Kodi is one of the basic applications every time a television passes through my hands and it is also one of the ones that I always recommend installing to family and friends when they ask me about what applications may be more interesting to better take advantage of the full potential of your new TV.
I recommend installing Kodi on modern TVs, but also on devices like any of the ones on Amazon’s Fire TV bed or when it comes to a Chromecast with Google TV. However, Kodi itself is limited and We find all the potential by taking advantage of the add-ons with which it is compatible. That’s why I’m going to review which ones are the most advisable to get the most out of Kodi.
Kodi is a complete multimedia center for any device. It is compatible with mobile phones, computers, tablets, Smart TVs and Chromecast or Fire TV style devices. It is used to watch streaming content, but also to play any type of multimedia file that we have on a hard drive or storage device. AND to be able to take advantage of all these advantages add-ons are the ideal travel companion.
What are add-ons
And the first thing to do is explain what add-ons are. Said in Spanish, they become a kind of add-ons or plugins that can be installed in the application to improve and expand the features Kodi offers.
The add-ons can be installed from the official Kodi repository itself but also from external sources and lThere are practically any function you can imagine.. From customizing the appearance of Kodi, to serving as a source to access different streaming services from a single application or even to watch DTT. The list is huge.
How add-ons are installed
When installing add-ons on Kodi As users, we can find different possibilities. The most convenient thing is to use those that can be installed from the official Kodi repository, but in addition, there are also other add-ons that can be installed from external sources. The entire process is carried out through the “Add-ons” section inside Kodi.
- Install from repository: Here you can find all the addons found in the Kodi repository.
- Install an external repository: If the official Kodi repositories are not enough, you can always choose to install add-ons from external sources. Any additional repositories on Kodi work. You can add them by entering the Kodi settings, in the path “System” > “Add-ons” and enabling the option “Unknown origins”‘. You must go back to “System” and within “File Browser” click on “Add source”. You just have to enter the URL of the repository, give it a name and then enter the option “Install from a .zip file.” To see the new repository you must go to “Install from repository” in the tab “Add-ons” and you will be able to see the list of all the repositories installed on Kodi.
- Install from a .zip file: allows you to install any add-on from a compressed file. You just have to click on this option and choose the .zip file that has been downloaded to install it.
Add-ons for streaming
One of the main claims of Kodi is that it can be used to have all the streaming services to which we subscribe in a single app. If you have applications on your television to watch Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, SkyShowtime… You may have too much memory occupied and with Kodi you can have it all in one app.
We have already seen how to take advantage of Kodi for all platforms. In each of these links you can see how to do it for HBO Max, Disney+, Movistar Plus+, DAZN, Netflix, SkyShowtime, Pluto TV… In all these cases, what you will need is to have an active subscription to any of these platforms and download the corresponding plugin from the repository to enjoy all the content on the platform streaming from Kodi.
In the case of HBO Max, Disney+, or Pluto TV Simply install the SlyGuy repository from Kodi by entering the URL ‘http://k.slyguy.xyz‘ and you can find the platforms mentioned in the list of addons that this repository includes. If you prefer Netflix, you must install the external repository on Kodi with the URL ‘https://castagnait.github.io/repository.castagnait/‘ using the method that we have explained above and search for the Netflix addon in the list
Add-on to watch DTT
Another possibility that Kodi has is to offer the ability to watch DTT, record programs. To have all the TV channels at hand you must access the account in Marc Vila’s GitHub, and from this page you must copy the link to the m3u8 playlist of the DTT channels (it can be the TV, Radio or Radio plus TV link). The resulting link should be such that .
To have it at hand you have to enter the “Settings” and then access the section “Add-ons”. Then choose “Install from repository” and brand “All repositories”. Click on “PVR Clients” and go down the list until you find “PVR IPTV Simple Client”. Click on “Install” and accept the installation of added plugins. Once the Kodi Add-on is installed, click on “Set up” or in some “skin” directly in the plugin launcher.
Now among all the sections you must look for one that has the title “M3U Playlist URL” and there write the text that you previously copied. Is this and after completing the link we click, and this is very importanton the “OK” button.
Now on the Kodi home screen, if you click on the TV section on the side of Kodi, you will see how The entire list of DTT channels appears.
YouTube Add-on for Kodi
YouTube is another of the platforms that can be included in Kodi thanks to the add-ons. And as in the cases of other streaming applications, It will not be necessary to have the YouTube application separately on the TV.
Can install the YouTube addon for Kodi and also without complications, since you can find it in the official Kodi repository. Thanks to this plugin to search and play any video on the platform, and you will not have to worry about the viewing history, since it is also compatible with the use of profiles and you will be able to log in to your profile and have all your playlists at hand. reproduction and information.
In addition, there is another important advantage and that is that you will be able to reproduce the videos without advertising, also having extra configuration options for audio, video, subtitles and more.
Movistar Plus+ Add-on
Another option that Kodi allows in relation to streaming multimedia content is to access Movistar Plus+ without third applications. To do this you cannot do it from the official Kodi repositories and you must download two compressed files and install them on Kodi from the tool. “Install from a .zip file.”
The files to download can be found here Github page and they are “plugin.video.movistarplus-XXXX.zip” and “script.module.ttml2ssa-XXXzip” (the latter is an Add-on to add subtitles to each channel). With the downloaded files you only have to install them on Kodi and then log in with your Movistar Plus+ credentials.
Add-ons to record DTT channels
In addition, another possibility it offers is to be used to record DTT programs. Kodi allows you to record any content that the channels broadcast thanks to an add-on such as IPTV Recorder and “PVR IPTV Simple Client”.
With this plugin programs can be recorded and stored in the location we choose. To install this latest plugin you must access the official add-on page on Github and download the compressed file. After that, you install it on Kodi using the “Install from a .zip file” option.
Plex add-on for Kodi
But you can also use Kodi to access Plex. It is another of the applications that allows you to expand the multimedia center in your home, which in this case stands out because you can create a local server at home to access all types of multimedia content.
And although as in the case of streaming applications, you can use Plex’s own application, Kodi also allows you to include it within the application itself.
To use it, the first thing is that you must have a Plex account and if this is the case, just search “Composite” in the video add-ons section. This way, within Kodi you will have a list with all the content of your Plex server and profile.
Add-ons to customize Kodi
Kodi is a very customizable application. One of the things I like most about Kodi is that I can customize it however I want and choose from a large number of designs which serve to change the interface of the application.
Although I have to admit that in Omega, the most recent version of Kodi, Pellucid, one of my favorite add-ons is no longer supported. There are still a large number of alternatives to the “Estuary” skin, which is the default one.
The first thing you should do is access the “Settings” in the top left area of the screen. Once inside look for the option “Interface” and when the new window opens, click on the section “Skin” and then click on “Get more”.
A list of “Skins” available with Kodi repositories, although they can be downloaded from external sources if preferred. For the guide we will use the ones offered by Kodi, which for my taste are quite complete. There are different interface styles and it’s about choosing the one we like the most and best suits our interests.
Add-ons to have screensavers
Another option is to make Kodi use screensavers. There are many but I have a weakness for those that imitate the operation of the Apple TV. In addition to aesthetics, it is interesting because serves for protect the TV screen, especially in OLED models.
In this tutorial I explained at the time how to change the screensaver that comes in Kodi and the best of all is that it can be done from the Kodi repositories themselves, which makes it even much easier.
Add-on to save add-ons
If you already have many add-ons installed and you don’t want to lose them, this is the best option. Leverage a free add-on called Backup which allows you to make a backup copy of Kodi, in addition to saving a downgrade.
Within “Program add-ons” If we do not have the complement, we must click on “Enter the Add-ons browser.” Look for one called “Backup” and click on it and then in the new tab click on “Install”. Then go back to the option “Program add-ons” that you have used before and you will see how “Backup” appears as available. Open it by clicking “Backup” and click on “Open settings”. You will see several options and click on “File Selection”.
Click on this section and Check all the boxes corresponding to the data you want to save. You can mark one, all or the ones that interest you. Now go back and click on “Remote Directory”. At that point just click on “Browse remote path” to find the place where you want the data you are going to save to be stored. At that point click on “OKAY” and go back to the add-on. Click on “Backup” and you will see how the backup that you have configured begins to run.
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