a couple of people have mentioned these to me over Christmas. So I have done a quick Google and hundreds came up on amazon and ebay.
1. I don't fully understand what content I can access
2. loads of the boxes mentioned 'fully loaded' whats this mean
3. anyone recommend a box with good remote and simple user interface(if the UIs differ that is)
2. loads of the boxes mentioned 'fully loaded' whats this mean
That's probably code for "illegal."
As I understand them: they allow you to access steamed content. The legality of those streams is variable.
Like, potatoes and broccoli and things?
are potatoes illegal?
I sell em. problems, problems, problems.
Is there a better option Ton?
They basically link into Torrent sites on the internet so illegal and as far as I can see, pretty crappy quality - even the 'HD' stuff - not all HD is the same. I got it but can't be bothered watching it as the quality is painful most of the time.
As far as I've experienced they can be used legally to get loads of services in one place but I've heard they are buggy and a bit crap so people only persevere to get the illegal stuff...
Or an Amazon fire stick. I was going to post a link to a video on how easy it was to install but I could hear the ban hammer hovering outside my office door.
Is there a better option Ton?
for streaming, no
for live stuff like sky sports, yes.
quality is painful most of the time
If you try to watch films that are out in the last few months, yes. 'Most' of the time the quality is more than acceptable.
Cougar - Moderator
2. loads of the boxes mentioned 'fully loaded' whats this mean
That's probably code for "illegal."
[b]Probably [/b]being the operative word. Is there any legal basis for saying streaming via kodi is actually illegal?
I'm not aware of any, hosting and uploading, yes. Viewing streams? (Happy to be corrected there.)
But if you have a niggly feeling that all this “free” content is too good to be true, your hunch is almost certainly correct: most websites offering free, streamed programmes are illegal.
Even the way it is worded in the press is obscuring. Yes the sites are illegal. Using said sites? Not as far as i'm aware. I know of no test cases where people have been charged with [b]watching[/b] streams.
A small differentiation but an important one. Things aren't illegal just because media houses and their sponsors imply that they are.
ton - Member
I sell em. problems, problems, problems.
I install it myself. Easy, easy, easy! 😆
So Kodi is just a media player. It is legitimate software that can run on any android box or pc.
There is no content by default.
Within Kodi you add 'Add Ons' which are basically streaming sites which allow you to access content. Anything from Live Sports to all the movies and boxsets you desire.
You probably want to buy:
An Amazon firestick with Kodi side loaded and 'The Beast' installed.
The Beast UI is pretty straightforward and the Firestick remote works well.
Watching the streams currently isn't illegal, but may be in future.
but may be in future.
I'd tend to agree with this, it will change at some point. One of the reasons for the "security" hysteria going at the moment, imo. That's not particular a battle about security, it's a battle about laws pertaining to further commercializing the interweb. However they like to dress it up...
Good for films and boxsets, haven't got to grips with sports yet, I maybe don't have the best add on to allow me to sock it to Murdoch.
Sports are generally poor on it. can be ok, but hit an miss. Basically anything live streamed is iffy. Tv shows and films (outwith brand new cinema cams) are generally pretty good quality. (If you've ever torrented, it's the same story there.)
Aye, that's about my experience.
I installed it on my Fire TV stick out of curiosity. It matches my experiences of most free software... you get what you pay for.
I brought one and sold it as just did my head in , if you've got a satellite dish with leads and internet connection next to that then there are much better options
They basically just allow you to access the same stuff that you can get in your internet browser such as illegal streams of TV shows, movies and sports, packaged up into a small box that connects to the TV with convenient addons that make it easier to find said stuff
The law is trying to crack down on suppliers of set-top boxes, I can't imagine that they would try to go after anyone actually doing the streaming.
k ,thanks for the replies. we are going to get an amazon tv stick anyway and I did some more reading and you can load it onto that. so i'll try loading it on and see what its like.
I'm wondering if firestick (and similar) will get updates to try to prevent you running kodi and/or it's addons.The law is trying to crack down on suppliers of set-top boxes
We were bought a firestick at xmas, I have mixed views of it so far, but if you're already an amazon prime account holder then I'd say get one.
if you've got a satellite dish with leads and internet connection next to that then there are much better options
Agreed +1
loading it on Amazon stick? so Kodi is a software? I thought Kodi is a box thingy..
what kodi box highly recommended? i'm more interested finding rare documentary stuff (i.e. Smithsonian) that is not found in normal channels.
[quote=wolfenstein ]loading it on Amazon stick? so Kodi is a software? I thought Kodi is a box thingy..
what kodi box highly recommended? i'm more interested finding rare documentary stuff (i.e. Smithsonian) that is not found in normal channels.
kodi is media centre software. It can run plug ins, some plug ins are available which can stream dubious content. Without that it's just a normal media centre which plays the files you already have.
A 'kodi box' is some device with kodi already installed on it. Usually a cheap little android based device.
Don't get ripped of buying a "kodi box". All it is, is a piece of software sideloaded on to a device like an Amazon firestick or pi and is a 5 minute job. Problem with kodi is it needs updating all the time as the builds or plug ins go out of date and the streams stop working. Use the correct build and it works flawlessly.
You can test it out by running the software on your laptop, pc or mobile first.
They will put a stop to it before long. Kodi and/or it's plug-in providers will be bought out/paid off/closed down. ISP's and/or server providers will be hounded/threatened when small, put under pressure/do a deal when bigger.
You can just install it on an Android phone or PC/Laptop/Tablet. A video out wired connection is simple, from device streaming less so.
Unsurprisingly as with anything free/dodgy it's not 100% reliable.
I think the UI is a bit clunky and the integration with standard PC's not the best.
Kodi is free and opensource software. Good luck buying out, paying off or shutting that down.
The purveyors of the illegal plugins perhaps.
Wouldn't buy a Kodi box. I just run it on a Pi (think it was the OpenElec pre-built version).
The whole implementation of Kodi is - in my view - built on a premise that is morally wrong. It's just facilitating and normalising something - streaming pirated content - that was once upon a time the realm of a much smaller minority. In the "old days" those who used torrent sites knew they were streaming pirated content. With Kodi boxes it's not so clear (hence this thread).
It's a bit like someone selling stolen goods on Amazon. You assume, because it's on Amazon, that those goods are kosher. The law just hasn't caught up yet.
All in my humble opinion etc etc
packed full of Shiite you don't need, will never use, probably won't work if you do try and will make Kodi crash all the time.fully loaded
Absolutely no offence intended but with regard to the thread title, if you have to ask, it's probably not for you.
[quote=stilltortoise ]The whole implementation of Kodi is - in my view - built on a premise that is morally wrong. It's just facilitating and normalising something - streaming pirated content - that was once upon a time the realm of a much smaller minority. In the "old days" those who used torrent sites knew they were streaming pirated content. With Kodi boxes it's not so clear (hence this thread).
Really? I remember when pirated DVDs, hacked cable boxes, sky cards, cloned modems etc were commonly available at markets and boot sales.
Secondly, as has been mentioned a number of times, the only morally dubious part is the plugin and the stream. These are nothing whatsoever to do with kodi itself.
I looked at Kodi, to make it worth using you need to want to watch pay-for TV and Films for free, legalities and loopholes aside - it's morally bankrupt.
If you want to stream stuff in very high quality it's not hard and it's often cheaper than Premium TV - NowTv which is basically all the sky stuff is about £6 a month, bolt on films and Sports and it's more expensive, but a lot cheaper than Sky.
Netflix is awesome for TV series and okay for films, Prime well I guess it depends on how much you like TopGear, sorry 'The Grand Tour' of course the BBC puts out lots of lots of good quality content for nothing and the rest of the terrestrial channels do in some way shape or form.
I use AppleTV, it's wonderful and has saved me a fortune over Sky.
Of course, everyone already knows this, but they want to watch a film that might have cost $300m to make or a TV show that costs $10m-$20m an episode, for nowt and they'll put up with the cat and mouse game of blocked IPs and shoddy unreliable streams because they're tight and hide behind the "oh, it's sort of legal" or "Kodi is just a media player, so I can't be doing anything wrong" argument.
Man. People love not paying for content.
chestercopperpotThey will put a stop to it before long. Kodi and/or it's plug-in providers will be bought out/paid off/closed down. ISP's and/or server providers will be hounded/threatened when small, put under pressure/do a deal when bigger.
And the next piece of technology will emerge to circumvent whatever legislation is put in place. The genie is out of the bottle and it won't be put back in. More likely the way in which we access tv and films will change to be more in line with Spotify or itunes.
Rather than paying Sky or Virgin or whoever for a tv package and watching scheduled tv you'll just have a tv with internet connection and legally sourced high quality streams with fast servers will give you access to unlimited media for a small fee. Maybe.
Echo above for people looking for free content. Don't. Plenty of decent legit options. Netflix is fab quality and content is broad and interesting.
Their own content is fantastic and needs supporting as the BBC loses it's way.
Go to the cinema or get a blu-ray if you want the latest. Don't support these systems unless perhaps you are looking at it for the home cinema functions.
The whole implementation of Kodi is - in my view - built on a premise that is morally wrong. It's just facilitating and normalising something - streaming pirated content - that was once upon a time the realm of a much smaller minority.
I don't believe that that was the intention behind the project on which it was based (XBMC) and it's hard to say what proportion of the developers behind Kodi see that as its primary purpose.
I use Kodi to get to iPlayer and other "free" catch-up services because the same functionality on my "smart" TVs is unusably slow or unavailable. I don't use it to access anything illegal, although the ITV Player plugin doesn't show the ads 🙂
It also has a lot of functionality for other stuff, such as watching TV that's been received or recorded on a networked computer, giving you access to your PVR from anywhere in your house. I don't think you can write off the whole of Kodi as immoral.
Rather than paying Sky or Virgin or whoever for a tv package and watching scheduled tv you'll just have a tv with internet connection and legally sourced high quality streams with fast servers will give you access to unlimited media for a small fee. Maybe.
Already going that way-ish. My new Virgin V6 box can source content from on demand players, Netflix etc. As well as your own recordings/series links. Kinda cool and I honestly don't remember the last time, other than sporting events, I watched something at its broadcast time.
I don't believe that that was the intention behind the project on which it was based (XBMC) and it's hard to say what proportion of the developers behind Kodi see that as its primary purpose.
https://kodi.tv/the-piracy-box-sellers-and-youtube-promoters-are-killing-kodi/
I run Kodi on my iMac.
I have been watching the NFL on it this season. Quality has been alright, more than acceptable for free.
I don't believe that that was the intention behind the project on which it was based (XBMC) and it's hard to say what proportion of the developers behind Kodi see that as its primary purpose.
Very few. In fact Kodi devs are the ones cheesed off that the Kodi name is being dragged down by all the "Kodi boxes" pre-filled with loads of dodgy add-ons.
I don't think you can write off the whole of Kodi as immoral.
Or if you can, then you also have to write off the entire personal computing industry as immoral for facilitating the ability to play media on practically any PC, Laptop, etc.
Can you airplay/cast to these boxes from iPhone/android/PC?
OP download it to you computer and have a play before spending money on a dedicated box. Plenty of help online, try add ons Exodus and Phoenix.
Assuming you have a laptop you could also connect that to the tv with an hdmi or VGA and maybe a male/male jack plug wire for sound
I guess there is no hope, when those who are more than well off enough to pay for content, advocate pirate addons.
