Kodi Media Centre software plus Add-ons = Internet TV box

[ssfc72]

This is about the Kodi, Linux software program and is not what I would call an App (Apps are an Android OS term), but I don't see a Linux program category, here, on these Forums.

Kodi is a Media Center software program or HTPC (Home Theatre PC) which will provide you with an nice GUI to view your movie files that you have on your computer hard drive or video/movie files from the internet or streaming media.
Kodi was previously known as the XMBC media center.

To view media from the Internet you have to download Add-on software to Kodi.

Once the Add-ons are installed to your Kodi, then you basically have, using your computer, one of those magic Internet TV boxes (Minix, is one brand at around $160, that can be found on Amazon.ca) , for no cost whatever.

You might want to also pay for a VPN service (Virtual Private Network for a cost of around $4 CDN/ month, for a 1 year subscription. A monthly subscription can be purchased at around $8 CND/month).
The VPN will keep your Internet connection encrypted and IP address location, hidden. The VPN also allows you to access streaming media that is GEO locked or only available to IP addresses from certain Countries, such as the BBC media.

With my Mint 17.3 Distro on my notebook computer I was able to find a PPA of Kodi for Mint 17.3 Cinnamon and I was successful in downloading and installing Kodi.
Kodi has a very nice GUI for a Media Centre player and seems to be a very polished piece of software.

I also found a reasonably priced VPN service and I got that software installed and working Ok, on my Mint Distro.

I now have quite a selection of streaming media, available to view.

[fox]

Interesting. I have only installed Kodi on the MacOS, but I agree that it has a nice interface for showing media. I didn't know about the streaming function, or that one can get a wider array of media through a VPN. It would be nice to see this demoed at one of our meetings or in PLUG MUG.

[ssfc72]

Yes, I could do a demo.

[fox]

You might want to also pay for a VPN service (Virtual Private Network for a cost of around $4 CDN/ month, for a 1 year subscription. A monthly subscription can be purchased at around $8 CND/month).
The VPN will keep your Internet connection encrypted and IP address location, hidden. The VPN also allows you to access streaming media that is GEO locked or only available to IP addresses from certain Countries, such as the BBC media.

My one disappointment with Kodi (on my Raspberry Pi) hooked up to the TV set is that so many listed channels don't work. They list content, but then when you go to access it, they give errors. I'm not sure whether this is geographic, or due to some other problem. Examples include WCBS, WNBC and WABC, all in the States, but also some Canadian channels as well through CanTV Live. Does the use of a VPN allow one to access much of this content?

[ssfc72]

I set my VPN for California and for the WABC Kodi addon, none of the TV shows listed, would work.
For WNBC and WCBS, the TV shows I tried did seem to stream.

All the TV shows seemed to be available, using other Kodi addons, such as the Exodus addon.

[fox]

Thanks, Bill. I'm going to try the Exodus addon. The other problem I'm having is with YouTube, which for some reason doesn't allow unlimited use in Kodi. The Kodimaster repo is supposed to have something called KAOSbox that fixes this. I have yet to try it.

It would be good to have a list of Kodi additions that actually work in accessing TV content from American and Canadian stations (live or past shows). If you have good ones, please list in this thread, with link if possible.

[fox]

Exodus is good, and so is Bob.