[hamzabil11]

Hi everyone,

As Kodi is open-source, I can't believe nobody has thought of this. If Kodi is home theater software, why can't it be flashed on TV's, as the operating software? Sure, the hardware won't be compatible, and it won't be able to control TV features such as input amd Auto Tuning, but I suppose Kodi can be tweaked with an input button, next to the power and favourites buttons, and TV hardware could be made compatible. Auto Tuning options could also be made avaliable in the settings. I also understand that you can't flash a branded TV, as it can overcome copyrighting and warranty, so you can make partnerships with TV companies, I suppose?

I don't see why this isn't a good feature, apart from compatibility issues.
Could it be done?
Ali

[wsnipex]

kodi is not an OS. If your TV runs android and has compatible hardware, you can already install it though.

[hamzabil11]

Hi wsnipex,

Well, you can get Kodi OS's, like OpenElec, and lots of different ones, for different devices.

Can this be possible with something like OpenElec?
Ali

P.S: What about Kodi running of a form of linux, or even the OS that comes with the TV?

[da-anda]

well, in theory it would be possible in case the TV has a powerful enough hardware - but TV vendors would have to port it, write a PVR backend for their tuners, etc. But I personally se no sense nor benefit in making Kodi a SmartTV OS. I even don't see any sense in SmartTVs themselves. Their hardware is outdating way too fast for the new demands of apps etc while their panels are still fine. So IMO a TV should focus on what it's supposed to do - display an awesome picture - and that's it. Anything "smart" should be done via external boxes, boxes that when outdate are cheaper to replace than an entirely new TV. Boxes that simply can be plugged to a new TV without the need to setup everything from scratch again etc etc.

[Hedda]

Could it be done?

See these related discussion threads with longer answers why it as easy as you might think

http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=165096

http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=40236

If we disregard those based Android TV or Tizen TV (which today are really the only television platforms capable and open enough to run Kodi), the you need to understand that most television manufactures do not run open ecosystems on their "Smart TV" devices, instead they run a locked down propitiatory operating system and closed ecusystem that only allow you to run Java or HTML based apps at best.

Even on the platforms where it is maybe possible to submit apps then the huge effort required for porting the whole Kodi application to them is generally not worth the small reward in increased userbase gained. Most platforms would very likely require complete rewrite from scratch of the whole Kodi application, which would no longer make it Kodi and instead just be an app with a GUI that looked similar. Such an app would not have all the underlying features and functions of Kodi, such as the virtual file system and python addons. And it would mean a whole new codebase for Team Kodi to support.

The only thing you are right about is that is would perhaps be a better question to first ask if OpenELEC could be ported to those televisions, as OpenELEC actually is an Linux based operating system. However you likely get the a similar answer that the huge effort required for porting it to them is generally not worth the small reward in increased userbase gained.

My advice is that for now just go out and buy a cheap media player such as Amazon Fire TV Stick (to run Android) or MK808B Plus (to run OpenELEC). Or just wait a year or two and buy a new television that is based on Android TV or Tizen TV which by then will probably have become popular enough platforms to make these type of requests will be complete moot.