you access streaming and other media services.

How Do I Use Kodi Properly?

Making the most of Kodi is all about getting it set up to do what you want. Do you want it to be able to pull up playlists based on your moods? Do you want to switch easily and browse all of your streaming libraries at the same time? Are you all about bringing gaming to the big screen?

Kodi is infinitely flexible, so the key to using Kodi properly is to figure out what you want to do with it and then check the forums for advice on add-ons and setup. The Kodi developer and user communities are large and generous; there are a lot of people out there willing to help you and make recommendations.

How Do I Put Kodi On My PC?

Setting up Kodi on your PC is simple, and starts with downloading the latest version of Kodi from their website and then running the simple installer. If you need to upgrade, it is not necessary to uninstall your existing versions of Kodi and you can install the new version on top if you are happy with your setup. When upgrading, start by backing up to your appdata/Kodi directory.

How Do I Fully Load Kodi?

Because it is a legal gray area, it is now pretty rare to get fully-loaded Kodi boxes. They have also become less popular, as fully-loaded boxes tend to come with a lot of extra stuff you don’t want and with add-ons that just don’t work.

You are better off determining what you want – sports, gaming, movies, TV shows, music – and then going onto the Kodi forums to find the best ways to load these onto your Kodi box (or using this in-depth guide!).

Conclusion

This is by no means an exhaustive guide for installing Kodi and getting it set up to use. To do that would likely double or triple the length of this article. There were topics I touched on only briefly and others that I didn’t mention at all.

However, this guide should help you get a Kodi installation up and running from scratch and get you to the point where you can start enjoying your media.

If you’d like further resources, one of the best is the Kodi section of this website. My advice is to follow this guide, but then start playing around. Tweak. Modify. Ask questions. There’s so much that Kodi can do. Enjoy!

If you have any comments or first-hand experiences with setting up Kodi boxes, please post them below or share your pictures via our social media.

Do I Need A VPN For Kodi? Yes, And Here’s Why!

By Callan on April 25, 2022
Updated on August 24, 2022 22 Comments

I have to admit that I am a little surprised when people still ask me if they need to use a VPN when using Kodi on their Android TV box.

The answer is yes, yes, yes!!!!

A VPN is the most effective way to protect your privacy online. It prevents people looking at your IP address from seeing what you are doing, and it lets you use websites and services anonymously without leaving your digital fingerprints behind. It also encrypts your personal data to protect it from hackers.

Don’t delude yourself; you are sharing personal data every time you turn on your Android TV box. What’s your Netflix login? How do you pay for subscription services?

Plus, if you are using Kodi add-ons to gain access to premium content for free, you are engaging in an activity that is legally dubious. Of course, you should want to protect your identity!

So, yes, I think that you should always use a VPN with an Android TV box even if your activity is 100 percent legal. If you are also using Kodi, a VPN is even more important.

Why You Need VPN On Kodi

I personally believe you should be using a VPN wherever you go online to protect your privacy and encrypt your data.

This also applies when you are using an Android TV box. Not only are you transmitting your personal data every time you log in to one of your subscription services, including payment details, but if your streaming device is hackable, then it can become a gateway into the rest of your network.

My in-depth opinion on why you always need a VPN when you use an Android TV box is at this link, but in this article, we are speaking specifically about VPN on Kodi.

In theory, if you are just using Kodi as a media center to manage your own library of content, using Kodi doesn’t pose any additional risk on top of a standard Android TV box without Kodi. It is just a piece of software you choose to use.

To be honest, though, the majority of Kodi users are using add-ons to gain free access to copyrighted materials. There are many Kodi add-ons that basically scour the internet for streams of whatever you are searching for and allow you to access them without paying.

First and foremost, this activity is legally dubious. We all know that downloading copyrighted materials without paying for them is illegal. The people who set up these Kodi add-ons get around this by connecting you to a stream of content. Copyrighted material is technically not being downloaded; it’s only being streamed, so technically, nothing illegal is being done.

The fact is, though, that the law is constantly evolving and it may only be a matter of time before the authorities decide to crack down on this behavior. If you are identified as participating in this activity, the potential consequences for you are yet to be determined.

Secondly, big streaming companies like Netflix and Prime Video have to maintain their reputations. For this reason, you can be pretty sure they are keeping their streams safe and free of malware. Any problem could cause significant fallout and damage their customer base.

The Kodi add-ons you are likely to use to find content are mostly written by anonymous people for whom there is no significant consequence if things don’t go right. Would you even know if they just changed their name and started making the same add-on?

Because of this, there is no guarantee the add-ons you are using are safe, and they aren’t leaking your data or exposing your system to malware.

A VPN protects your anonymity and encrypts your data, protecting you while you are using Kodi add-ons. You should also be using antivirus software to protect against malware.

Best VPNs To Use With Kodi

Once you decide to use a VPN, it is all about choosing the right one, as not all VPNs are created equal.

As a word of warning, steer clear of free VPNs. It is expensive to maintain a network of remote servers. If they aren’t making money from subscription fees, they are making it elsewhere, potentially from selling your data.

There are two other major things to consider when choosing a VPN for Kodi.

The first is speed. When you use a VPN, you slow down your internet speed as you bounce your connection across different servers, perhaps on the other side of the world. When you are streaming, especially in 4K, you need decent speeds. We recommend at least 25Mbps for 4K streaming.

The other thing to worry about is leakage. As long as your VPN is working, you are protected, but if your VPN connection drops for some reason, which happens, what you are doing online may be exposed. To protect against this, you want to use a VPN provider that promises minimal leakage and has features such as a kill switch, which cuts your internet connection if your VPN drops out.

When choosing a VPN, many streamers consider the server locations available. If they want to watch U.S. Netflix, they will choose a VPN with a good range of servers in the U.S.; if you want to watch the BBC, you’ll want servers in the UK. Content delivered via Kodi add-ons doesn’t tend to be geofenced, but this is still worth considering.

Aside from this, it is just the basics: up-to-date security protocols, a no-logs policy, and apps designed to work seamlessly on your chosen devices.

With all this in mind, here are our top picks for the best VPN services to use with Kodi.

CyberGhost VPN

VISIT CYBERGHOST

I love CyberGhost as a VPN in general because it has an amazing network of servers, with more than 8,000 servers in around 100 different countries. This means options for location and also speed as servers do not tend to be overburdened with traffic.

That is the second thing I love about CyberGhost: while it has a great level of encryption that protects my data, it still lets me have good internet speed. I don’t pay for a premium internet package just to have all my speed throttled by a poor VPN service.

When it comes to VPN on Kodi specifically, I like how CyberGhost supports streaming and torrenting activities. Streaming services, such as Netflix and the BBC, are always trying to identify VPN servers and block their access. CyberGhost maintains access to these servers by having a few dedicated servers that are constantly being updated to ensure availability.

Cyberghost has servers not only optimized for Netflix, but the most popular versions, including US, DE, and FR. There are also servers for BBC iPlayer, Hulu, YouTube, and Crunchyroll.

Similarly, some VPN services do not support the kind of P2P activity involved in torrenting. CyberGhost not only supports it but has a few servers optimized to make torrenting faster and more secure.

Finally, CyberGhost also has a no-logs policy, which means it does not record IP addresses, browsing history length of session, or any information at all regarding your online activity.

Cyberghost has a variety of VPN apps for smart TVs, including Android TV and Amazon Fire TV. The TV apps are intuitive and easy to use with just a few clicks, which is what you want when you only have a remote control to navigate.

$72 for a one-year plan for six devices
8,000 servers in 100 locations
Servers supporting streaming and torrenting

NordVPN

VISIT NORDVPN

NordVPN is a bit more expensive than CyberGhost, but that covers up to six devices and gives you fantastic protection and coverage.

NordVPN has 5,500 servers in 60 locations, offering a lot of flexibility when it comes to choosing your IP location, and a lot of bandwidth, so speeds remain fast, though are inevitably reduced as is the case with all VPNs.

They use 256-bit AES encryption, which is more than enough to keep your data safe, but they also offer a double VPN which means they encrypt your data twice. There is also a no-logs policy, which helps protect your anonymity under all circumstances.

One of the other things that we really like about Nord is that they now include free anti-malware protection as part of their VPN package. When you are using Android TV this is ideal, rather than having to manage that with a separate application.

$84 per year for six devices
5,500 servers in 60 locations
Free anti-malware package included

Atlas VPN

VISIT ATLAS VPN

Atlas VPN is one of the newer players on the market but they are making waves, providing an excellent service for just $1.99 per month for an unlimited number of devices.

The service offers VPN apps specifically for Android TV and Amazon Fire TV, so it is simple to set up and use this VPN on your streaming device. Speeds are optimized to ensure you have enough bandwidth for 4K streaming.

You can ensure you are protected with WireGuard protocols and a no-logs privacy policy that puts your rights to privacy first. A data breach monitor also lets you monitor how well your VPN is performing for you.

Today Atlas only has about 750+ servers in 30 international locations, but this is enough for their current user base and they are expanding rapidly. Servers are optimized for various activities, such as streaming and torrenting.

There are several advanced features included in your subscription, including a malware blocker and tracking blocker, SafeSwap and MultiHop to let you use multiple addresses at the same time, and split tunneling that lets you control what passes via your VPN and what doesn’t.

$1.99 per month for unlimited devices
Small service with personal attention
Advanced features

IPVanish

VISIT IPVANISH

IPVanish costs just $44.99 for a one-year subscription, and in return, you will get some of the fastest VPN internet speeds available on the market. There are also no limits on streaming or torrenting, which makes it the ideal service for heavy streamers.

IPVanish has 2,000 servers in 75 countries with more than 40,000 IP addresses. If that number seems low, don’t worry; they have fewer users than big services like NordVPN, so there is less traffic to compete with and their servers are designed for speed thanks to their WireGuard technology.

They use 256-bit AES encryption backed up by a high-tech security team, and there are both a kill switch and a no-logs policy to keep your data private no matter what.

In addition to this, your VPN subscription with IPVanish includes ransomware and malware protection so you don’t need a separate subscription for those kinds of protection.

$44.99 per year for 10 devices
2,000 servers in 75 locations with 40,000+ IP addresses
Fastest VPN speeds available with WireGuard
Ransomware and malware protection included

ExpressVPN

VISIT EXPRESSVPN

While ExpressVPN is one of the more expensive options on the market at $99.95 per year, you certainly get a lot of bang for your buck. With 3,000 servers in 160 locations in 94 countries, no one offers more choices.

Of course, you can expect top-end encryption, no logs, a 24-hour help desk, and a kill switch as standard. There are also no limits on streaming or torrenting.

A standout feature of ExpressVPN is that it allows for split tunneling, which means you can choose which apps you run through your VPN. This can help you get faster speeds since you don’t need to have your secure background apps passing through your VPN eating up bandwidth while streaming.

$99.95 per year for five devices
3,000 servers in 160 locations
Split tunneling available

Kodi VPN Add-Ons

The VPNs that we talk about above are all mainstream VPN services that you install on your hardware and can be used on most internet-connected devices. We recommend these as you can use them to mask all of your online activity.

Some people prefer to use a VPN just with Kodi, though, in which case you can use one of the VPN add-ons that exist within the Kodi library. It is important to remember that this VPN will only work when you are running Kodi and leaves the rest of your machine vulnerable.

You install a VPN add-on just like any other Kodi add-on. Go to Settings, File Manager, and choose to add a source. You will then enter the URL of a Kodi VPN add-on, such as www.ivacy.com/kodi-addon. You will then need to give this source a name, such as VPN, and click OK.

You can now return to the Kodi home screen and enter the add-ons menu. Choose the add-on browser (the package in the top left corner) and choose to “install from zip,” and then choose the zip file that you just saved. This will trigger Kodi to install the add-on.

Now you can head back to the add-ons menu again and choose Program add-ons where you will be able to access the VPN that you installed.

This is not my recommended method for protecting yourself, but it is another option that you have on the table.

For a refresher on what a VPN is and what it does, check out my article: Why Use a VPN for Android TV Boxes.

3 Reasons Why You Need A VPN For An Android TV Box

We’ve already been pretty clear about why you need a VPN if you are using Kodi to access copyrighted materials, but even if you aren’t, there are good reasons why you should be using a VPN anyway.

Here are our top three reasons.

Reason #1: Keep Your Stuff Private

There’s a difference between privacy and anonymity, and both are important reasons to use a VPN on Kodi TV boxes.

Think of privacy as not letting anyone stand over your shoulder and watch what you do.

In this case, the most common “person” standing over your shoulder is actually your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Make no mistake, they are very interested in your streaming habits.

If you’re a cord-cutter, they want to know. Once they know you’re a cord-cutter, your ISP is going to charge you insanely high fees.

Why? Because they can.

It costs money to run an ISP. The more data their customers use, the more costs they have. They’d much rather have customers who scroll through their Facebook feed rather than download movies from torrents because they use much less data.

Unless you like higher fees, using a VPN on your Kodi boxes can help keep your ISP in the dark about your streaming habits.

Reason #2: Be A Ghost In The System

Anonymity is something different. If privacy is about keeping your stuff to yourself, anonymity is about concealing who you are.

Companies will pay a ton of money for your personal info.

ISPs will sell your browsing history to advertisers, which is nothing new, but in 2017, the rules changed and they don’t need your permission to do it anymore.

The more you’re online, the more data your ISP will have about you, and the more they can sell to the highest bidder. If you want to protect your streaming habits (as well as your internet browsing), it’s a good reason to use a Kodi VPN.

Reason #3: Watch Without Limits

Do you like being told what you can and can’t watch?

I hate it. That’s the biggest reason why I use a VPN on Kodi and my other streaming services. It’s called geo-blocking and it’s how they limit what you can watch based on where you live.

The big companies like Netflix and Amazon are getting better about figuring out where you really live, even if you’re using a VPN, but I still find a lot of international websites I can access simply by using a VPN to log into a server in their country.

Depending on where you live, your government could also be limiting what websites you can access. We’ve all heard that China censors certain websites, but did you know the same thing happens in the United Kingdom and Australia too? In case you’re wondering, the United States is a little different. Instead of merely blocking the sites, they seize the domains and shut them down.

Some of the more popular blocked websites include:

The Pirate Bay
Torrentz
Torrenthound
Isohunt
Kickass Torrents
EZTV

So far, over 400,000 subscribers in the UK alone have been subject to these bans. If you live somewhere where the government is trying to decide what you can and can’t watch, using a Kodi VPN can help you get around their limitations.

Why I Love CyberGhost VPN On Kodi TV Box:

Apps for all of your devices: Specific VPN apps for Android, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Windows, Mac OS-X, iOS, and many routers.
Multiple streams at once: 7 simultaneous connections on multiple devices.
Tons of servers: 8,000+ VPN servers in 90+ countries.
Top-notch security: CyberGhost has 256-bit AES encryption, which would literally take decades to crack using a brute force attack.
Unlimited server switching: Change servers at any time to get content from different countries instantly.
Absolutely no logs: Very few, if any, other VPN providers can truly honor a no-logs privacy policy the way CyberGhost can.
Streaming supported: It is a constant battle for VPN services to keep their servers off the radar of the likes of Netflix and the BBC, but CyberGhost has dedicated servers on which these streaming services should always be available.
Torrenting supported: Not all VPN servers support torrenting, but CyberGhost supports torrenting on all its servers and it also has servers earmarked for the best torrenting performance.
Guarantee: CyberGhost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee, so you can sign up for a discounted long-term package risk-free.

FAQs About VPN For Kodi

Do You Really Need A VPN For Fire Stick?

The short answer to this question is yes, you need a VPN with Fire Stick. If you have chosen Fire Stick as your preferred TV system, you are probably accessing legal materials, such as Amazon Prime and Netflix, rather than illegally streaming, so why do you need to mask your activity?

Two reasons. First, a VPN offers an extra layer of protection for your personal data, such as your Amazon and Netflix passwords and payment details. Secondly, it prevents your ISP provider from monitoring your streaming activity and potentially hiking your bandwidth fees accordingly.

Do You Need A VPN For A Jailbroken Fire Stick?

If you are using a jailbroken Fire Stick, then yes, you need a VPN. Firstly, the whole point of a jailbroken Fire Stick is to allow you to access applications that are not available via the Amazon store and often to access copyrighted content. If you are going to do that, you need to protect your anonymity.

Secondly, while many of the apps you can sideload onto a jailbroken Fire Stick are excellent, there are some dodgy ones out there too. The alternative streaming services you access may not have the same strict security measures as the likes of Netflix, so when you are accessing these services it pays to invest in the additional protection of a VPN.

What Are The Disadvantages Of A VPN?

The primary drawback of a VPN is that it inhibits your internet speeds. Your internet connection speed can drop by 50 to 90 percent depending on the VPN you use. This is because the data packages you are sending and receiving are traveling further and are paused to be encrypted.

Take, for example, streaming from ESPN. Data is not simply bouncing between you and the ESPN server. Your data packages are being sent to your VPN, where they are being encrypted before being passed on to ESPN. Plus, if you are using a server in Europe or Asia, the distance traveled will add a delay as well. Then you have the exact same thing happening on the way back.

Why Should You Not Use A VPN?

In case you haven’t read this article, you should use a VPN. Yes, it can reduce your internet speeds, but the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.

It ensures your security and anonymity, making it difficult for others to steal your personal data; it stops your ISP, the government, and anybody else from monitoring your activity; and it helps unlock certain activities.

Why Are Free VPNs Bad?

There is nothing wrong with a free VPN service per se, and there are some good ones out there, but you need to be careful which you choose because if you aren’t paying with dollars, you are paying with something else. As a result, sometimes paying for a reasonably priced VPN service can be better.

Most free VPNs are able to offer a limited, free version of their VPN by making their service ad-supported. In these cases, you don’t pay with money but you do pay with your time. Other VPNs have monthly data caps for their free services. These are usually very low and certainly won’t be enough to stream a movie.

Finally, some less respectable free VPN services make their money by selling your data. The whole point of a VPN service is to protect your data, so this is not a payoff that is worth making.

Can A VPN Be Hacked?

Yes, VPN services can be hacked, but it is hard to do and your data is safer from hackers with a VPN than without one. The VPN virtual tunnel and encryption make it more difficult for hackers to crack VPN data.

Unless you are a high-value target, there are not a lot of reasons for hackers to try and take the time to crack your VPN. When it comes to credit card details and passwords, they’re better off going for the low-hanging fruit, which is not protected by VPN.

How Do I Install A VPN On My Android TV Box?

Once you have chosen a VPN service, you need to sign up for the service online and set up your account. Then switch on your Android TV box and go to the Google Play Store and search for the VPN app for your service. When you download and open the app you will be asked to log in or provide an activation code that you can get from your online account.

Does Kodi Box Have A VPN?

If you get a TV box that already has Kodi installed, sometimes called a fully loaded box, it probably does not have a VPN already installed. You will need to download and install a VPN separately.

How Much Does A VPN Slow Down Your Internet Connection?

Using a VPN will slow down your internet connection as it bounces your data around its servers. On average, most VPNs will eat between 10-20% of your internet speeds. If you have a decent internet connection of around 100MB, you probably won’t even notice that, but if you have a slower connection, say around 25MB, you will certainly notice the drag.

VPN On Kodi: The Verdict

Let me be very clear: If you use Kodi for anything but streaming your own content from your own hard drive, you need to use a VPN.

Personally, I think that CyberGhost is the best VPN to use with Kodi. Is it right for you? Maybe. Maybe not. I recommend trying it out for yourself.

The important thing to take away from this article is that you need to use a VPN to keep yourself safe while streaming. You may think you have little value on your TV box, but it stores more of your personal data than you imagine.

If you are using Kodi to access copyrighted content, then protecting yourself with a VPN is even more important. You need to protect yourself from the eyes of the authorities, and potentially dodgy streaming services.

Have you found a VPN you love? What VPN do you use with Kodi? Let us know in the comments below.

Step-By-Step Guide: Update Kodi On Android TV

By Callan on April 8, 2022
Updated on April 8, 2022 3 Comments

Updated April 2022

If you are running Kodi on your Android TV box, you will need to update Kodi regularly. You may have noticed this recently when Kodi started issuing pop-up warnings that some versions of Kodi 18 are unstable on Android and it is time to upgrade. If you aren’t sure how to update Kodi, you may have dismissed the pop-up and saved this problem for another day.

How exactly do you update Kodi on your Android TV box, especially without losing all the settings you have been fiddling with and tweaking in your current version? I have put together this step-by-step guide to show you exactly how.

While most TV boxes need Kodi to be updated regularly, there are a few exceptions. How do you know if yours is one of them? I’ll explain that, too.

The process for updating Kodi is slightly different for a generic Android TV box and a TV box running the official Android TV interface, so I have put together a separate list of instructions for each.

Let’s jump straight in. Why should you update Kodi, when should you not update Kodi, and exactly how do you go about updating Kodi on your Android TV box?

Why You Should Update Kodi

Team Kodi operates using a “release early, release often” development strategy.

This means they’ll push out smaller releases that may add one feature or fix a specific issue every month or two, instead of waiting to push out one major release that fixes and updates everything at once.

In theory, this means faster reaction time on any bugs and less chance that, by fixing one thing, something else would break. Most of the major software development companies release frequent updates, so this is the industry standard.

For that to work in your favor, though, this means that if you want Kodi working at its best you need to update Kodi regularly so you have each of those updates relatively soon after they are released.

Why You Might Not Want To Update Kodi

If updating Kodi means you’re going to be using the latest, most secure version, why would you not want to update Kodi?

Many box manufacturers release modified versions of XBMC\Kodi that are specifically tweaked for those boxes.

For example, Skystream and EZ-Stream both have automatic updater apps that will update their Kodi installations as well as update installed Kodi add-ons.

If you update Kodi with the method below on these boxes, you’ll potentially overwrite the version of Kodi designed for them and lose some of those performance tweaks.

Because of that, keep in mind that you need to know what type of Android TV box you have and how it works with Kodi before making any updates yourself. As a general rule of thumb, if you have an IPTV box or a fully-loaded box, they are probably achieving this using Kodi and it is better not to mess with them.

My Recommendation

If you are running Kodi yourself and not using IPTV or a fully-loaded box, I recommend updating Kodi regularly. You should probably also enable automatic updates so that you don’t miss new versions as they are released.

How To Update Kodi On A Generic Android TV Box

(IF YOU HAVE THE OFFICIAL ANDROID TV INTERFACE, SCROLL DOWN TO “HOW TO UPDATE KODI FOR ANDROID TV” BELOW)

Now that it’s in the Google Play Store, the process of updating the Kodi Android app is as easy as updating any other app.

That’s the main reason I recommend only buying TV boxes that come with the Google Play Store pre-installed. If your device doesn’t have access to the Play Store, you’ll need to sideload the android app manually or download it from one of the alternative app stores such as Aptoide or F-Droid.

The process is also different if you have Amazon Fire TV products, including the Firestick, as it runs a modified version of the Android operating system. You will find guidelines for this further down in the article.

Assuming you have access to the Google Play Store, here are the simple steps you need to follow to update Kodi on an Android TV Box.

Starting from your home launcher screen, you should see an icon for the Google Play Store or it may simply say “Store.” On the Ott TZ95 below, it’s shown as Google Store.

If you can’t find anything that looks like the store on your home screen, another way to get to it is through your “All Apps” page. You can see the same icon in the middle row in the screenshot below.

No matter where you find the icon, clicking it will get you to the Play Store, which should look something like this:

In this example, Kodi is one of the highlighted apps Google is recommending to me even though it is already installed on the device. Clicking on the Kodi icon will take you to the app description page, which will alert you if there’s an update available.

But what if it doesn’t happen to be one of the apps they recommend for me?

In the screenshot above, look to the top of the image to find the search bar. It’s the horizontal bar that says “Google Play” with three small lines just to the left of the text. Google calls those three bars the “hot dogs” icon (think of three hot dogs stacked on top of each other). Once you find those three lines, click on them to show the menu bar on the left.

We’re going to do two things while in the menu bar. First, we’re going to turn on automatic app updates, if it isn’t turned on already. Second, we’re going to manually update Kodi for Android.

Turn On Automatic Updates

Once auto-update is turned on, updating should take care of itself. Any time the developers release a new version of their app, it will automatically get updated on your TV box.

From the menu bar, scroll down to the Settings line; click there to get to the main options screen.

Auto-update apps is the first item on the list. Click it to open a toggle-button window for the setting where you can enable or disable auto-update.

Manually Update Kodi

If you head back to the left-side menu, you’ll see an option for My Apps & Games.

Click on it and it will show you a list of all the apps that are currently on the device. It can also sort the apps by status, pulling those needing updates to the top of the list.

You can update each one manually, or click the Update All button at the top right-hand side.

Once the update is finished, you can launch the app from your home screen or directly from the Google Play Store.

How To Update Kodi For Android TV

(IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE OFFICIAL ANDROID TV INTERFACE, AND JUST HAVE AN ANDROID TV BOX, SCROLL BACK UP TO “HOW TO UPDATE KODI ON ANDROID TV BOX” ABOVE OR SKIP TO “OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER”)

Updating Kodi within the official Android TV program is pretty straightforward as well since you can find it on the Google Play Store.

From the main home launcher screen, click on the app for the Google Play Store.

The Android TV version of the Play Store is a bit more streamlined than the normal Android version, and much easier to navigate—especially when using a remote control.

On the left-hand side, you’ll find four menu options: Home, Games, My Apps, and Settings. You can turn on Auto-Update Apps from within the Settings menu.

If you click on the My Apps menu, you will see a list of all of your apps. The default sort order shows apps with updates available first, with the possible updates on the left side of the side-scrolling app list.

It’s easiest to select Update All to download all of the potential updates in the list, but if you want you can also download selected updates individually.

Once the update is complete, you can access your newly updated Kodi app from your home screen.

What About Amazon Fire TV?

How do you update Kodi on a Firestick? Or on an Amazon Fire Cube or any other Fire TV device?

If you have Kodi already, you will see it in your apps menu but you won’t find any options for updating it there. You will be able to check which version of Kodi you have installed, though, and therefore whether you need to update or not.

Before updating, you will first need to enable developer options. You probably already did this to install Kodi in the first place, but if you have turned this setting off, you will need to turn it on again. You can do this in the My Fire TV menu. Click Developer Options and choose to enable Apps from Unknown Sources.

You probably also installed an app called Downloader to sideload Kodi onto your Firestick or other Fire TV device initially, but if you don’t have it, download it from the Amazon app store.

Using the Downloader app, you can browse the Internet to find the latest Kodi updates on their website: https://kodi.tv/download. You can then download and install the update. Be sure to delete the update file when you are done to conserve space on your device.

Read our complete guide to using Downloader on Firestick here.

Looking for a skin for Kodi? Check out our recommendations for the best Kodi skins for Firestick. These are slightly different from other options, as Firestick is lightweight and so needs lightweight skins as well.

Other Things To Consider

When you are taking the time to update Kodi on your TV box, remember it is not the only thing you should update to keep your TV box running at peak performance.

First and foremost, don’t forget to regularly check for firmware updates for your machine. Firmware is the software that tells your hardware what to do, so this comes from the manufacturer and you will need to go to the manufacturer’s website to find out about updates.

You can find out everything you need to know about firmware and how to update it here.

You also want to ensure your TV box is protected by both antivirus software and a VPN.

Antivirus

You wouldn’t go online on your PC without an antivirus program, and you shouldn’t go online with your TV box without antivirus for the same reasons. If you are running Kodi and accessing files from questionable sources, this only increases your risks. If you need to know more about why you need antivirus protection, check here for more information and our top picks.

If you are looking for recommendations for the best antivirus software for your TV box, I recommend:

AVG ANTIVIRUS FOR ANDROID

This is affordable antivirus protection from a big-name provider. There is even a free version if you don’t mind seeing ads and sacrificing a few features.

There is an AVG app specifically for Android TV available in the Google Play Store, so you can download it directly to your box without any fuss. It also comes with a VPN included, though you’ll probably want to upgrade this VPN if you are using Kodi.

BITDEFENDER ANTIVIRUS

Another big name antivirus company, Bitdefender offers a free version for Android you can download from the Play Store directly to your device. This lightweight antivirus doesn’t run in the background, so it doesn’t eat up your speeds while you are streaming.

It is compatible back as far as Android 4.1, which is important since many TV boxes run older versions of Android.

MCAFEE SECURITY AND POWER BOOSTER FREE

McAfee is probably the best-known name in antivirus software, and they offer free, ad-supported antivirus software for Android. There is also a paid version that unlocks additional features. As well as scanning apps on download, it regularly scans to see if any of your applications are leaking data.

VPN

While a VPN is always a good idea as far as security is concerned, it is even more important if you dive into the more legally dubious areas of Kodi. Even if you don’t, you should be protecting yourself with a VPN and you can read about all the reasons in our article about why you need a VPN when using Kodi.

For Kodi, you don’t just want any VPN service as you will need one that supports streaming and/or P2P file exchange (torrenting). In addition, while all VPNs will cut your internet speeds, some cut them more than others. You don’t want slow speeds to kill your 4K streaming pleasure.

When you are using Kodi you need a VPN service that supports streaming and torrenting, gives you lightning-fast speeds, has a solid level of encryption (256-bit AES), and a no-logs policy. Our top three VPN services for Kodi all have these features, and a lot more.

CYBERGHOST VPN

Highly affordable at $72 for a one-year plan, you can connect up to seven devices on a single subscription. You get amazing coverage with 6,500 servers in 90 countries, and while they all enable streaming and torrenting, there are also dedicated servers to do this even better.

Unlike many VPN services, CyberGhost VPN successfully unlocks the major streaming services.

NORDVPN

NordVPN is just $84 per year for six devices, which gives you access to 5,500 servers in 60 locations. You can stream and torrent on all of their servers, so you always have access to the content you are looking for. NordVPN also offers excellent support if you ever need it.

IPVANISH

A bargain at just $77.99 per year for 10 devices, IPVanish only has 1,400 servers in 75 locations but also has fewer users than its competitors so there’s less competition for the server space. They offer the fastest internet speeds of the three options listed here.

You can read more in-depth reviews in our article about the 10 Best VPN Services for Kodi.

Best Kodi Skins For 2022

While you might be happy with the way you’ve set up and personalized Kodi, you might also want to change or improve the interface. Updating the app can be a good time to update your interface as well.

If you enjoy fiddling and perfecting your system, that’s great! If you want something that is already slick and user-friendly and finds all the content that you want pretty much automatically, you can try one of these new Kodi skins available in 2022.

Aeon Nox

This is probably the most popular Kodi skin available, and it is one of the few that has already been updated to work seamlessly with version 19.4. We love the large-scale visuals that feel fresh and new, but not so new that you can’t find what you are looking for.

Zephyr 2

If you have a large screen TV and you want to make the most of your space, this skin that was recently updated for Kodi 19 could be what you are looking for. It has a large, bottom-position menu bar, and you can add your shortcuts. The large background images are constantly changing, so it always feels fresh and relevant.

Amber

If you want a strong underlying skin that works well, but also the ability to heavily customize, Amber is designed for you and has been recently updated for Kodi 19. As an example, the main menu is a side scroll but when you enter categories you will see horizontal rows of movie posters. If you don’t like that, change it! Almost every element of this skin is customizable.

Confluence

If you like the old Kodi interface but need to update Kodi, the Confluence skin lets you keep the old feel. This skin also pulls in metadata about your content better than many other options.

Titan (Bingie Mod)

If you just want Kodi to look like Netflix, then this is the skin for you! While this option was a bit buggy when it was first released, it is now incredibly slick and is set to become one of the most popular options on the market.

FAQs About Kodi On Android TV

How Do I Get Kodi On Android TV?

Getting Kodi on Android is simple, as it is an app available through the Google Play Store. All Android TV boxes should have access to the Play Store to download apps directly to your TV box. You will automatically be given the latest version of Kodi when you install Kodi via the Play Store.

Setting up Kodi to work with your media library and to access third-party content is a more in-depth process. Read our Ultimate Guide: How To Set Up Kodi.

Can I Update My Android Box?

There are three levels of software on an Android TV box that might need to be updated. The first is your firmware, which is the software that tells the hardware of your TV box what to do. This update is released by the manufacturer of your TV box, and you should check their website for downloads and instructions. You can also read our guide: How And Why To Update Your Android TV Box Firmware.

On top of this is the Android Operating System (OS), which is the “master” software on your TV box that makes everything work. You can update to new versions of your OS through the settings menu on your TV box, and will probably be reminded to do so when new releases are available. For example, if you have Android 7.0 you will be prompted to update to Android 7.1 when it is available; however, you are unlikely to be able to upgrade from one OS to another. For example, you likely won’t be able to upgrade from Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) to Android 9.0 (Pie). In 2020, I recommend that you don’t get an Android TV box with an operating system lower than Android 7.0 (Nougat).

Then there are individual updates for applications such as Kodi, Netflix, your VPN, and so forth. The majority of these can be managed through the Google Play Store. You can update these apps manually, or set them to update automatically when new updates are released.

Will I Lose My Add-Ons When I Update Kodi?

If you update Kodi properly, you shouldn’t lose any of your add-ons. It is important to remember to update the app instead of deleting and reinstalling it, or you will lose your add-ons as well as other settings and customizations.

The add-ons you use in Kodi will also need to be updated periodically. You should be notified in the Kodi settings menu when updates are available, and you can update the add-ons from there. You can also set your Kodi add-ons to auto-update.

How Can I Install An Older Version Of Kodi?

If you want to roll your app back to an older version of Kodi on your TV box, it is quite simple. The Kodi developers keep previous releases available for download on their website, you just need to scroll down the page past the updates to find older versions.

If you are installing Kodi for the first time or installing it over an even older version of Kodi, you can follow the instructions above. If you already have a newer version of Kodi, you will need to uninstall it before you can install the older version.

How Do I Know What Version Of Kodi I Am Using?

When you launch your Kodi application, simply go into settings and check the system information to see what version of Kodi you are running.

What Versions Of Kodi Are Currently Available?

In 2022, Kodi 19 Matrix is the latest version and it is currently on its 19.4 release. Given their system of releasing updates frequently as they are developed, though, we can expect plenty more. For Android, Kodi is still supporting releases as far back as Kodi 17.6 Krypton; however, we don’t recommend installing anything older than Kodi 18 Leia.

The Verdict

Updating apps on your Android TV box can be as easy as updating apps on your Android smartphone. It’s a simple matter of going to the Google Play Store and downloading the latest updates, or setting your TV box to do that automatically without you having to remember to check every few months.

If you run Kodi on your Android TV box it is probably at the center of your viewing experience, so ensuring it has all the latest features and fixes is important. This is why it is almost always a good idea to update Kodi regularly.

The only exception to this is if you have a TV box that runs a modified version of Kodi, in which case you should follow the manufacturer’s guidance. This is an important detail to check when purchasing your TV box.

If you have any personal experience updating Kodi on Android TV, please share them with the community by commenting below.

5 Best Kodi Boxes

By Callan on December 21, 2021
Updated on December 21, 2021 117 Comments

Updated December 2021

Are you thinking of investing in a fully-loaded TV box? One that promises to give you immediate access to all the latest content without having to pay to subscribe to a variety of premium streaming services?

These boxes might seem like magic, but they aren’t. In reality, they are just boxes that come pre-installed with Kodi and the necessary add-ons that get you access to content.

If you are a complete technophobe this can be great since you can just plug and play, but if you even have basic technical skills, you are probably better off buying a blank Android TV box and installing Kodi yourself. Why?

You’ll get a better quality TV box for less, you can tailor your installation for the content that you are interested in so you don’t have to wade through a lot of junk to find what you are looking for, and you can ensure that all the necessary security measures are in place.

In this article, I’m going to recommend the five best Android TV boxes that you can buy today if you want to run Kodi.

If you need to know about installing Kodi, read our complete guide here.

Best Android TV Boxes For Running Kodi

Best with air mouse – WeChip V10 Plus
Best storage capacity – QPLove Android TV Box
Best Android 11.0 – X88 Pro 10 Android TV Box
Best with keyboard – Longyi Android TV Box 10.0
Most affordable – Sunnzo X96 Air

WeChip V10 Plus	Android 11.0 operating system 8GB of RAM 64GB of ROM 2.4G/5G Dual-Band WiFi Read More	Buy Now	Android 11.0 operating system 8GB of RAM 64GB of ROM 2.4G/5G Dual-Band WiFi
QPLove Android TV Box	Android 10.0 Operating System 4GB RAM 128GB ROM TF Card & USB 3.0 Read More	Buy Now	Android 10.0 Operating System 4GB RAM 128GB ROM TF Card & USB 3.0
X88 Pro 10 Android TV Box	Android 11.0 Operating System 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM TF Card (max 64GB) & USB 3.0 Expansions Ethernet LNA and 2.4/5.8G Dual Wi-Fi Read More	Buy Now	Android 11.0 Operating System 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM TF Card (max 64GB) & USB 3.0 Expansions Ethernet LNA and 2.4/5.8G Dual Wi-Fi
Longyi Android TV Box 10.0	Android 10.0 Operating System 4GB RAM 32GB ROM Ethernet LNA and 2.4/5G Dual Wi-Fi Read More	Buy Now	Android 10.0 Operating System 4GB RAM 32GB ROM Ethernet LNA and 2.4/5G Dual Wi-Fi
Sunnzo X96 Air	Android 10.0 Operating System Amlogic S905X3 Chipset 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of ROM 2.4Ghz/5.0Ghz Wi-Fi and Ethernet Connection Read More	Buy Now	Android 10.0 Operating System Amlogic S905X3 Chipset 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of ROM 2.4Ghz/5.0Ghz Wi-Fi and Ethernet Connection

What Is A Kodi Box?

Any Android TV box can be a Kodi box. Kodi is software that you can install, just like any other application. Kodi can be used as simple media library software, but that is not what most people use it for.

If you install certain add-ons in Kodi, these will scrape the internet for content streams and make them available to you, regardless of the source of the content. As such, you can get free access to things that are streaming only on premium applications such as Netflix and Prime Video.

Is this legal? Probably not, though it is common practice. This is why you should always protect yourself with a VPN when using Kodi.

If you buy a box marketed as a Kodi TV Box, this simply means that Kodi is pre-installed. If it is a “Fully Loaded Kodi TV Box” the add-ons needed to access content have also been installed. You can download Kodi yourself onto any TV box for free, though, as it is open-source software.

Should You Buy A Fully Loaded Kodi Box?

The short answer is no.

Sellers will charge a premium for a fully-loaded TV box, when the reality is that you can download Kodi and install the add-ons that you need to access the same content for free. You will just spend time and energy figuring out how to do it.

In my opinion, you are better off getting a better quality Android TV box for less and doing it yourself.

What Makes Up The Best TV Boxes For Kodi?

If you do decide that you want to set up Kodi yourself, you want the best Android TV box for the job. While, in theory, you can install Kodi on any streaming device, some are better suited to it than others.

These are the key features to look out for.

Decent Specs

Kodi can be a relatively heavy program to run, and can use quite a bit of space on your TV box, so there are some minimum technical specs that you will want to ensure that everything runs smoothly and you have space for everything that you will need.

Look for boxes that have:

A decent Quad Core that will have enough processing power
At least 4 GB of RAM
At least 16 GB of ROM

If you go for a small stick with 1.5 GB of RAM and 8 GB of ROM you will probably find yourself with slow processing and insufficient space for all the add-ons that you want.

Good Support

Anything I put my seal of approval on has to have a good support network. You won’t find any sellers that just sell the TV box and disappear. No eBay or Craigslist, fly-by-night sellers here. You need to have an active forum network with both company representatives and end-users who will gladly help out other users who have issues.

One other big thing: There has to be a warranty.

In short, you need to be taken care of after the sale. That should be a basic requirement, but surprisingly, most companies get this one wrong.

So, if you think a good support network is the most important thing on this list, then you’re right.

Regular Firmware Updates

Good firmware can make or break a device. If you’ve got crappy firmware, I don’t care how good the hardware running the TV box is – it’s just not going to save it.

To be considered, it needs to offer regular firmware updates. It doesn’t have to be monthly or even bi-monthly, but there has to be a history of firmware updates after a device is released.

Fair Prices

I’ve written posts before about sellers who rip people off by marking up a $50 TV box to $300. Nothing pisses me off more than a company taking advantage of people like that.

So, one big criterion for me is that the device has to be within a “fair price range,” which is comparable to other devices with similar specs.

This generally means a price limit of around US$160 for a TV box. If something is more expensive than its competition, there better be a really good reason.

5 Great Android TV Boxes For Kodi

Based on the above specifications, we have chosen five Android TV boxes that work well with Kodi.

We have prioritized powerful and affordable boxes. We haven’t prioritized authorization to access Netflix in 4K (since presumably you will be watching on Kodi and not Netflix), or things such as voice command or smart home integrations, though some of the boxes have these features.

If you want all of these features, you will want to look for a premium box like the NVIDIA Shield. If you just want something for streaming from your favorite services, such as Netflix and Prime Video, then the Amazon Fire Stick 4K is a great choice.

WeChip V10 Plus

The new 2021 release from WeChip, the V10 Plus, is a great choice for Kodi and is available for less than $100.

SHOP NOW

For that price, you get a decent Rockchip Quad Core running the latest Android 11.0 operating system. It also comes with an impressive 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB of ROM. If you need more memory than that, there is also TF card expansion and USB 3.0 or fast external hard drive connections.

We also like that it comes with an air mouse as standard, which can make navigating a lot easier, plus a one-year warranty.

Read our full review here.

QPLove Android TV Box

We are also impressed by the updated QPLove 2021 Android TV box, which you can get for less than $70.

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It comes with an Allwinner Quad Core and runs Android 10.0, but what is most impressive about this box is that it comes with 4 GB of RAM and 124 GB of ROM. That is a lot of space to play with!

This box will impress gamers and torrenters as well as anyone running Kodi.

Read our full review here.

X88 Pro 10 Android TV Box

Another great choice is the X88 Pro 10, which is surprisingly affordable at just $50.

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It uses a Rockchip Quad Core chipset and is running the latest Android 11.0 operating system. It comes with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of ROM, so it has the capacity for plenty of Kodi add-ons.

If you want more space, there is TF card expansion and USB 3.0 You might want to upgrade to a more usable remote control.

Read our full review here.

Longyi Android TV Box 10.0

If you are looking for a highly affordable TV box for running Kodi, then you might be happy with the Longyi box, which is available for less than $50.

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It uses a good Allwinner Quad Core and is running Android 10.0. It comes with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of ROM, which is about twice what you would expect from a box at this price.

The inclusion of a backlit keyboard mouse is a nice feature that many will appreciate when searching for their favorite content.

Read our full review here.

Sunnzo X96 Air

The Sunnzo X96 Air is another affordable Android TV box available for less than $50 that you will be able to do a lot with.

SHOP NOW

It has a great Amlogic Chipset and is running the Android 10.0 operating system. Again, it comes with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of ROM, which is about double what you would expect for the price.

The remote control that comes with it is pretty underwhelming, but you can always buy something more to your taste.

Read our full review here.

FAQs About Kodi Boxes

What’s The Best Dodgy Box?

“Dodgy box” can be another name for a Kodi box, referring to the fact that some Kodi boxes come “fully loaded” with applications that allow you to access illegal content. It is much harder to get a “dodgy box” these days than before, as selling boxes primed with pirated content is illegal, as is watching that content.

What Is The Best Android Box?

TV boxes using the Android operating system are considered among the best, as Android is an open source operating system that allows for flexibility and customization, unlike, for example, Apple.

Our favorite Android TV box for running Kodi is the SkyStream Pro 8K, but all of the boxes on our list are based around the Android operating system and are great TV boxes

Are Android TV Boxes Illegal?

Android TV boxes are completely legal. TV boxes are just machines that allow you to stream content from the internet directly to your TV. As a general rule, they don’t come with any content already included. Instead, you need to source the content yourself via free apps such as YouTube and paid-for applications such as Netflix.

Applications do exist for Android TV boxes that allow you to access illegal and pirated content. Accessing and watching this is illegal and is subject to local fines and punishments.

Which Is Better: Firestick Or Android Box?

Whether you should get a Firestick or an alternative Android Box really depends on how much you like Amazon. Fans of Amazon who are invested in their other products such as Alexa should go for the Firestick.

Android TV boxes are streaming boxes that work off the Android operating system. Amazon Fire TV boxes are also based on the Android operating system, but with additional refinements built on top to work seamlessly with other Amazon products, such as Amazon Prime and the Alexa Smart Speaker.

If you are heavily invested in Amazon as far as your home technology is concerned, a Firestick tends to be your best choice, as it can integrate with your Alexa speaker to respond to voice commands and you can also browse Amazon on your television.

But if you are looking for a more agnostic system that you can customize yourself, an alternative Android TV box is a better choice.

Should I Buy A Smart TV Or Firestick?

A Smart TV and a Firestick, or other TV box, pretty much achieve the same thing. They allow you to stream content directly from the internet to your television screen. With a Smart TV, you get something that is more integrated and you can control from one remote.

With a TV box, you have more options: if you want flexibility, you can get an Android Box; if you have an Alexa, you can get a Firestick that works with her voice commands; if you are an Apple-ophile, you can get Apple TV.

If you need to upgrade your TV, a Smart TV can be a great investment. If you already have a great TV that can deliver 4K, but isn’t “smart,” a TV box is an affordable way to make your existing set “smart.”

How Do I Choose An Android TV Box?

When choosing the right TV box for you, start by knowing what you want to use it for. There is pretty much no limit to the features you can get with a TV box, but you do need to pay for them. Ensure that you only pay for what you need.

When you have a standard TV and just want the TV box for streaming Netflix and your favorite cable channels, you can probably go with a very basic and affordable model, such as the basic Amazon Firestick.

But if you have a 4K TV with surround sound and want a cinematic experience while you are streaming, you will need something that has the power to stream 4K and deliver Dolby audible. In this case, you will be looking for a high-end device such as the SkyStream Pro 8K or the Nvidia Shield.

When differentiating between boxes, the primary things to look at are processor power, Wi-Fi speeds, their picture quality, and what version of Android they have. Many of the other features, such as voice control and design, are more about individual taste than the quality of streaming.

The Verdict

If you want access to a lot of entertainment content without having to subscribe to all the premium subscription services, then you are probably interested in Kodi.

However, we suggest resisting the urge to buy a fully-loaded Kodi box. Sellers charge a premium price for average TV boxes on which they have pre-installed Kodi and the add-ons that you need to access content, but the reality is that you can get a much better box for a fraction of the price and install Kodi and the required add-ons yourself, since they are free.

You will want a relatively powerful Android TV box to run sophisticated versions of Kodi, so we have recommended five affordable but powerful boxes that are ideal for running Kodi. Get one, and follow our simple instructions to get Kodi working for free.

Do you have experience setting up Kodi? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments section below.

Best Air Mouse For Easy Control Of Your Android TV Box

By Callan on April 3, 2021
Updated on May 10, 2021 78 Comments

Updated April 2021

Someone once told me that using the controller that comes with your Android TV box is like using those $5 earbuds from Walmart. They’ll work, but you’re going to miss out on a lot of the experience.

While premium Android TV boxes like the Fire Cube and the NVIDIA Shield come with voice remotes that actually work (they should understand you most of the time), most affordable Android TV boxes come with a pretty basic remote.

This means you might need to spend frustrating seconds trying to figure out whether to go up, left, or down to get back to the main menu and long minutes navigating those annoying onscreen keyboards to type in your search terms.

This is why you often need to invest in a separate remote. You might get a voice remote, though whether they will function with your TV box can be a bit of a gamble, but an air mouse is always a safe bet. Just point at what you want, click, and you are in the game.

There are lots of different options on the market, so we have chosen and reviewed the best of the best for you so you can pick the right air mouse remote to make using your Android TV box significantly more enjoyable.

Quick Look: Top 2 Picks

Voice Remote G10S Pro Air Flying Mouse

Rank

1^st

Rating

Price

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FireTV Voice Remote

Rank

2^nd

Rating

Price

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Why Get A Better Remote Control?

Think about it this way: What’s the first thing you reach for when you want to watch a movie?

It’s the remote control.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re controlling a TV, Blu-Ray player, HTPC, Set Top Box (STB), or an Android TV box. You still have to click on the right icon to start playing the movie. If you end up getting frustrated by the controller, you’re going to have a pretty crappy experience.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like crappy experiences.

How This List Is Organized

For each air mouse on the list, I looked at how it looks and feels, how easy it was to set up, and how well it works with the Android interface.

Just to be clear: I’m looking at how the air mouse performs straight out of the box.

I know that if, for example, you are using Kodi, there is a lot you can do to configure your air mouse to work even better, but I’m not going to look at that here. If you want more information on how to configure your remote mouse with Kodi, I highly recommend checking out their Wiki page.

Finally, I broke the list down into three categories: Remote Controls, Keyboard\Air Mouse Combos, and Extras. In each category, I’ll count down my list of favorites.

Voice Remotes: If you have your heart set on voice control, there are the remotes that might allow you to get it done.

Keyboard\Air Mouse Combos: Here you’ll find any air mouse with an integrated keyboard. Usually, the keyboard is on the back of the unit but not always.

Extras: This is the catch-all. Anything that didn’t obviously fit in any other category went here.

You’ve probably already got an idea of what kind of controller you want.

But check out the entire list so you can decide what the best air-mouse is for you. If you have any questions, feedback, or need more help picking the right device for you, don’t hesitate to contact me or leave a comment at the end of the article.

Best Voice Remotes

1. Voice Remote G10S Pro Air Flying Mouse

If you really want to try and get voice commands working on your Android TV box, then you might want to try this pretty good but still affordable air mouse and voice remote.

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It uses a high-fidelity microphone to do voice searches. But the thing to remember is that it won’t work with everything. It will only work with apps that are specifically designed to work with voice control, such as special search functionality.

But when you can’t use the voice command, use the simple air mouse functionality to make navigating and searching simple.

One of the other things that is great about this remote is that it has IR learning functionality. This means that when it comes to replacing your old remote, it has a sophisticated learning mode where you can press it head to head with the old remote and press certain buttons to teach the new remote the functionality of each.

You can also program this remote to take the place of a variety of different remotes, so you can use the same one for your TV, TV box, and your sound system.

Find the best price on Amazon.com

2. FireTV Voice Remote

Did you know you can use your Amazon FireTV Voice Remote on your Android TV box?

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Actually, you can use it on most Bluetooth-enabled devices. That doesn’t mean you’re going to get the same functionality, however.

I love the FireTV remote. I think it is one of the most comfortable remote control designs out there today. It’s light, stylish, and feels good in my hand. The voice search is on par with Google Now and really helps me enjoy watching my Amazon FireTV.

Unfortunately, it does not always work smoothly with Android TV boxes as you will need to link the Alexa voice recognition mic with the Google Now voice recognition program on your TV box.

Getting the connection between the two right can be fiddly and time-consuming. While some people will be willing to put in the time to be able to use this great remote, for others, it will just be too much trial and error and hard work to get it done.

Find the best price on the FireTV Voice Remote at Amazon.com

Best Air Mouse With Keyboard

1. MINIX A2 Lite

We’ve looked at the MINIX NEO A2 and A2 Lite in a previous review, but if you’re looking for a summary, think of it this way: everything that I didn’t like about the NEO M1 was fixed. The result was the NEO A2.

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There are actually two different versions of the MINIX NEO A2 air mouse: The A2 and the A2 Lite. The only difference, other than the color of the ring around the center D-pad, is that the NEO A2 has a speaker and microphone built in, whereas the A2 Lite does not.

Personally, I prefer the A2 Lite. I never use the voice command features on my Android TV boxes, so having that feature in an air mouse is a waste for me.

Both versions of the MINIX A2 are larger and heavier than every other air mouse I tested, with the exception of the gargantuan Measy RC11. From the top, it feels as if they could have taken a bit of size off the case to make it more comfortable. Flip it over, though, and you’ll be glad they didn’t. The keyboard is large and has enough space around each key so your thumbs won’t run into each other.

The air mouse wasn’t quite as good as the ProBox2 Remote+, but it wasn’t that far off. Be sure to adjust the sensitivity in the general Android Settings menu, and you’ll be OK.

As far as how it works within Kodi, every button was mapped to something, with the exception of the Rewind and Fast Forward buttons. Even better, those functions were fairly useful.

The volume buttons worked, as expected. The buttons above the D-Pad were mapped to main Android features like pulling up the task bar and returning to the Home screen. The buttons below the D-pad would allow you to pull up the pause menu and return to the file selection menu within Kodi.

When it comes to the air mouse I use on my own personal setup, I generally split time between the MINIX A2 Lite and the Mele F10 Deluxe below, but I’ll get into why in that section.

Find the best price on the MINIX NEO A2 Lite at Amazon.com

2. Mele F10 Deluxe

The size of the MINIX A2 means it might not appeal to everyone. But Mele F10 Deluxe is designed for people with smaller hands. So if you, or your significant other, has smaller than size-XL hands, this may be the better option.

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The Mele F10 Deluxe gives you more button options on the top of the remote mouse compared to the MINIX A2, even though it’s a much smaller air mouse. The trade-off is that you’re giving up all of that extra space on the keyboard. Again, for smaller hands, this may not be a big deal, but my thumbs were constantly running into each other when typing.

If you’re looking at primarily using the Mele F10 as an air mouse, you’re in for a treat. Although its rectangular shape isn’t ergonomic by any means, it is still very light and comfortable to hold. It doesn’t nestle into your hand like the Amazon remote, but there were a few times when I had forgotten I was holding it while watching a movie.

The top series of buttons is a mixed-bag when using the F10 Deluxe with Kodi. The main features like Play\Pause, Volume Up and Down, and Mute buttons all work perfectly.

The lower series of buttons are customizable, so it’s no surprise they don’t work within Kodi. The Rewind button actually functions correctly, but the Fast-Forward button doesn’t, however. At this point, I’ll take what I can get.

It is powered by an internal rechargeable battery that has a surprisingly long life. Even with daily use, it lasts almost a week between charges.

One final note, the Power button not only shut down my Android box, but it turned it back on as well. Again, it’s the little things like this that you expect to happen, but it’s nice when they actually do.

Find the best price on the Mele F10 Deluxe at Amazon.com

3. MX3 Multifunction AirMouse

Coming in a close second (or third, depending on how you handle the tie) is the MX3 Multifunction Air-Mouse. The MX3 is sold by several manufacturers including Vigica and Aerb, and it is another fan favorite as far as air mice are concerned.

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It is slightly larger than the Mele F10, but has the same thin, rectangular casing. Visually, the main difference between the two controllers is the Mx3’s “straight out of the 1980s” look. It isn’t as stylish as the F10, but the brightly colored buttons immediately draw your attention to the remote’s special features.

Like several of the other remotes I tested, the Aerb MX3 has an IR-learning feature so you can program it just like a regular TV remote. But, the MX3 has a full set of numbers on the top of the remote, as well as four customizable multi-colored buttons along the bottom row. This actually means you can use the Aerb MX3 as a replacement universal remote for your television and not lose any functionality.

The MX3 has a good gyroscopic sensor, which is a bit surprising considering this air mouse came out in 2014. There are a series of four quick launch buttons on the right side of the remote. They start with the blue “Internet Explorer” button on the second row, bottom right, and moving up towards the top. Each button was mapped to a particular Android feature straight out of the box – no configuration required.

The keyboard on the back side of the MX3 has a good “clicky” feel to it. The keys are small, but there is a good amount of space around each key because the manufacturer did away with the top row of numbers. To type numbers, you can either use the number pad on the top of the remote mouse or using the Alternate mapping on the keyboard itself.

Within Kodi, the buttons functioned about as well as all of the other remotes. Play\Pause worked normally. The MX3 splits the Rewind and Track Rewind functions into two seperate buttons along the top row. It does the same for Fast Forward and Track Advance. The Track Rewind functioned normally, but none of the other three worked.

If you’re looking for “one remote to rule them all” and don’t mind the retro styling of the brightly colored keys, the MX3 may be worth a look.

Find the best price on the MX3 Multifunction Air Mouse at Amazon.com

4. Rii I8

The Rii I8 is one of the smallest air mice with keyboard remotes that I have seen. The touchpad is incredibly small.

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This makes it fairly difficult to navigate from one edge of the screen to another. I actually counted and it took me three full swipes left-to-right to traverse the screen. If you get this, you’re definitely going to want to increase the pointer speed in the Settings menu.

The remote includes an internal rechargeable battery that holds a charge fairly well. And it even includes a power switch to conserve juice even more.

The main feature is the keyboard, so I’ll talk about that first. The best that can be said is it gets the job done. It’s not going to “wow” you with the feel like the MINIX A2 or the Mele F10, but it’s not bad either. Still, you probably won’t want to type out a bunch of emails. Use it for entering usernames and passwords, and maybe the occasional search query.

Unfortunately, most of the special function keys don’t map well by default with the Android interface. The Home and Search buttons don’t map to anything that I could see. What’s even more confusing is the “ε” – which I can only assume is supposed to be the Microsoft Internet Explorer “E” – actually mapped to the “Home” function.

It is one of the most affordable keyboard controllers available that will work on streaming devices, which is why it scored this high in the comparison test. Still, there are better options unless price is your biggest concern.

Find the best price on the Rii I8 at Amazon.com

Best Of Your Other Options

1. Logitech Touchpad T650

I love Logitech mice and keyboards. When I first started playing with Android Stick PC’s a few years ago, I used a Logitech K400 as my primary input device. It was a little big to leave sitting next to the sofa all the time, which is what actually started me looking for better controllers.

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Enter the Logitech T650 touchpad.

You’ve already heard me complain about remotes that included touchpads. The reason is that I’m used to the way the Logitech touchpads feel. Every one that I’ve ever tried has been responsive, with a good, high-quality feel to it. This one is no exception.

Android is a touch-based operating system. Having a touchpad just makes sense.

Not everything is perfect, though. There are some quirks to using the T650 with your Android TV box or Kodi HTPC.

You’re going to have to update the T650 firmware before you do anything. I know … this is an exception to my “work straight out of the box” rule, but this is worth it.

Without that firmware update, most of the touch features you’ve come to know and love (and rely on) just plain don’t work on the T650. No tap-to-click, no pinch-zoom, no double-finger-right-click. Nothing.

You’ll actually have to press down on the touchpad to do a left-click select. The “buttons” are actually in the feet of the device, which is pretty cool.

With the firmware upgrade, which takes about 30 seconds to install (seriously), this is a whole different device – and one of my favorites.

But be warned, while this is a great piece of kit, the price has recently skyrocketed, which means that it is not for the casual user. Only serious tech geeks will be tempted to fork out for this one.

Find the best price on the Logitech T650 Touchpad at Amazon.com

2. Kodi Kore App

If you are using Kodi as your primary TV box operating system, then you should definitely check out Kore, the official Kodi remote mouse app. It gives you a few extra features that you won’t find in any of these other devices. The trick is that they’ll only function from within Kodi itself. You won’t be able to use it to navigate around your Android device or any other apps.

Still, it’s something I highly recommend getting for a couple of reasons.

First: It’s free. No other remote control on this list is going to give you as many benefits for absolutely $0.

Secondly, you’re almost always going to have your smartphone with you, and you’ll probably even be on it while you’re watching TV. You may as well use it as a remote. You can always tell your girlfriend that you’re queuing up the next video when you’re really checking your Facebook status.

Finally, it’s going to give you the option to search, access menus, and settings, all from the swipe of your finger. No other remote mouse will do it as fast as Kore.

If you’re interested, head on over to my article on How to install Kore to find out more.

3. Yatse Remote App

Yatse is a third-party app for Kodi that gives Kore a run for its money.

Like Kore, Yatse is a free remote mouse app that offers all of the functionality to control a Kodi device from your smartphone. It will give you the same “remote control-like” interface in app form but will also add voice commands in seven different languages.

There is also an “Unlocked” version of the app that offers a bunch of cool features, like being able to access your media library offline, as well as saving your settings to the cloud. The unlocked version is under $4, which still makes it less expensive than any of the other air-mice on this page.

If you want to know more about Yatse, check out my article on the Yatse Remote for Kodi here.

4. Universal Remote App

If you aren’t using Kodi, but you still want a decent app that can turn your smartphone into a remote control for your Android TV box, skip the generic Android TV remote app and download the Universal Remote App.

You can take control of any Wi-Fi enabled device as long as both of them are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. The app also has the capacity to control traditional infrared devices, but you will need a phone or tablet with an infrared blaster for that to work.

This app does everything you would expect a pretty good remote to do, including voice search powered by Google that works well with most Android devices.

You can download the Universal Remote App here.

The Verdict

Don’t let your experience of a perfectly good Android TV box be spoiled by a crappy remote. Nothing takes the fun out of searching for new and interesting content faster than having to navigate an onscreen keyboard with a remote that pretty much only has four arrow buttons.

This is why voice remotes have become a standard feature of so many premium Android TV boxes; it just makes searching about a million times easier.

But if you don’t like voice control, or it just doesn’t understand you for some reason, you have lots of options. An air mouse remote can give you point-and-click control and a mini-keyboard can make searching a breeze.

Whatever your personal preference is, there is a solution out there for you, and hopefully, you will find it on our list of top picks.

Do you have a favorite remote or air mouse that we haven’t mentioned? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

What Nobody Tells You About Paid Kodi Add-Ons And IPTV Services

By Callan on March 23, 2021
Updated on April 21, 2021 29 Comments

Updated March 2021!

When you cut the cord with cable and you are looking for alternative media sources, both paid and free Kodi add-ons and IPTV services, which offer virtually limitless entertainment, seem tempting.

But these services very often fail to live up to their promise, and so, they are not always worth the risk.

You will no doubt have seen marketing headlines like:

“Experience unlimited entertainment …”

“All the premium channels”

“Hundreds of live sports channels”

“Full HD every time!”

“Access every single PPV event!”

The peddlers of these Kodi add-ons make it sound like it is simple to gain access to all the movies, shows, sports, and pay-per-view events you could possibly want at a fraction of the cost you would pay on cable.

But, when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Nothing about these Kodi add-ons is simple. And, if you choose the wrong add-on, you can also put yourself at significant risk.

I’m going to tell you everything those Kodi peddlers don’t want you to know about the IPTV add-ons.

What Are Kodi IPTV Add-Ons?

But, before we start, let’s be clear what we are talking about.

Kodi add-ons are just like Android applications. They are applications you can install within Kodi. They can do almost anything, and they may be paid-for or free.

Kodi IPTV add-ons allow you to stream live TV or films. IPTV simply means Internet Protocol Television and refers to any television that is delivered online rather than via traditional means.

BUT! In general, in the Kodi community, when people are talking about IPTV add-ons, they are talking about services that provide broad access to a variety of TV channels, movies, and PPV events you would normally expect to pay a fortune for but at a fraction of the cost.

There are both free IPTV options out there, powered by members of the Kodi community who believe access to entertainment should be free, and paid Kodi add-ons supplied by businesses that are providing access to make money.

Also Read: Why use a VPN for Android TV boxes?

While this statement is not going to make me very popular with many people in the Kodi community or even the open-source community, I have no problem paying for as service as long as it is fair and provides value for money.

What I get fired-up about is when the sellers misrepresent the value to the end-user. Many will over-promise based on things they simply cannot control. Worse yet, if they are engaging in illegal activity, they may put the customer at risk.

Here are five things peddlers of Kodi IPTV add-ons don’t want you to know about their subscriptions services.

But I’m not just going to tell you what they don’t want you to know. I am also going to tell you why you should care.

1. It’s Not Easy To Set Up

Think for a second how easy it is to use your television when you have cable TV.

Turn on TV
(Optional) Press the Guide button to find a real-time description of what is available to watch
Enter channel number or scroll through the available channels until you find what you want

For the past 80 years, television has been pretty easy to use. I mean, the worst we’ve had to put up with has been fixing the “rabbit ears” to get the right signal or running up to the TV to change the channel by hand.

Using these paid services isn’t easy, and they’re certainly not “set it and forget it.”

Even setting up your cable TV isn’t difficult. Someone comes to your house to install it for you. They are famous for their crappy customer service, but once you have it installed, it generally works without an issue unless there’s an outage affecting your entire area.

Remember the three-step setup process above? Simple, right?

Now think about paid Kodi add-ons.

Because of their nature, many Kodi add-ons aren’t going to be in the official Kodi repository. What this means for you is that you’ll need to install them manually.

If you’re a techie, this isn’t a big deal. Admittedly, there are hundreds of YouTube videos telling you how to install the Kodi flavor-of-the-day add-on. The paid add-ons are no exception.

But if you’re not a techie, this can be pretty daunting.

Let’s take a look at the installation process of one of the more popular Kodi add-ons: Exodus. This isn’t a paid add-on, but it will illustrate just how complicated the installation can be if you’re not used to it.

Turn on your TV and Android Box
Launch Kodi
Select System and then File Manager
Select Add Source
Select None
Enter the following repository exactly: https://fusion.tvaddons.ag
Click Done
Enter a name for the media source
Go back to the Kodi home screen
Select System
Select Add-Ons
Select Install from zip file
Select whatever you named your media source back in step 8
Select Kodi-repos
Select your language
Select repository.exodus-x.x.x.zip
Wait for the system to enable the add-on
Select Install from repository
Select *Exodus Repository*
Select Video Add-Ons
Select Exodus
Select Install
Wait for the system to enable the add-on

Are you tired yet?

Is this hard? No. Not if you know what you’re doing.

Is it cumbersome? Absolutely!

2. It’s Not Easy To Use

Even if you have someone who will set it up for you, you’re not off the hook. You still have more work to do every time you want to watch TV.

They’re certainly not “set and forget.”

Channel surfing has become the norm. If you want to watch something, you just flipped through the channels until you found what you were looking for. Or better yet, you went to your Channel Guide, which told you exactly what was on every single channel.

Not so in the Kodi world.

It’s funny to me that the same people who complain about having to open a different (official) app to watch different content are the same ones who swear by these complicated add-ons.

Why do I say that?

Think about this. When you turn on your TV, how many options do you have to watch the same show?

One, right?

With a Kodi add-on, you will find that you have several different options. You might have:

ESPN1 SD
ESPN1 HD
ESPN1 FHD
ESPN1 HD EST
ESPN1 HD PST

And so on.

These are all streams of the same channel, but some will work better than others, and some may not work at all. This is because these Kodi add-ons are pulling their content from a variety of different sources.

Do you really want to spend your TV time looking for something that works and actually looks good?

So Why Should You Care?

If you’re not a techie or just don’t want to put the effort into constantly tweaking your setup … and you just want it to be simple and easy, then you might want to look at other options.

The bottom line is that watching TV with a paid Kodi add-on or a sketchy IPTV subscription service takes a lot of work.

3. They’re Almost Always Illegal

Stay With Me Here, Because This Isn’t Going Where You Think It Is.

This isn’t about me taking some “moral high ground.” This is about your privacy, security, and how much you’re willing to risk them.

The fact of the matter is that streaming content you don’t own is illegal or will become illegal in the very near future. Piracy will always be around, of course. It’s been around for hundreds of years in one form or another and will continue to be for hundreds more. More on this in my article that looks at is Kodi legal?

What’s different now is that it’s becoming easier and easier for the authorities to track who is participating in it.

The UK’s Digital Economy Act (see link above) doesn’t directly go after the people streaming the content; it goes after the people providing the content. Once the news of possible fines and imprisonment spread, multiple streaming sites voluntarily shut down. Even Navi X, one of the longest running Kodi add-ons, closed its doors forever. See more shutdowns here, here, here, and here.

According to TorrentFreak.com, the Navi-X team “says that the main reason for discontinuing the add-on and its underlying service is the current legal climate. Hosting Navi-X playlists is something that TV Add-ons no longer feels comfortable with due to the potential liability that comes with it.”

So what, you say? With this flurry of activity, what does this mean for you?

End-users of pirate streaming sites could be in legal trouble themselves. You may remember Popcorn Time? Several of their end-users were sued by filmmakers for damages up to $150,000. Recently, a British university student was caught torrenting a movie and faced retribution from her school.

Even if you personally take precautions to keep yourself safe, it may not matter. Several fully loaded Kodi box sellers have recently been jailed in the UK.

Tell me…what do you think happens to their customer records when they get arrested?

The names and addresses of all of those people who purchased those devices are now in the hands of the police. This means that those people can now be easily served for pirating content themselves.

Easiest. Investigation. Ever.

Why Should You Care?

Make no mistake: you are the one at risk if you use an illegal service. If you do so, use an anonymous form of payment, like Bitcoin, and I recommend using a VPN for Kodi. But just understand, if Big Brother wants to find you, they will. No defense is foolproof.

4. They Can Take Your Money And Run

But wait…there’s more!

Because most of these paid Kodi add-ons and IPTV subscription services are illegal (or legally gray), there’s even more risk.

Our friends over at KillTheCableBill.com have a huge list of IPTV Scams they’ve uncovered over the past few years. And the list is only growing.

You see, it’s easy for someone to set up a paid IPTV subscription service and charge for access to their servers.

But what happens when they get more attention than they bargained for and they decide to close up shop?

If you paid by credit card, which puts you at risk (see point #3 above), then you can try to charge-back the purchase. If you paid by Bitcoin or some other secure method of payment, don’t hold your breath on getting a refund.

These services were on shaky legal ground to begin with, which means you have absolutely no recourse when things go wrong.

You see, there’s something called the Clean Hands Doctrine, which basically says that if you’re engaging in illegal activity, you can’t reasonably expect someone to act within the bounds of the law. Basically, if you tried to sue someone who steals the money you paid them to get illegal access to premium channels and PPV events, then your case will be thrown out of court.

Why Should You Care?

If you do decide to go with a paid Kodi add-on or IPTV subscription, go with a month-to-month plan using a secure method of payment like Bitcoin. That way, it will limit your exposure if they decide to go belly-up.

5. All Those SD Streams Are Going To Look Like Crap

You bought a 4K TV, right? If not, you’ve at least got a 1080p HD TV?

So, why are you satisfied with Standard Definition (SD) streams?

Many of the streams you’ll see on these IPTV services are in SD, which is around 480p. (Side note: Technically, this is “enhanced definition,” not “standard definition,” but the term “enhanced definition” has gone away over the past few years).

Simply put: You’re not getting your money’s worth out of that TV if you’re using it to play crappy streams at low resolution.

Why Should You Care?

You bought your TV for a reason. You were impressed by those attention-grabbing video loops that were playing on it at the store.

So, why are you satisfied using only a fraction of its potential?

Case Study: Tanggula IPTV

Let’s take a genuine example of an IPTV service to see how it really works: Tanggula IPTV.

Tanggula IPTV is a bit different. While you can buy the Kodi add-on, the company makes most of its money by selling TV boxes with the service already installed – overcoming that difficult installation issue.

But while that sounds like a good thing, a Tanggula IPTV TV box will set you back $300, which includes one year of access to their live streaming services, which has a value of $99. So, you are paying $200 for the box.

If you look at the specs of the box, it is about at the level of a standard Android TV box you can buy on Amazon for $70 to $100, and then install the Tanggula streaming service on. So, the company has already made about $100 off you there.

Read our full review of the Tanggula TV box here.

The service then claims to provide access to literally tens of thousands of channels, movies, and series. But, you don’t actually know what you are getting. If you go to their website and click on the menu item that says Channels List, you see the following:

United States – 7145
United Kingdom – 1069
Canada – 979
Adults – 1240
Latino – 2224
Movies – 20521
Series – 3437

So, you don’t really have any way of knowing if you are actually getting the channels and movies you are interested in, because they aren’t listed anywhere.

Plus, don’t forget, those 7,000 US channels include five different versions of most channels, with SD, HD, FHD, and many other options for the same channel.

This is still probably worth the investment, as for a basic live TV subscription from one of the mainstream carriers, which will offer a much more limited range of channels, will generally cost an absolute minimum of $20 a month, and more like $50 a month if you are interested in premium sports or special channels like HBO.

But, unlike these other services, you don’t know what you are getting, you don’t have any control over what you are getting, and you can’t guarantee the quality of the stream.

So, Tanggula IPTV represents very good value for money in terms of live TV streaming, but it is not exactly the answer to all your streaming needs that it markets itself to be.

What To Use Instead?

This discussion may have left you wondering why you should use Kodi at all? Kodi is still an excellent piece of software for organizing and streaming media content, and there are hundreds of excellent add-ons for Kodi that can help you access the entertainment you are looking for.

I am simply suggesting you exercise caution before signing up for a Kodi IPTV service that promises you unlimited access to all the entertainment ever! They are unlikely to be able to deliver on that promise, and while you may not be paying in dollars, the payoffs may well not be worth it.

But there are plenty of Kodi add-ons out there that let you access fantastic content. In fact, we have even come up with a list of The 75 Best Kodi Add-Ons to get you started.

Use A VPN

I have already said it, but it is worth saying again. If you are going to use an IPTV service, you also need to be using a VPN.

If, for some reason, authorities, hackers, or anyone else decides they want to trace who is using a dubious IPTV service, a VPN can help protect your identity.

If you don’t already know, a VPN masks your IP and makes it look like you are accessing the internet from a generic IP address rather than your personal one. You can also choose where in the world you want to appear in if you are accessing the internet, which can help you gain access to geo-fenced content. VPNs also encrypt all of your data, which helps protect it against hackers and others that might want to see your personal data.

Need more convincing? Read my full article on why you need a VPN service for Kodi.

There are lots of VPN services out there that offer apps specifically designed to work on Android TV and which have features such as kill switches and selective tunneling to help you balance maximum protection and maximum speeds while streaming.

You will find my recommendations for the best VPN services to use with Kodi here.

Spoiler alert! I recommend:

CyberGhost

More than 6,000 servers
Options in 90 different countries
Double encryption

IPVanish

Over 1,000 servers
Choose from 60 country locations
Strict no-logs policy

NordVPN

Double encryption
Can protect you on public Wi-Fi networks
Covers up to 6 devices on a single subscription

FAQs

What Is IPTV?

IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television, and it is a general term for any form of television that is broadcast over the internet rather than by using traditional means.

Is IPTV Legal?

IPTV technology is legal, but using the technology to watch pirated content is illegal. For example, watching TV online via that channels app with a registered account is entirely legal. But, if you use IPTV to watch pirated content, such as pay-per-view events that you have not paid for, this activity is illegal.

It is often claimed that, in the United States, it is not illegal to stream copyrighted material; it is only illegal to download it. But this is false. If you watch something that requires buffering, you are technically downloading that content, and therefore, it is in a legal gray area.

While copyright owners are unlikely to go after individual streamers like you, it has been known to happen, so you put yourself at risk.

Can You Get IPTV On Kodi?

Yes, you can get IPTV on Kodi. Some IPTV services offer registered Kodi add-ons, while others don’t. In this case, you can still access the IPTV but you will need to sideload it onto your machine.

Can IPTV Be Traced?

Yes, you can be traced when using IPTV, as a link can be made between your IP address and the service.

The best way to protect yourself against this is to use a VPN. While the Kodi service may say they are encrypted and your data is safe, a VPN allows you to mask your IP address, so the Kodi service does not have it, and to encrypt your own data so there is nothing to connect you to the service.

You should also not provide your personal details when making a purchase; if the company is “rumbled,” your information can be passed on. You should create an alternative email address not linked to you for the account, and, if possible, pay with Bitcoin or another alternative method, rather than provide your payment details.

Paid Kodi Add-Ons And IPTV Subscriptions: The Verdict

The bottom line is those marketing headlines that tell you you can have access to all the entertainment you want for next to nothing do not tell you the whole story.

These Kodi add-ons are complicated to set up and use, and they often don’t deliver on everything they say they can do.

More than that, they can put you at risk. You are at relatively low risk of being picked up for illegal activity as you are a small fish, but the risk exists. But, if the company is forced to shut up shop, they are very likely to take your money and run.

Bottom line is that you can get something good, or you can get something for free. It all depends on what matters to you.

There are other options for streaming that can give you the quality and security you need while still cutting a huge chunk out of your cable bill.

Do you have experience with IPTV services and paid Kodi add-ons? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments section below.

Read more here: Best Streaming Services.