Kodi Community Forum

Hi folks,

I joined here this week, posted a question, but it got removed due to it (inadvertently) violating forum rules. So I would like to re-post and re-phrase the question here please. I hope that I have posted this in the appropriate section!

I have a brand new Amazon Firestick. I would like to install Kodi on it but, from information I have gleaned on here, I think that Kodi is ILLEGAL and that you instead are to install Kodi VANILLA? The latter being the LEGITIMATE version?

Is this correct please?

Thanks,

Paul

@monsterjazzlicks (paul) kodi is simply a media player (see http://kodi.tv/about) forst two paragraphs. what you do with kodi after you have it is up to you. No different than you using a webbrowser to view content on the web. The reason that your posts were binned is because they were in violation of our forum rules (wiki) because they had banned add-ons (wiki) installed on them that provide access to pirated content.

in short - if an add-on that is not packaged with the kodi installation that you have downloaded from kodi.tv/downloads would provide you with access to content that you would normally have to pay for it is not allowed here.

Thanks Bry,

(2016-12-02, 16:36)bry Wrote: [ -> ]in short - if an add-on that is not packaged with the kodi installation that you have downloaded from kodi.tv/downloads would provide you with access to content that you would normally have to pay for it is not allowed here.

Ok, I see about the banned LINKS etc.

So now I have new Firestick, I need to go to the kodi.tv/downloads and only d/l the ADD ON's from there? And then everything will be legal/safe?

Cheers,

Paul

you are free to do what you like with kodi. Just make sure if you are seeking support the installation does not contain any add-ons or repos from the previous links.

A few additional posts to read : https://kodi.tv/the-piracy-box-sellers-a...ling-kodi/ & https://kodi.tv/warning-be-aware-what-ad...u-install/

Thanks Bry,

kodi.tv/downloads

Should this URL be kodi.tv/download (ie. without an 'S') because I can't get it to connect?

Cheers,

Paul

Yes it should. But can't you just click on the ('DOWNLOAD') link at the top of this (every) page and follow it to the .apk you want?

yes, https://kodi.tv/download/

If you only use add-ons from the "official Kodi add-on repository" (the only add-on repository installed on vanilla Kodi), then you're on the safe side. But as bry already mentioned, we're not in the position to tell you how to use Kodi. You can install anything you want if you know what you're doing and are willing to take the risks. I'd personally not use any of those piracy streaming add-ons.

Hi Da-anda,

Well thats what I am trying to do; to stay on the safe side! It is very easy to unwittingly and totally innocently download/use Kodi in a way that it was not designed to be used; especially for newbies.

Thanks,

Paul

Hi Troggy,

I was not aware that you could access the d/l from the top of each page.

Thanks,

Paul

Hi,

Browsing through the seemingly endless amount of d/l ADD ON's - http://addons.kodi.tv/category/video/

I wanted to ask please: How do you BROWSE to see what the content is on each one please? For example, I watch (mostly) HORROR films. So therefore, how would I go about SEARCHING for and PREVIEWING any such related add ons please?

Thanks a lot,

Paul

(2016-12-02, 21:50)monsterjazzlicks Wrote: [ -> ]Hi,

Browsing through the seemingly endless amount of d/l ADD ON's - http://addons.kodi.tv/category/video/

I wanted to ask please: How do you BROWSE to see what the content is on each one please? For example, I watch (mostly) HORROR films. So therefore, how would I go about SEARCHING for and PREVIEWING any such related add ons please?

Thanks a lot,

Paul

As far as I know you can't. You need to look through the list of add-ons, read their descriptions and see if they interest you.

Using your example of horror films, are you aware of any outlets that allow you to legally watch horror films online anywhere? If you know of any somebody may be able to point you to a legal add-on if it exists. But:

Legal Kodi add-ons generally are made up of non-commercial sources of content. Most of the major commercial media content providers will not have Kodi add-ons as they are often not free to view or they use some sort of digital rights management protection which Kodi cannot overcome.

Thanks Dangelus,

I tried running the word HORROR in the SEARCH BOX on the Kodi d/l page, though to no avail.

To be honest, I am totally new to this whole medium and so I have never searched elsewhere for (eg. HORROR film) content. But as you say, legal options may well exist!

Cheers,

Paul

If you are looking for ways to watch free movies or tv-shows, I have to tell you that you won't find any of these in the official repository. AFAIK there are a couple of add-ons (at least with German content) that provide rather old movies (Netzkino.de) or some indie movies, but you won't find anything recent from Hollywood. All add-ons/wizards that most of the youtube channels advertise to give free access to unlimited movies and tv-shows provide pirated content and are banned here. We try to get in touch with content providers in order to be able to give users legal ways to stream movies and tvshows, but due to the third party illegal piracy add-ons we're really having a hard time. We've even been removed from the Amazon app store because of the damage to our brand these add-ons cause.
The next issue is, that all legitimate content providers require DRM (copy protection) support, which is almost impossible to guarantee in an open source project. The only way to make use of DRM is basically to bypass all the internal video processing and only use mechanisms provided by the OS (Android, Windows, ...) - but this won't work on all supported platforms atm and also turn many of the playback optimizations, for which we love Kodi for, useless.