[sp00k001]

Please bear with me. I know that it's been covered before, it requires developers with enough interest, and it probably requires native support but those discussions happened before the release of Windows 10 and before there were any solid information regarding the Universal App codebase (many of the discussions still referred to them as Metro Apps).

Rather than focusing on building the Universal App for XBox as previous discussions, I'd like to expand that to just whether Kodi is feasible as a Universal App -- whether it's running on Windows 10, XBox, Phone, or even IOT.

With the release of Tomb Raider as a Universal App and others to follow, we know DirectX with hardware acceleration is available. Further, there is now more information available as to how to convert existing C++ code to Universal App. FFMPEG also seems to be available for Universal Apps. In terms of the IOT platform, DirectX seems to be available (perhaps not accelerated, but still...). The statement on Microsoft's site "When running headed the only supported UI is via the UWP UI stacks (XAML, HTML, DirectX)."

I defer to the real developers here:
- How many of Kodi's dependencies are open source and an attempt to compile for Universal Apps can be made?
- Is it thinkable that Kodi may be supported on platforms such as Phone and IOT? I know Kodi will never support XAML or HTML to draw its UI, but how much of the Kodi UI is drawn via raw DirectX calls, making it possible to run at least the UI in Phone and IOT?

Am I just so far off base here that what I'm thinking is just idiotic?

[BatterPudding]

If you think seeing Tomb Raider on the Universal App store means full DirectX is available - think again. It is a VERY different experience with the apps compared with full games.

Read this handy comparison: http://www.howtogeek.com/243012/why-you-...ows-store/

Notice also on there about the store being "locked down" and "no modding". Which seems to me to just stop KODI from ever being in the store. KODI is designed for modding and add-ons.

The App store is not ready for the full KODI.


And if you are asking for it - why? There is no reason I can see why you'd have a better experience from the current fully fledged 32-bit application.

The real answer for you will be to either learn to code yourself, or wait for a Win 10 App addict to appear and start creating it. You need an app loving coder who is interested.

IMHO it would be a waste of the current limited resources KODI has. I don't think there are many Windows devs in the KODI project, so it would be a waste to redirect them onto working on something which currently has limited advantage over the much more universal Win32 application.

[Ned Scott]

It's not about the Win app store, but being able to build Kodi for any platform that supports the modern/metro/universal (whatever they call it now) base.

But yes, this will require someone who is interested in working on it. IIRC, Microsoft themselves were considering doing a Kodi port themselves as a sort of demo/promotion of Kodi on R-Pi/Win IoT, but there were some roadblocks or something. Or maybe it was that they simply wanted to help someone else do it, and it never went past the idea phase? I'm not entirely sure, and it's possible this was all a dream. The point being, it is an interesting idea that people like, but the Kodi project currently lacks a dev in that area who wishes to do the work. Maybe one day, though.


EDIT: my phone wants to spell Kodi as Kodo...

[sp00k001]

If you think seeing Tomb Raider on the Universal App store means full DirectX is available - think again. It is a VERY different experience with the apps compared with full games.

Read this handy comparison: http://www.howtogeek.com/243012/why-you-...ows-store/

Notice also on there about the store being "locked down" and "no modding". Which seems to me to just stop KODI from ever being in the store. KODI is designed for modding and add-ons.

The App store is not ready for the full KODI.


And if you are asking for it - why? There is no reason I can see why you'd have a better experience from the current fully fledged 32-bit application.

The real answer for you will be to either learn to code yourself, or wait for a Win 10 App addict to appear and start creating it. You need an app loving coder who is interested.

IMHO it would be a waste of the current limited resources KODI has. I don't think there are many Windows devs in the KODI project, so it would be a waste to redirect them onto working on something which currently has limited advantage over the much more universal Win32 application.

I'm not concerned about whether it will be available in the app store or on the XBox. Windows 10 allows users to turn on dev mode and sideload apps. I can live with that, and Kodi team can live with that because for a few years now, the IOS version is dependent on the device being jailbroken. I'm just asking about the challenges that a developer faces to make it run.

Regarding the Tomb Raider experience from the App store vs Steam, I read that article. Aside from VSync and SLI/CrossFire, there really isn't anything in there about the performance of the game and Microsoft has addressed both: VSync will be fixed and SLI is available, the developer just has to use it. The rest of that article talks about things that you can't do because Windows Store apps are locked down.

Why I would be asking for it? Because it would be nice. If Microsoft's promise of Universal Apps becomes a reality, we are looking at one code that can run on a diverse range of platforms, instantly bringing Kodi to Windows Phones, RaspPi and other dev boards, as well as perhaps Xbox (Microsoft makes car radios too, right?). With that, an entirely new range of hardware options open up for users. I tend to believe that is why Hulu decided to recode their app.

[sp00k001]

It's not about the Win app store, but being able to build Kodi for any platform that supports the modern/metro/universal (whatever they call it now) base.

But yes, this will require someone who is interested in working on it. IIRC, Microsoft themselves were considering doing a Kodo port themselves as a sort of demo/promotion of Kodi on R-Pi/Win IoT, but there were some roadblocks or something. Or maybe it was that they simply wanted to help someone else do it, and it never went past the idea phase? I'm not entirely sure, and it's possible this was all a dream. The point being, it is an interesting idea that people like, but the Kodi project currently lacks a dev in that area who wishes to do the work. Maybe one day, though.

Thank you for answering my query and not dismissing it outright. I was expecting to be put in my place or something.

[natethomas]

Thank you for answering my query and not dismissing it outright. I was expecting to be put in my place or something.

You're also a horrible human for suggesting it and should be ashamed of yourself forever.

[C@nadian]

With Microsoft now having purchased Xamarin, doesn't this make it a whole lot easier to streamline the coding and maintenance if Kodi is basically written once, and ported out to the various systems? Xamarin gives the ability to take the apk file that's already been created for Android, drop it in, and wait for the program to examine what it would take to convert to UWA for the store. It could be that 95% of the code is fine and a few tweaks/changes are all it would take.

If that works, then Win32 can start to be phased out, just write code for the APK file once, adjust for UWA and done...

Win32 apps were great, but doesn't it make more sense to move forward? Windows 7 is on it's way out, move on...

[BatterPudding]

With Microsoft now having purchased Xamarin, doesn't this make it a whole lot easier to streamline the coding and maintenance if Kodi is basically written once, and ported out to the various systems? Xamarin gives the ability to take the apk file that's already been created for Android, drop it in, and wait for the program to examine what it would take to convert to UWA for the store. It could be that 95% of the code is fine and a few tweaks/changes are all it would take.

If that works, then Win32 can start to be phased out, just write code for the APK file once, adjust for UWA and done...

Win32 apps were great, but doesn't it make more sense to move forward? Windows 7 is on it's way out, move on...

Thank you for volunteering to start on this...

Edit: Little bit too cheeky that reply... but the point is this needs time. Someone needs to find that time. KODI is all about the volunteers.

[natethomas]

I'm going to guess at the outset that Xamarin has the same problem every other Android app converter has. It isn't built with native C++ code in mind.

Your first goal should be to show that it can handle converting that. Your second task should be to see if it can handle all the necessary changes for hardware decoding. My guess is it'll fail in both tasks, but maybe they've gotten smarter.

[C@nadian]

Admittedly, I'm not a coder... far from it. But I believe in the development community, and believe that people should put up or shut up.

I am downloading Xamarin now and we'll see how it goes.

[Memphiz]

i worked with xamarin 2 years ago and have a pretty good understanding what it can be used for. Your interpretation of it is around 80 percent wrong in relation to what it could do for/with kodi. Xamarin is mono (.net) for multiple platforms and a c# wrapper for all native apis (ios, android osx) and it integrates in visual studio or has its own ide (based on sharp develop - called xamarin studio). It might be able to convert from java to c# now in a limited way (didn't chekc but thats what you are refering to i guess). And as cool xamarin is. Its in no way usefull to make kodi an universal app.

[emiliano84]

Hi Guys,

I Know that this Kodi Universal App is requested many times, anyway meanwhile is coming at least VLC

http://www.neowin.net/news/vlc-media-pla...t-hololens

p.s.
you can find also the repository