Kicking Cable to the Curb

[MikeE3]

Over on the Old Folks and vaping Back Porch, we kicked off a discussion on cutting ties to cable services for TV, Movie's and Sports. It focused mainly on the Kodi application, Kodi Boxes and it's add-ons. Then branched out to over-the-air antenna's and any way to beat the high cost of cable TV.

The discussion moved to a private CONVO so as not to dominate the back porch. Well it took off and basically became it's own thread ... growing to 27 pages.

We had a request to re-open it in the lounge to make it public. So here it is. The 1st 27 posts are the 'quoted' posts from the CONVO. Feel free to read them or not. We just wanted to save them in one place.

Basically any questions, input, comments about alternatives to cable TV are fair game for discussion. But please, please ... only legal alternatives ... we don't want to get into hi-jacked/jail-broken cable boxes, etc.

This links to a google document w/ the raw text of the 27 Convo pages. May be useful for searching. Kodi Convo pg 1-27

A special thanks to @DancingHeretik , @2legsshrt , @3mg Meniere & @MikeADore for helping move the CONVO to a thread.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 1 - Kodi Convo

Well I'm getting quite an education on these things. Like I said in a post which I finally figured out this would be a better way to find out stuff because I have a high regard for your opinion about this kind of stuff, after all you are the one that introduced us all to this crazy thing called Kodi. But what I'm wondering is if the newer boxes with the fastest processors are actually better then some of the older processors. Ken is having to go into the advanced settings and reset some of the things to fix the buffering issue. He said his is working pretty good. But I'm wondering if you aren't better to get one with maybe only Kodi and Google Play Store loaded and just load the good addons. Seems like 1000s of addons already loaded have to use up memory somewhere.

Like I said in last post... a box iz a box, dood! Kodi, like unc sez, iz basically an operating system. Windows, mac, linux, whatever. Prolly comes with nothing you want. So you have to learn how to navigate it and install what you want. I'd just download it on your puter and play with it. You may end up not even liking it.


Only went on my puter out of curiosity. Found it's neet! So got boxes. 24" monitor vs 55" tv? No contest!

BUT! If I didn't like it, not a cent invested. And there was a LOT of frustration setting it up. But still, I know my way around it (a little) so wasting money on a box with a jillion add ons wasn't necessary. Remember, the add ons are free. Why pay extra for something you can do yourself?

I just wonder if one brand is better then another. I was looking at the brand you have and they have upgraded since yours and some of them have really good reviews. Some not so much

All they have to do is find shows and stream them.

Well I may be crazy but I looked at the Sky Stream 1 then went to their facebook page one of them and watched some videos and it is pretty interesting for someone who doesn't like to do a whole bunch of stuff to watch a movie. It's expensive but it also has it's advantages.

Yabutt that's down the road. Maybe. Once I figger out how all this works. And again... not really into movies. But there are boxes out there that hit around $300. To me (personally), waste of money.

Yep that one by nVidia and that Rveal. The SkyStream has some really good features plus the tech support is very accessible. They have an updater on the device and if anything needs to be updated just a push of a button. They are in Orlando FL and from what I read they have 38 people working on the product making the Firmware better and other stuff. Pretty much plug and play. Oh and It's $149 but the reviewer at androidpcreviews said it is worth it for the Tech Support and 1 year warrranty 10 bucks for an extra year. If it quits they will replace it.

In a word... overkill. All ya wanna do iz watch stuph.

Yeah that's the point for me I just want to plug it in and watch stuff which is what you can do with this one. Ken likes his but I don't think he has got it working good yet. I don't want to spend 4 days trying to get it to work right.

The only difference iz... $100.

IDK maybe we'll see maybe not. I wish I could see all the movies that are available. All the screenshots I've seen seem like a lot of ones I have already seen. I'm sure there is some I haven't but like I say not really sure.

Well, like I sed bee four dood. Software iz free. Try it on yer puter to see if you like it. Maybe u won't. Only one way to find out!

Now, if someone would take the time to drag the pertinent posts from the Back Porch to here, we'd be in business ..

That's over my head already. This was easy.

You just find the posts related to KODI and what not, then copy and paste here in the Man Cave .. .. I think most of Saturday was KODI and related ..

You know that's going to depend on how often you watch movies .. I generally rent something every week, usually just a big movie new release .. on KODI, anything I've tried to view that has not been released on DVD / BluRay is movie cam footage done by some clown with a video camera and it's crap ..


But, when a new release disk comes out, apparently people are ripping them into the cloud and that's what KODI finds when you search ..

Duzn't madder. Itz a forum. Dey iz gonna ask da same qwestion over n over anyhoo.

Yeah, lotta cams but surprisingly a lot that aren't as well. Like army of one was blu ray 2 weeks before the movie was even released.

Man you got any idea how many There were? About 8-10 pages of them

That's why I figured a "repository" like this might be a good idea .. and when a newbie pops out on the Back Porch, they can just get added in and read away .. then, in a month of so, you and I will publish "KODI for Dummies" and make a mint .. .. whoops, let the cat out of the bag ..

 

[MikeE3]

Page 2 - Kodi Convo

Yeah, well, the thing is, if you want to take the time and dig down .. in some cases, even when the menu selection says 1080, it's not ..

I'll buy it can go right on the shelf next to my Canon Rebel T1i EOS 500D for Dummies.

U got a cat? Kewl.

Hah. I bin shootin' Pentax since da 70's.

I was watching a video on finding good sources and they have an addon for that. Costs you $3 a month but when you pick a movie and it takes you to the places you can download them brings up the best ones first and marks them for you. It's not in the US and you pay all at once either 1 month 3 or 6 and your CC will probably decline it first then when you get it ok'd it will work. This was from a guy at a place Gary thinks I'm an idiot for thinking about at Sky Stream. He said there are 38 people there and they all have it and haven't had any problems with stolen info.

I added a few more folks ..

Yeah but seems like whenever I want to take a pic of something good all I got is my phone. It takes much better pics then my phone. I got it when I first got my legs chopped thinking I was going to be stuck in a powerchair and probly could get some good pics. Bet I haven't taken over 100 shots with it in 8 years

Tread lightly .. you really don't want to DL, there is no question that is illegal .. unless you have a good VPN, and, personally, I still would not DL ..

Cool

Didja add me? didja add me?


Oh... wate...

They have an addon for that too sets it all up for you and connects you through another city. $3 a month.

Does anyone know if you can stream movies through Primewire.ag on Kodi?

I started out with a Pentax I bought in Tokyo, Japan when I was on R&R in the Army .. for the last 30 years, I've stayed on the Nikon train ..

Tried them all. Stuck with pentax. Lenses frum that old film thingy still work on the newer ones. Nikon ain't bad. Canon... meh. Olympus... fair. But none can beat pentax. As usual, YMMV.

Most all VPN's are cheap .. but you get what you pay for .. usually, they connect you through another Country, which is why you'll have some slowdown on speed .. not major, but it will slow things down ..

Most of my old Nikon lenses work with my DSLR .. metering, auto focus, not always, but in manual mode on the camera body, they do OK .. I just don't like the older lenses anymore because no image stabilization and the older lenses are much more heavy ..

Yeah this was another video I watched from SkyStream and he said there were 2 addons one was better then the other and it connects you through another city in the US. I actually forget the price. Hey I've got one of those 35mm somewhere it's right next to my Sony Super 8 was that what they were called. Video camera that used a smaller tape then the original VHS

How to Install 1Channel Primewire Kodi

That's da ting with image stable. It'z in da camera body. Yeah, auto focus ain't happening with the old ones. But nice about the P, all of them are weather sealed. But thatz minor stuff to me. I find they take a cleaner sharper pic. Nikon is close but canon always seemed softer to me.

Not going to help you if you need to go international then.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 3 - Kodi Convo

I would be leery of any VPN that claims to route thru a USA city .. that's probably untrue and possibly a sales pitch .. if you want to change your DNS proxy, you can do that without a VPN ..

Which is one of the many reasons I prefer a dedicated PC over a stand alone box ::



How to change your DNS in Windows 10

I know you guys think I'm crazy for even considering the Sky Stream Check this review when you have time. This guy reviews a lot of these machines but this is what I watched that made me think about it.

Skystream One Review - AndroidPCReview

Yeah he also showed it being used and said it was really not needed unless you are a little paranoid and want it. He said for streaming it is unnecessary

Nope. We are sure of it.

Just glanced thru it and I'm surprised I'm not really impressed at that price.

The dudes bottom page tag pretty much says it all .. click bait ..


AndroidPCReview.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Patience ... I have most of 'em listed my post# and a comment. I'll try to post it when I catch up.

Aha didn't see that. On another video by the same guy he does the best of 2016 I believe and the Minix and the SS tied for 2nd but he said the support with the SS made it worth the extra money. I guess they gotta make money somehow just like these reviewers on Vaping stuff

All I'm saying is these guys are biased .. and the System is Rigged ..

The Minix isn't cheap either at 120

Keep politikz outta here, Don!!!!

See how this works: Post summary from Back Porch


#728 Gary Amazon Stick


#750 Idaho Kodi box


#751 Iffy - Amazon Firestick


#755 Gary Top Tutorials


#756 Gary another Amazon Link


#767 Uncle Wille - VPN


Older Folks and Vaping Back Porch - Part Seven | Page 44 | E-Cigarette Forum #877 r77


#879 Ken_A local cable old TV shows (not Kodi)

MeTV Network | Shows


#909 Iffy VPN service


#935 Ken_A Amazon Lolipop box (lists add-ons) $49 … for Michael?


#1002 r77 B&W Cinema


kodi maverick - Google Search Kodi Maverick


kodi phoenix - Google Search Kodi Phoenix


#1076 Iffy, Kodi addon for the Show Extant


Best 2016 NFL Kodi Live Streams (National Football League) list of Kodi add ons for sports


#1109 Uncle Willie Viceland TV internet and ‘real’


#1315 Ken_A’s comments on the Kodi box he bought on Amazon


#1322 Gary … keyboard controls


#1446 ken_A, loves his Kodi box


#1526 Ken_A likes 1Channel add-on


#1538 Gary_A link to an Amazon Box & Keyboard, don’t know if it’s the same one from before


#1546 Gary likes his box better than Kens


#1548 2legs link to another stand-alone box


#1556 2legs link to yet another box on Amazon


#1557 Gary links to walmart for boxes


#1558 Gary says his didn’t have Exodus had to install it


#1563 Willy says he’d buy the last one 2legs linked to


#1595 Gary list ‘good’ stuff to have, seems to indicate its on the box 2Legs last linked to


#1605 Mice Elf, not Kodi, get a TV signal strength report


#1606 Wille, 10 best add-ons link


#1610 Gary says box 2legs bought pretty well setup. Doubt any add-ons will be needed


#1629 2legs, thinking of getting this one instead


#1658 FINAL … this is the one 2Legs finally bought plus keyboard


#1669 Ken_A … how to fix buffering problems


#1670 Uncle Willie $90 Dell


#1680 Gary …. mucky mucks and potential dependencies


#1682 MamaTried … ProSports addon


#1690 2legs link to a video to install Kodi


#1707 Ken_A link to vid on how to fix dependency errors


#1718 Gary …. a paid add-on for live TV


Install Exodus on Kodi I think Willie posted this … Install Exodus


#1756 MamaTried … SportsDevil … fix for repo not updating

Sounds really familiar DJ.

Damn you're good Mike.

Oh and #1 was (drum roll) nVidia Shield. $300

Crap .. and here I thought we'd gone to the local Cloud pub and we were allowed a few choice "innuendos" .. without a beat down ..

Mike is the King ..

Datz y he getz da big bucks! And bear. And trout. And bass. And... u get dee eye dee.

Your saying I'm crazy Gary because I spent so much on ecigs? LOL yeah but I sold some at a big discount but I got a slight discount because I was such a good customer. I do love these DNA's though. Haven't even looked at vaping stuff except for Ginny since I got the 4 I have. Still daily drivers. Gotta say though these $20 clone K5's are better then the real $100 one ever thought of being.

Not a problem, like I said its all over but the cryin.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 4 - Kodi Convo

Did anyone ever answer Ken about adding RAM on his box. He was trying to figure out where it was storing all the crap that's on it. That's one thing I didn't know if they were like a computer that more RAM and ROM the better. That Minix is also interesting and I like BT and if I change my speed here they have to bring me a new modem which I think will be 802.11ac not sure don't know if that makes a diff if it's hardwired anyway. I think I may do that because we have quite a few things that are hooked to it I have an extender upstairs which helped a lot.

But you got the $90 Dell. I liked that idea for a dedicated Kodi box. Best I could find at Dell was ~$150 w/ a 35% discount. Don't want to spend that much.

What game did you pay money to see tonight. Curious if I find it on Kodi SportsPro (I think that's the add-on).

Day-um, dis is da most active PM I've participated in!


Just to let y'all know my present endeavor/position, I've reset/reloaded Kodi so MANY times in my quest for a streamlined feed fer my (bride's) Fire TV Stick. PC-wise, no issues other dan finding a build/repo dat satisfies my tastes/goals. Have learned using 'wizards' either gives you bloated loads or many dead paths (aka slow loading).


As to learning curves, da more I fail, da more I learn. Legs, yes, much like vaping, dere isn't a one key stroke to get what ya want (even if ya $pend da buck$)!


After all my diggin', I agree wid Gary as to takin' da 'simple/stupid' path. That is da avenue I'm currently investigating fer da FTVS. I don't need 'Kids, Fitness, Women, Male, XXX, etc." options. My main concern is to provide my bride a user friendly non-cable option. Was disappointed dat Alexis does not work wid Kodi.


Do luv Willie's dedicated 'puter concept! Da one I'm now using would be an excellent Kodi base platform. My FTVS is nuttin' but an access to streaming. It's also a money generator fer da media corps. So I'm more dan willin' to spent my cable $avings to get a solid alternative.


Gonna concentrate on findin' simple, but satisfactory, add ons from da basic Kodi platform.


Was gonna check to see if dere is an ECF Lounge Kodi thread, but too phlippin' busy searchin' fer a streamin' solution. Maybe later. No reason we can't start one.


Catch y'all later...

@MikeE3, the game is on ESPN, which I'm fairly certain Kodi would have access to.

Umm... dood. Dis IZ da ECF kodi lownj. Ya gotta pay attenshun hear!!!

Da eziest way to do kodi iz, d/l it to yer puter and play with setting it up. Like it? Buy an el cheapo box. Setting that up... same as da puter. Only you'll be a pro by den!

I with Gary 'above post' from my limited experience. I loaded Kodi (Jarvis) to my Mac. Then loaded Exodus, 1Channel, Phoenix, Sports Pro, PBS Kids, Sports Devel, and MetalliQ. I found them all relatively easy to load/install from Kodi webpages. Most all of the on-line instructions I found were pretty dang good as to being accurate, complete, and easy to follow.


I probably get rid of Sports Devil (mainly European games and stuff) and MetalliQ. "Q" doesn't find streams in 1Channel and Exodus blocks add-ons like 'Q' from starting streams found in Exodus. So it's worthless to me.

Yeah call me crazy but I don't want to put it on my new puter cause if you uninstall it it always leaves a bunch of crap on there. Thinking about trying it on one of the old ones. The best one being the one that is screwed up but works. Have to run it with the battery out and plugged in. Plus it is using a file that uses 40-50% of my CPU so it gets hot. I'm sure I'd like it specially if I had the 35Mbps actually 40 but 35 when other people are hitting the internet.

Mike, does 1Channel work well? I watch a lot of movies on Primewire, which is some sort of iteration of 1Channel. Can't get my head around all the names that site has had.

I really like Viceland but of course can't watch it with Roku cause you have to have it in your Dish package and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay $45 extra a month just to watch that and get 200 other channels I'd never watch.

I'm so new to this I don't know what 'works well' is yet. I search a couple few movies and a couple TV series's, found them, started them, but didn't watch the whole thing, using 1Channel. That's my life time experience w/ it so far.

"I'll be damned if I'm going to pay $45 extra a month just to watch that and get 200 other channels I'd never watch."


MAD,


Reiterating Gary, go Kodi. 'Viceland' is out dere via Kodi!

Kodi has viceland. But u insist on upgrading your net. I really don't think you'll need it. Try it before you buy it.

What kind of speed do you have MikeA?

OK I will but 18Mbps is a high lots of times I'm only getting around 14Mbps when I do a speed test.

I just did a speed test and the first time it showed 9 always slow I did it again and 19.7

When I talked to the guy at Century link about it he said there is a lot of Bandwidth available out here which I don't know what that has to do with speed.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 5 - Kodi Convo

U kin eeder try it to see if you have to spend muny. Or waste muny and you'll never know if yer wastin it or not.

I had 18 here so yeah. Bops between mebbe 12 and 16. Never a problem.

Well I'll give it a try and see. Still might get that Minix for 120 gotta waste some money somewhere.

I get 30.6 mbps, leggs.

I don't know what I'm 'paying' for ... but I just used speedtest ... it showed 12.57 Mbps download and 16.01 Mbps upload. Verizon Fios brings it to my house ... then it's wifi to my laptop.

huh! Ran it again ... 21.92 down and 16.29 up

Yeah I got 19.2 sown 1 up

That duzn't sound rite, Mike. Usually Up is a fraction of down.

Legz... that's nice speed.

How important is the up speed. Not very I hope.

I'm getting 120 & 20

Nope. But that's still pretty hefty.

I just check my FIOS plan, I'm paying for 50/50 Mbps up/down. I'm sure not seeing it.

Try this one.

Speedtest.net by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test

Youhza! 120 Mbps download ... you'd da speed demon.

Dont have any idea why you'd need that hi an up speed.

Wow helicopters with flags nice start for the game. Man the game is so much clearer on Roku then on Dish course on Dish I only get 480p 1080p with roku

Yep ... that's what I used.

The lil woman does lot of uploading so we just upgraded a few weeks ago. 18 was really painful when you have a few machines working at the same time.

The lil woman does lot of uploading so we just upgraded a few weeks ago. 18 was really painful when you have a few machines working at the same time.

Well I used that test this time got 19.06 down and .86 up

Yeah speed is always a tad erratic. Still, great speed for kodi.

Ran mine twice more. Got 15.9 and 23.4 down. Every time the up has been 5+.


ETA: Ran again and got 30.6 and 5.3. Gonna quit while I'm ahead.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 6 - Kodi Convo

Well I gotta do my wifely duties for a few. Plus I might order a box. GO SEAHAWKS nice play. Looking good. Man I wish I had HD My tv is old only 720p but the 1080 setting on the Roku is much clearer then the 720 even on this tv.

Usually you run a speed test 3 times and take the average.

Hey I've never watched live tv on roku or any box can you stop it and will it pick it back up again or not. I figure not. We have a DVR with Dish so it's easy?

i'm late to the party in this convo. holy cow, is it active! thanks, Willie, for adding me.


i'll try to re-cap my limited kodi experiences re: what i remember has been discussed/asked. prior to getting a kodi box i was using an app called Playon that did pretty much what kodi does, but worked with my Roku. that app went south and i ended up getting a kodi box.


regarding kodi appearances of newly released movies: from what was true in my anti-piracy job, most new movies are Cams, which may or may not have decent quality (most don't). Some new releases are from leaked or stolen reviewer copies, which are HD. More often than not, the leaked/stolen ones were originally issued to folks in other countries, so you'll get subtitles. The subtitles are annoying at first, but after a while you get used to them. The sites don't make much of a distinction regarding the type, so ya end up having to just try it.


i bought a well-reviewed Kodi box from Matricom. it cost about $100. Chances are it is no better than the nameless $50 boxes on Amazon or eBay. i may buy a second box, and if i do. i'll go the cheap route. i'm guessing every single one of the boxes folks have linked to are more than adequate.


if you just watch tv and movies, chances are all that you need are the 1Channel and Evolve plugins. 1Channel has pretty much everything on the planet, tho gets updated slowly. Evolve has a "calendar" feature that will let you find most recently aired episodes. You can find most things at least the day after they aired. Unfortunately, i'm a Food Network junkie and they kinda suck for their shows.


if you buy a box with a lot of addons, it is easy to delete the ones you don't want/need. it will free up space which you might ultimately need. i'm still deleting all the porn crap that came on my box.


as i said on the Porch, the best way to play is to download kodi on a computer and play around with DLing addons. once inside kodi, you are kinda inside a new OS, so installing addons is not much of a security risk. i still use kodi on my main PC just to futz with stuff. and if you're still worried about PC security, just buy the cheapest box you can find, and consider it a throway.



for live US sports, ProSports and Sportsdevil seem to be where it's at.


i'm always interested in hearing about other good addons, tho

It's just the way they market it ... 25/25 or 50/50 or 75/75 or 300/300 are their internet plans.

i have the slowest internet speed that Comcast offers.


it's not uncommon on Sundays that i have my kodi box streaming a game, and have a few other games or Redzone going in various browser windows.


i imagine internet speed is not a problem unless you're stuck with satellite internet, in which case "ping" will kill you


methinks, for most of us, streaming is not all that internet-intensive

Can someone tell me how to stop every post from coming to my e-mail? I know how to do it in the forum but can't figure it out in the conversation.

Dunno, Mike. But I agree. Annoying. Then again... I guess it is a "conversation".

hopefully the originator can change the settings


my inbox was devastated before i even knew what it was about

Well I don't think I can but I was thinking about that and if you hover over your name at the top of the page and go to contact details and uncheck receive email message when new conversation message is received will do it haven't tested it but I can imagine what my inbox looks like.

Yep that works

Sure does. Thanks.

My finger is worn out from hitting delete.

Well I think I'm going to order the new Minix neo U1. It looks like the best one to me and from all I have read they are updating the firmware often. I went to their forum and sure enough and it's easy to do with the Over The Air Updater.

Plus they have a great forum with all the info you need.

So what? Addons aren't part of firmware or software.

I wanna know how it uses skype without a camera. Anything else optional that they aren't mentioning?

Just seein if your still awake Gary, hook the camera up to one of the USBs

Comes with a camera?

Nope but I've got one. Not that I use Skype maybe once a month. Man this game is a circus. You couldn't make up something like this.

I do miss stopping the game.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 7 - Kodi Convo

That doesn't do a thing a $50 box won't do, dood.

I am trying to figure out this new guy we got named Fant they said he came straight from the 8th grade to the NFL. The guy is as big as a house. You can tell he doesn't have much experience.

Got it he's been on the team since the start of the season but never played some pre season. He was a basketball player

wow - lot of posts in this conversation.

Here is what I have learned over the past week through forums, reviews, etc.

getting an Android box pre-loaded with KODI has the advantages of being able to stream what you want to watch just by plugging it in.

Many of the shows I want to watch are hosted on slower networks, so there is going to be buffering, but that video I showed in the back porch works just fine...

I only made the mistake of:

1) not following the guy's advice and just putting in the numbers he did

a) this caused my KODI to not work and I had to clear casch and data, causing me to lose everything.

b) when I did, the people who loaded the the box had a setup that re-loaded to the defaults I had when I got it

c) the only thing I had to do was re-favorite the shows I wanted to watch

2) once you write the file, you don't need to do more, the rest of the video is just him telling you how to use his download file to set the videos to his defaults.


Once I put in the settings recommended on the KODI wiki, it worked just fine.


I still get buffering on some shows, because of that slow host thing. But I get fewer of them.


All that said, a $20 box would work just as well. as would a $300 box. The only limitations would be in the amount of RAM, and disk space.

I added an SDCARD with 120 GB on it to put my backups and personal media on, but that really isn't necessary.

so...

RAM - allows for faster processing of a stream of data

Disk space allows all the "extra" downloads of your own media and perhaps backups.


I'm really happy with the way my box is working right now.


On the how-to video, you can stop watching at about 6:30



and I used the 4.4 Example 4 from

HOW-TO:Modify the video cache - Official Kodi Wiki



UPDATE: I just read through this whole conversation, and the only things I missed were:

I've found everything I want to watch on 1Channel

up-to-date-shows get the episode a day after they air on Network TV, so no big deal.

Ken I think I should take Garys advice and DL on my computer. Did the Addons come complete with that one so you could just click and play?

I guess I mean was everything there the repos and did it bring up the list of where to DL from? I can get around on a computer but not into the guts or the terminology. It's either that or get the SkyStream with videos of how to do everything and mostly setup for you. I was looking at the Minix u1 but it is pretty much like the others I think not a lot of explanation. Lots of FW upgrades and it does that pretty easy but as far as the rest I'm not sure. Watched some of the video it plays and it is awesome. I do wonder if I put it on my new computer that is where it is going to work best with 8MB of Ram and a 1TB hard drive. Just wondering how hard it is to uninstall without leaving a bunch of stuff.

yes, the box came with everything needed to just start watching.

it auto-updated all the addons that came with the build and everything. setting up on the PC was looking like a pain, but if I had managed to do it all the way I would have been able to use GoogleCast to watch on my TV

They want a bunch for the SkyStream but the company is in Orlando. I'm sure the box is built in China but you can go to FB or Twitter and talk to them and they answer back fast and they have videos for how to use right out of the box but I think it would still take some learning. I talked to them today on FB Messenger.

One thing about the minix it comes with a special wire so you can set it up right off of your computer and the FW updates are almost automatic.

LMAO

Well I've decided on a box for all around. Ginny is not computer literate at all she has problems making a call on her cell let alone texting, that takes her 10min. If I went to a straight android box she would'nt be able to watch anything so I think I'm going to get the Amazon Fire TV. Kodi is an easy install on there and so are the addons. a little more expensive then $50 at $89 but it would have an easy interface for her to watch Netflix, Amazon, HBOgo and if we want to find a movie or something else on Kodi it can also be installed here with all the addons. A little more work then one of these loaded boxes but for us best of both worlds and 4K. So what do you think?

Hmmm... don't know about da amazing fire tv. But netflix, amazon, hbo, hulu and all the rest of them are on kodi. So would amazon block them since itz their device? Dunno.

But... DO SOMETHING! LOL

Nobody generally gets the advertised speed with any ISP consistently .. it's dependent on how many in your area are on line, what they are doing, general Internet traffic at the time, phase of the moon and tide .. .. and, last I checked, Netflix was responsible for something around 30% of traffic ..

Well the Amazon Fire is setup for Amazon Prime, Netflix, HBOgo right from the start. That's what most people use it for but it is the one box that is similar to Roku that has the ability to run Kodi with a couple settings changes and from what I've read from other people that have it run it well. It has 2Gb of memory and 8Gb of storage expandable to 132Gb. has a quad core processor and from what I have read actually runs android smoother then android boxes. I believe it is running 5.0.1

Mike and anyone else .. the following is essentially what I bought from Dell ::


Dell Refurbished Dell OptiPlex 790 - Desktops


Here is a link to the full refurb intro page ::


Dell Refurbished Desktop Computers, shop daily deals from Dell Refurbished Store


Mine had the HDMI out as shown in the pic, although not listed in description, so if I were ordering, I'd maybe call Dell just to double check .. as well, last I looked, the WIN10 upgrade can still be obtained for free from MS ..


Code :: DEALNEWS should cut any Dell refurb at $250 or higher by 50%

Code :: Take 25% off any Dell Outlet business desktops. ebQDD25


This link should auto discount in cart the best deal on any refurb Dell offers ::


https://www.techbargains.com/jump/coupon/60037


I would say Dell will be doing another 50% off / free ship deal soon to blow out some goods prior to year end .. when I bought my i3, I hit it during a 50% phase and the unit was on sale as well .. the deals are out there, you just have to dig ..

Ooops androoid 5.1 Lollipop

The SolarWinds Bandwidth analyzer, which is a very comprehensive tool, is available for free at ::


Download a trial of the Network Bandwidth Analyzer Pack from SolarWinds! - TechRepublic


It's a 30 day free trial, but gives you 30 days to take a good look at your scenario .. easy uninstall if you don't buy it after 30 days ..

Cool I guess I can check that out. Yeah this one looks like the best of both worlds. For Ginny she will still have her Netflix and others just the way she has it now PAID but for me I can DL Kodi Jarvis and all the addons I want. A little more work then the preloaded stuff but still good. I don't see me getting rid of Amazon in the near future I use it for too many things. It's not as fancy as some of the boxes out there but will be able to run the next Kodi 17. I watched a video on installing and it's no big deal using the kodi website. I met you half way Gary. It's sort of Amazons android 5.1 but 5.1 none the less.

I do have to check if Netflix will allow you to use the 4k with this box it's only $2 more per month.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 8 - Kodi Convo

I'll have to ask Iffy if he put it on his or did he get the stick? The stick doesn't work quite as well.

4K content is limited .. personally, I don't see KODI as that easy an install on Fire ::


HOW-TO:Install Kodi on Fire TV - Official Kodi Wiki


Keep in mind Fire still keeps you within the Amazon EcoSystem .. so if at some point, they decide to block content .. Johnny knows more than I do on this ..

kodi has 4k but far and few between. Mostly cuz shows in 4k are far and few between. u do realize u need a 4k capable tv, right?

@2legsshrt, I have the Amazon Fire TV stick and enjoy it very much. It's basically the same as the box as far as features, and it's very easy to navigate. I'm sure your wife will have no problem with it if she is comfortable hitting a couple buttons on a very simple remote.


I don't have Kodi though I think I'll wind up just trying it on my computer when I get in the mood to tinker with it. If/when I do get it, I will likely keep the setup very simple to watch movies and TV shows. I still have cable. I use the Amazon Fire TV stick mostly for watching Amazon Prime movies and shows. It also comes with several free movie and sports add ons.


I'll be interested to see how Kodi works for you on the Fire TV. Congrats on reaching your decision. I understand having to compromise based on someone else's needs. I would probably cut the cord and go hog wild with this stuff, but I have my bed-ridden mother living with me. She has just barely mastered turning the TV on and off and changing channels with a remote.

check this one out unc

Yeah I am pretty sure it will work just fine. When it first came out 2015 it had android 4 but with the OS5 has android 5.1

You have to use the Amazon app store instead of Google Play but it has more then enough apps.

80,000 KODI downloads a day back in February .. that's what per year .. ??


A good resource is the KODI Forum ::


Kodi Community Forum

Well that didn't look too difficult did it Unc?

I don't like that it doesn't come with an HDMI cable.

It's about the same as putting KODI on a PC .. I still think, even more so now after watching the vid and hearing the dude say 80K KODI downloads in a day, back in February, that at some point, based on Amazons ties to Hollywood thru it's streaming business, there would be a good likelihood that Amazon would auto update the Fire system and block KODI or at least block addons .. that's another reason I settled on a dedicated PC not tied to any Ecosystem .. it's just me, you should do whatever you feel is the best path ..

Yeah I see they have only blocked one app so far but they also made it impossible to stop automatic OS updates. The blocked app has come out with a new app that does the same but leaves out 2 parts that he thinks got it banned in the first place. Everyone has an opinion this guy thinks that they will not block Kodi or addons because they would lose too much of their customer base since a lot of the people using Fire tv also use kodi and would just shut it down and buy an android box. I know I would at that point.

Plus I am like Iffy at this point if anything were to happen to me and I would end up in a hospital bed in the front room like I have for about 1 1/2 years of the last 7 I could use Alexa if I couldn't reach the remote.

Kind of a weak excuse I know but you never know.

Yeah, but things like this are generally initiated by complaints from the content folks .. just like Napster and the Music Business, if Hollywood raised enough of a stink, Amazon would take action, that's just the way it is .. I'm not against Fire TV, all I'm saying is it's the Amazon Ecosystem and they can do what they want with it ..

I'm still pretty happy with Exodus, have not added anything else as of yet .. as a side note, the legit KODI built in Music and Pics apps are pretty sweet in and of themselves .. you can even rip a CD within the software .. Pandora and Grooveshark easy peasy .. and the Photo app has a very nice slideshow feature ..

Yeah I forget how many million people this guy said are using Kodi. But Napster people were mostly DL the music and saving it to their libraries right? I would hope most people are just streaming with Kodi and not DLing.

Downloaded Kodi to my Mac. Easy. Added Primewire/1Channel (complicated but the link Unc posted last night worked like a charm). Thanks, Unc. Working fine. I'll take some time to play with it this afternoon.


This is probably a dumb question, but is there a way to view Kodi less than full screen. In other words, with another document visible on the screen at the same time. Had to write all those Primewire download directions down because I couldn't figure out how to keep ECF open at the same time.

That's cool right now I have my pics on the old Picasa which also has a slide show and an app on Roku and I'm sure on Amazon but maybe not that is Google.

aarrgghh! Searching conversations is even worse then searching normal threads.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 9 - Kodi Convo

Based on the popularity of the addons, it's not going to matter to Hollywood .. a streamed free show or a DL'ed show is still not providing payment .. it's already started in the UK ..

Tap the backslash key ... you'll then have control of the Kodi window size.


Hint: On my MacBook I use 2 screens, on screen #1 I keep the webpage with instructions open, then swipe to screen #2 where Kodi is running.

Mike .. yes, turn off the full screen .. it's in settings .. I did the same thing .. it defaults to full screen ..

Good tip ..

I got it at Gary's.

Hey MikeA is that Mac the only computer you use? If I get a new TV they all come with Chromecast so you could cast it from your main computer to the TV right? Kodi

Too many choices, you guys know how I am with too many choices. I usually end up with the right one but it's agony for me.

Watching Trainspotting again. Sounds familiar Bed, 3 Buckets, 1for Shyte, 1for Vomit and 1 for pith.

"it would have an easy interface for her to watch Netflix, Amazon, HBOgo"


For Fire TV:


Netflix - Basic $7.99/mo Standard (HD) $9.99/mo Premium (Ultra HD) $11.99/mo

HBO GO - free with Amazon Prime and already subscribed through cable provider

HBO Now - $14.99/mo


BTW, Alexa does not work in Kodi.


Kodi KEYBOARD CONTROLS

Kodi keyboard pdf

If I read correctly about Kodi/Chromecast its not straightforward. It takes a bit of trickery to make it work. I'll see if I can find the link where I was reading about it.

Yeah I wouldn't actually be cutting the cable but you can get HBO as a standalone I don't think you have to have Amazon Prime but I use that a lot anyway same with Netflix so $27 a month. I also think I would try the addon something Debrid which picks the top 20 sites to download from that are the best $3 you can give it a try and see if it's worth it for 3 bucks. So that's $30 a month less then I spend on Perrier.

I have two monitors and a tv that can be a monitor. So I can slide kodi to any one when in windowed mode. And itz always in windowed moad.

Good ole' legz iz bound and determined to spend muny on dis.

Someday ..

I take it these guys that keep these sites up must get donations or something or how could they do it. I mean they rip the movie from a dvd and then put it on their server correct. That costs money.

Today one way or the other. Just so many choices. I imagine an android box would also pull in Amazon and Netflix the same as any other and if it was just me I would go with just the Kodi but it's not. Gin could probably get to kodi and then an addon and pick a movie but the first time she didn't get to a good dl to the wall with the remote

Thanks for the back-slash tip, @MikeE3. Worked like a charm.

Say just a suggestion to make sure you don't miss all the permutations and combinations of solutions. Have you looked into Apple TV. Easy interface for Netflix, HBO Now, HBO Go and a bunch of other things too. Opps no free Kodi type streaming and no Amazon Prime movies though. Just was concerned you have considered all the options yet. I spoofing on ya legs just in case you're taking me seriously.

Status .. most monitor distribution activity to see how far the files they've provided are spreading .. there is little to no money in it .. you have to understand the Underground mentality .. these are Anarchists, for the most part ..

 

[MikeE3]

Page 10 - Kodi Convo

Good Deal on a Stand Alone with Exodus pre-loaded .. probably coming from China, I'd guess ::


dolamee D5 TV Box Rockchip 3229 Quad Core

gearbest = china

Da Amazon Fire series is made in China.


BTW, I have had no issues with my GB orders. Most items delivered in 10-12 day; some even less.

Oh I have. Jerked my chain for weeks.

I won't deal with Gearbest. A little over a year ago "Victor" from GB contacted me via PM. He offered me free stuff if I would talk up GB on ECF and post positive reviews of them and their products.


Yeah ... right! I reported it to ECF and was told ECF has a lot of problems w/ them using multiple/fraudulent ids disguising them. I was also told to look around ECF and notice the upsurge of positive stuff, at the time, being said about them. Apparently a lot of people took them up on 'free stuff'.

I have read so many reviewers say stay away from the rockchip processor. I mean a lot not just guys trying to sell something.

Right now the best processor from what I gather is the s905 they have an s912 out that is buggy. Oh and a lot of the top ones are sticking with Android 5.1 they've said if they see any changes in 6.0 that makes a difference in the stability then they will put out the upgrade at least the ones that do that the 912 get pretty hot inside those enlosed boxes.

"He offered me free stuff if I would talk up GB on ECF and post positive reviews of them and their products."


Drats, he missed moi! Would have had to decline anyway, in dat I rarely do reviews. Guess I've just been lucky wid GB...

nope. (sorta nope)


most of the sites that kodi draws from only provide links to the various hosting sites. i'm not entirely sure why folks contribute to hosting sites, but i'm sure there's remuneration involved.


most of these sites kodi uses are ad-driven-- often with popups that may include real or alleged viruses.


kodi addons get you around all that crap.


i can go to various websites and watch anything i can get on kodi in my browser (except , perhaps, live some tv). but i know how to protect myself from all the browser-related crap.


kodi protects you from that crap, as well. basically, some nerd like me wrote an addon that lets you watch the stuff on the site without exposing you to the site crap.

and...


why is legs thinking about paying for a monthly service when he hasn't even bought (or installed) the most basic/cheapest/evenFree thingie, yet?


does legs drive a Bentley?

We bin tryin' to figger dat out fur weaks.

No actually a BMW SUV. Well for one reason is if I was to get the AMazon Fire Tv I believe they will allow you to stream at 4K. Not sure about that though the Roku and nVidia are the only ones I know for sure. Android boxes stream from Netflix at 480p. Not a lot available but there will be eventually.

Oh and my other car is a locomotive. Nah I have a 10 year old Ford.

Oh and another reason is how many times can you not get what you want to watch on this thing

Hey Mama I thhink we are the only ones on PST

i'm on record saying i think Congress will pass the anti-streaming law within a year.


so, if you are interested in paying for sources, then holding out for 4k *might* be worthwhile. but, like Gary has said, there's not much 4k content out there yet. i doubt it will be prevalent until a few years.


i've seen a lot of Roku users (and i've used Roku for years) complain about no 4k content.


of course if you're willing to be patient, then by all means wait a few years

I'm afraid to look at my inbox. I turned this off but I still get it cause I created it gotta look and see if there is another way.

perhaps DavidOck? but i don't recall if he is in this convo.


i think we are outnumbered by the Florida crowd.


hell, pretty much everyone our age is outnumbered by the Florida crowd

Yeah I would have to get one of their new boxes but the one I have gets 1080p which is still way better then the android box is. They treat the android box as a mobile and even phones have 4K now days. I think.

You got that right even the box I been giving a lot of thought to the company that sets it up is in Orlando, course the box is made in China I'm sure.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 11 - Kodi Convo

yep. this happens occasionally.


earlier today i was watching election results from CNN on my kodi box. then i got cut off. if i go back to that "source" i just get an advertisement.


never seen that before

i *think* most/all android boxes do 1080p


i bought a 1080 tv a few months ago after years at 720. even on my HD OTA channels, i can't really tell much of a difference. so my kodi box prolly does 1080 (if the source provides it) but i doubt i'd care or even notice the difference

I don't know why I didn't think of him I marked it so anyone could invite anyone I just did David. Should get Russ too. Watching the sparse election results. They don't really know anything. WA and OR are all mail in.

Yeah my TV is 720p going to get a new one and just about all they have is 4K 1080 is even out of date which I think is great.

Patrick ... I found the link for streaming Kodi w/ Chromecast


How to Stream Kodi to Chromecast From Android or PC | Beebom

Thanks. Hey I was going to ask you since you have this on your computer you think it has any things in the download of say Kodi and Exodus that would be bad for your computer as far as performance. For me to get a good idea of what this is like I would really need to use this computer because it is much faster the one upstairs takes 2 min to download a YT video.

Pssst... I have it on my puter too.

Answer = NO!

Well Gary Maybe tomorrow we can get in touch and I'll try to get Kodi and Exodus on here and give it a whirl. I think that addon should be enough to give me a good idea. Then if I get the hang of it I'll try a couple on my own. Would like to try one like that ProSports or something that has live content and see how it goes.

2legs .... what he said.

cool I'm going to give it a try.

Reason to celebrate...


Loaded a nice lil' BUILD in my Fire TV Stick! I really like it for starters. It'll be a good platform to learn how to add some other capabilities.

Reason to celebrate...


Loaded a nice lil' BUILD in my Fire TV Stick! I really like it for starters. It'll be a good platform to learn how to add some other capabilities.

Dang, you folk are prolific!


Checking in from PST


Kodi on a tablet, bare minimum so far, haven't done much with it, yet.


Sony Alpha series DSLR, Pentax SLR gathers dust, as does my Mamiya RB67....

I added kodi to my computer yesterday. Put Primewire and Exodus along with Youtube on it, and it works very well. That's all I plan to do for now unless and until something else catches my fancy. Mainly just want a convenient way to watch movies/tv shows. I watched on Primewire for years, but at times some of the links get inundated with pop ups. That doesn't happen when watching through Kodi, and that makes it very worthwhile for me.

I've always drifted toward the KISS method, and although I know there is a plethora (I always like to sandwich that word in whenever possible) of addons, Exodus seems to me to be a great one app solution ..

Well I got Kodi loaded on my computer. Waiting till Walking Dead is over to install Exodus. Good video on doing both. Got 16.1

One of the great things I've found so far is that there are great, step-by-step instructions how to install them.

Wow that went smooth. Went to Exodus and put on the latest Harry Potter. First site I used loaded right up and played perfectly. One thing I'm not sure about is if I shut kodi down right. I went to custom shutdown and it shut my computer off. I saw a video that said if you didn't shut kodi down right it would screw it up. Do I just use exit when I get to the kodi home screen and hit the power button and choose exit.

I gotta get one of these. I like it.

If yer gunna use da power button, just hit exit. Takes a few seconds. Me? I just clik on da top x and I'm dun.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 12 - Kodi Convo

OK well I saw a video that he said people were shutting it down incorrectly giving problems. Not sure how they were doing it but it was giving them problems. One thing I was wondering is when a place like exodus has an update how do I know and what do I have to do.

I know that if the money was spent for the SS they come out with the update and you just go to the updater and hit one button and it's all done for you.

I can't believe how easy that was. I just followed the steps and it put everything on took about 10min.

Good qweschun. When you install it there's a setting to auto update. But mine is always grayed out so no clue how to set that. But if you right click on the icon a menu will come up and you can check if there's any updates there. And every once in a while you'll get a notice that updates are available. Just don't know witch wunz til you got to updates.

I know it would be a little diff on an android box. That I would have to watch another video or talk to you @garyoa1

Noap. Same thing. Kodi, iz kodi.

Just that a box is a PITA without a KB n' moose.

Well I saw a moose last week down by the little store. Must've been picking up a pack of smokes. Guess I should have told him about vaping. Now is there any settings in kodi I should check. I just dl'd from the kodi site for windows installed it did the steps to get exodus and the respository and ran it. I know that on one of the SS videos they showed a few settings you need to check for it to look and sound right, what do you know about that?

Knot that I no uv. Unless they mean the controls when something is playing. You'll see some iconz on da right that will let you adjust sound, vids, etc.

I was expecting a lot more hassle. I suppose at prime time there are more people but I used a site that showed 1080p which one of the videos said they are the most stable and the first one worked.

wee kept tryin ta tell ya it wuz'nt rockit science. Kinda a learning curve to get yer hed wrapped around how it werks, but not an impossible task.

Yeah I thhink I would be able to use the one I have but I would have to remove the dongle from my computer and put it in the box because I don't think it will allow it to be paired with more then one at a time. So that would be easier then unpairing and repairing with the box.

The problem with this keyboard and moose is it requires a windows program to get all the setting for it but it will work without all the controls if it is already paired to the dongle. Not sure about the box though

Or that logitech combo I pointed to fer $20 wood werk well. Only problem is itz full size so where to shove it when u ain't usin it.

They did recommend a logitech keyboard that is meant to work with the android system or any other system has a touch pad on it. Would probably be a good one. I can see after it is all set up you really don't need a keyboard except to do a seach.

All u need to do is type an klik.

Yeah that's another problem. Already got 5 remotes my keyboard and a trackball out here.

Yeah, search and add more addon's. Without a kb itz a royal pita. But once you watch everything on da first page... you'll be surprised how often you'll search. I generally open something and just go right to search.

Oh one other thing when I played the movie the screen was narrowed which seems to be a problem with everything I had you change my tv display setting to make the screen fit. I don't understand why they do that with a lot of movies.

I've had that once or twice. Had to fix it.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 13 - Kodi Convo

What have my wondering eyes read .... 2legs has Kodi loaded and working ... that's more amazing then the election results.

And zero $'s spent on the effort.

Where in the settings at the bottom of the movie or in kodi.

(I think itz an imposter)

moo vee bottom

Yep it was a piece of cake, the hardest part was writing the instructions down to install Exodus. Was there a video to install prosports. Would like to check out live tv and see how it goes.

Just google prosports kodi (or wuddever). Not a real fan of live tv. But austrailian tv iz fun. Akchooley, the commercials are fun.

I followed these instructions:


Install Pro Sport on Kodi

My only question is, how long does it take Pat to select a meal from a menu .. ??

I can't eat fast enough or enough food to go to a restaurant much. End up with a bowl of soup or if I get more just have them bring me a Styrofoam container right away.

I love this now just have to decid on a box think I'll get an nVidia Shield on sale for $260. LMAO

Got the screen fixed just set it for 16:9 and filled the screen up. I was away for a while showing Gin how it worked she picked a movie that was still in theaters loaded right up in HD this time and played perfectly. My speed right now is 20Mbps on the weekend it gets down to 17-18 but I don't see that to be a problem. Took about 30-45sec to load up. I went to one of the top sites that came up and he had about 4 or more places to stream it from the first one worked.

He duz seam kinda skinny.

"Would like to check out live tv and see how it goes."



Last night while playing wid da Fire Stick, I was following da news using 'The Pyramid' live TV add-on on my PC. Even learned how to compensate da audio to match da actual vid.


Neat stuphph...

She wanted to stop it til we get a box and can watch it on TV.

You don't have an HDMI out on your PC .. ?? Even a VGA out and an audio male/male cable will work .. if your TV has a VGA in and audio in ..

Yeah I'm 5'9" and a lean not so mean 139 can't gain weight to save my life which is just what it might do but can't do it. All my life I wanted to be thinner but I didn't want to look like a Nazi war camp refugee, which is what I look like without a shirt.

Yeah I do but don't want to tie my computer up. I can wait till Friday.

I'm toting an extra 20 LBS or so .. I'll check with UPS and see what it's going to cost me to ship it to you ..

It's a snap to give it a try for a minute ..

Gotta roust the BP once in a while. I got to talk to Iffy about these heads. Have you tried yours yet Mike. We've had 2 that after 1 tank as it gets towards the bottom it starts to flood really bad and she has it on the widest setting only using 10.5w but still she hasn't had any problems up untill this batch.

Yeah I know it is but I am sure I'm gonna like it and getting it up and running is easy. Probably a little different on a box but I think I can muddle through it. I Know what I want to look for one that has BT at least 2 or 3 USB's 2Mb Ram 16 Flash S905 processor on and off switch good grade R45 Android 5.1 which seems as though is more stable then 6. All the best ones use 5.1 ability to upgrade firmare OTA.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 14 - Kodi Convo

Here we go again.

Sew... yer sayin any one.

On an android box, this causes it to keep the cache from the last run... Which doesn't clear out for the new run... You clear the cache to fix that issue

So when you shut it down by backing all the way out and hitting the power button then exit and it takes a couple of secs it clears the cache that way too?

Or how do you clear the cache

I'm talking about the power button in Kodi.

Pat,


Think ya might have hit an outlier post. Just exit or unplug. As Ken said, clear da cache periodically.


Have you personally encountered any Kodi closing/restart issues?


Da more I learn 'bout Kodi, da more I'm impressed. Once I absorb da 'favorites/playlists' capability, cable be bye-bye!

Select “Programs.”

• Now, click “Addon Installer.”
  

• Next, you'll click on “Program Add-ons” in the list.
  

• Choose the Maintenance Tool on the next screen by scrolling to locate, select, and install it.
  

• A pop-up box will appear ...
  

OK I just learned how to put your faves on the home page and they come up when you open kodi. That Skystream is a lot compared to others but there is so much info there. The boxes come all programmed which they do at a place in Orlando called Elite Mods. Anyway when you go to Video they show up as icons at the bottom of the screen.

Heres the link to do that.

How to Create Add-On Shortcuts Confluence Skin Kodi

This is a link to a place that puts good download links at the top of your list and marks them for $3 a month

AllDebrid: High quality unrestrained downloader, universal access, lossless speed.

Yes, when you get to the main screen and select the power icon, it will close properly. To clear the cache like any ANDROID device

1)you go into the Android settings

2)select more settings

3)select apps

4)select the app you want to clear (KODI)

5)Hit the force stop - ok - ok

6)then go into Storage and select Clear Cache.


If you then select Clear data, you lose all your KODI settings.

For my box, it will then re-load all the apps, but my saved info is gone including any apps I downloaded myself.

For a KODI you installed yourself, you will then have to re-download any skins and apps you have added.

OK you know I was thinking of getting a new tv I wonder the one I think I'm going to get is a damned smart tv with some fancy processor and it has a tablet style remote I hope that it won't do anything to my box.

I've looked at all the usual places and I can't find anything but smart tvs. I don't want one don't need one but thats all there is the system is rigged.

Um...

nevermynd

I just wish I could find a dumb tv. HD

Ok

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_7?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=hdtv+58+inch&sprefix=HDTV+58,aps,196&crid=1X2HYQ5VYXL92&rh=i:aps,k:hdtv+58+inch

Oar... just leev da sound off?

Well I haven't done this yet because I have to add that add on first. It doesn't come with kodi but that part will be easy. I am probably just going to uninstall it off my computer because I have a box coming and won't need it on my computer. I take it that uninstalling will also clear the cache?

There is more to a 4K TV than just 4K .. the color depth, phase out of 1080p TV's which causes makers to put their best tech in 4K, superior video processing, future proof as 4K becomes more available (or not, it will be slow and it might die like 3-D) .. but, you're good to go anyway .. better contrast, better upscaling from 1080p .. it's like buying a computer .. if it's your main machine, buy the most advanced tech you can at the time, and it will last you longer than an average, run of the mill model .. plus, prices have come down to the point that they are fairly level with a 1080p set ..


That said, if you are buying a 42" set or less, 1080p makes more sense since you won't see that much difference ..

"I am probably just going to uninstall it off my computer..."


Be sure to check the 'delete the profile folder' box.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 15 - Kodi Convo

So how's "The Pyramid" working out for live TV? I loaded "USTVNow" the other day. But to use it you have to register an acc't on their website. Wasn't willing to do that.

I am going to get the one that costco will put on sale on Nov 18th 10 days of Black Friday. Going to be there when they open special hours 9am. It is the 60" 4K Vizio Mclass marked down $220 includes a tablet remote and all the goodies $749 with 2ndd year warranty free and the concierge service. I can't find anywhere I can get a deal like that. It's a smart tv but thats ok because I will still be able to get Amazon and Netflix if I so desire in HD with the Android box they will only let you have it at 480p

Amazing showz? I get them in 1080.

@Uncle Willie for the life of me I can't find that link to check your bandwidth?

Speedtest.net by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test

Yeah I did that one but Willie put one up to check the bandwidth. Century Link said I had a lot out here. They checked my line. I wouldn't know what is good and what is not probably.

Hey you know Mama said he wouldn't be surprised if they outlaw streaming in the US within a year. If they did that and you had a VPN in another country that could be avoided correct?

I think I saw that in a video to be able to watch something that is unavailable where you are located.

Hey if your interested in videos on how to do stuff check out the skystream channel on YT. There is a ton of videos on things you can do with kodi. It is based on the way kodi and the home screen looks on there particular device but it is still kodi 16.1 so I'm sure you can figure it out on the plain kodi. Some are based on the last official version of kodi but still think they would work.

Mike,


Re Live TV, I've used Pyrimid/US IPTV and CCloud TV thus far. The vid and audio are terrific, other than an occasional bit of pixelation/buffering. Not sure if it's the source, my end or both.


Both sources did required manual vid/audio syncing.


'Nother neat discovery, Exodus remembers where ya left a movie and provides a RESUME button.

I'd like to lear how to do this before my box gets here. What would you say had the best live tv? I can give it a try.

live and learn. . .


my kodi box is set up to automatically install updates. apparently, it starts doing that a while after i start using kodi for 30 seconds or so. i don't even notice the update notifications in the bottom right of the screen


it did this while i was searching for a show on Exodus, and somehow Exodus got uninstalled.


it was easy to get it back, though.


beware if addons mysteriously disappear if you have auto updates enabled, i guess

i imagine that a VPN to a foreign country would get around that.


i doubt an ISP (or perhaps anything) could detect if one is "illegally" streaming behind a VPN

Yepper, dat's why I just do 'em manually via 'maintenance', along with clear cache/purge packages.


Da only daily update I would need would be da TV schedule addon if I used one; which I don't (yet).

Iph'n ya find a good tv guide lemme know. Tried a half zillion and they all suk.

I almost uninstalled 1Channel by clicking when the notification came up... You can accidently cancel an installation and even cause it to uninstall.

Where? How? Did you do that

Yeah you got a is it Matricom something like that is it their G Q box? I know that one has OTA updates at least I think it does. Some you have to go to the updater and check if anything needs it and hit update.

Mike,


While watching a vid/movie/TV:

- bring up the play/pause control bar

- select speaker icon (audio)

- go to Audio offset and adjust for sync

Should have mine Monday or Tuesday can't get the TV till the 18th Black Friday at Costco for 10 days certain things are on sale starting Nov 11th the TV goes on the 18th while supplies last.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 16 - Kodi Convo

"Should have mine Monday or Tuesday can't get the TV till the 18th Black Friday"


Hell, give Kodi a test drive on your PC first!

I am love it

Yeah that's a top rated box for streaming quality and every thing else. All the hardware is top notch.

Akchooley... no diff in this or the lower end as far as specs go. So half the price = same dam ting.

Bbbbbutttttt.... why would you pay half price when you can get it for more?

GASP! I nev'r thunked o' dat!

Really tho. Looked at the specs on mine and they iz identiculterated.

Pher $40 I have a portable 'gateway' to da same Kodi sources as da most expensive/top rated 'box/stick'. Dat's not countin' my laptop capability pher phree!


My only streaming limitations are my provider traphphic and da content source capability.


If one doesn't want to spend time/effort to learn a lil' Kodi, den buy a pre-programmed jailbreak unit.


Pat, not meaning to browbeat ya, but you've ignored some terrific advice and suggestions. We're just tryin' to $ave ya $um coin...

Myn...

• More advanced CPU Amlogic S812 Quad Core 2GHz (Cortex-A9),Octa-core Mali-450MP GPU,which is the fastest at this time.
  
  
• Kekilo M8S+ tv box is 10/100/1000M Internet/Gigabit Lan,KODI Pre-installed and play perfect, full loaded addons
  
  
• Kekilo M8S+ tv box comes with Android 5.1 OS, 2GB DDR3 RAM 8GB ROM
  
  
• Kekilo M8S+ tv box supports 4K2k hd decoding, AV, Dolby, 3G
  
  
• Support Wifi connection, can download the apps onlines, watching video, playing games and so on.
  

Color:M8S+

Specifications:

CPU: Amlogic S812 Quad-Core Cortex A9 2.0GHz

GPU: Octa-core Mali-450MP GPU @ 600MHz

Operation System: Android 5.1

RAM: DDR3 2G

Storage: Nand Flash 8GB

Wifi Connectivity: 2.4G/5G Dual Band Wifi

Blutooth: Bluetooth 4.0

Other Features: DLNA, Miracast, WIFI HOT POT, PPPoE.

Decoder format: HD MPEG1/2/4,H.264, H.265 HEVC, HD AVC/VC-1, RM/RMVB,Xvid/DivX3/4/5/6 ,RealVideo8/9/10

Media format: Avi/Rm/Rmvb/Ts/Vob/Mkv/Mov/ISO/wmv/asf/flv/dat/mpg/mpeg

Music format: MP3/WMA/AAC/WAV/OGG/AC3/DDP/TrueHD/DTS/DTS/HD/FLAC/APE

Photo format: HD JPEG/BMP/GIF/PNG/TIFF

Support Subtitle: SRT/SMI/SUB/SSA/IDX+USB

Card reader: SD/SDHC/MMC cards

High Difinition video output: SD/HD max.1920x1080 pixel

LAN: Ethernet:10/100M/1000M, standard RJ-45

HDD file system: FAT16/FAT32/NTFS

Dolby&DTS: DOLBY TrueHD and DTS HD Bypass through HDMI

Additional Function: Hardward 3D graphics acceleration, AV port, Built in WiFi

HDMI Port: Standard HDMI female

HDMI Version:1.4


Package list:

1x M8S+ S812 TV box

1x Charger

1x HDMI Cable

1x IR Remote Controller

1x User Manual

So ... this one ... https://www.amazon.com/Kekilo-Amlogic-Pre-installed-Gigabit-Android/dp/B01C5HFHUI

mine is a Matricom. probly a G Q. it had good reviews


if i'd known better, i would have spent half as much on one of the cheaper boxes

I dunno. Seems to me they basically all have the same specs. Is one better than another? Knot a klue. Will a pricier one last longer? Still no kloo.

i pretty much agree

Theoretically, the pricier one - if from a major maker - should last longer. If they want to keep their good reputation. But so many of the components, possibly even to the board level, come from the same shops, just plugged together by different people....


Back in the day when things were actually built, not just plugged together, might have been different. Now? Not so much, imo.

Yabutt wutz a major manufacturer in this case? Not saying some majors aren't in it but I never heard of any of them. A fancy web site doesn't make a great manufacturer. Just a great web site builder.

Yep .. if you go with a stand a lone box, it's not going to matter much from one to the other .. like David said, the guts are likely coming from the same maker anyway .. just different logos / etc .. and, like Johnny said, we've all pushed the "save some coin" angle .. rinse and repeat ..


I still like a dedicated PC .. for a number of reasons .. the top one being "HTPC" .. dedicated Home Theater PC .. and, I like DIY .. when I'm done fiddling with it, I'll probably pull a hard drive out of one of the old PC's I've got laying around and clone the drive as a backup .. that's just me .. if / when ISP's decide to start blocking available content, I still have a unit I can store my legit DVD's etc on .. and add a tuner at any time if I want to go Over the Air (OTA) .. heck, there are cards that will let you DVR OTA material ..

Well the thing I've noticed about the higher priced ones and the lower priced ones,

1.No Support

2.Smoother action Better Color with the S905 CPU and 450Mali GPU

3.Better on board storage.

4,Better Warranty

5.Better overall features

6.OTA updating including addons or you can just wait until yours quits working and then figure out its been updated.


I mean you can get a cheap one, if you have problems good luck. If it breaks good luck buy a new one then you aren't saving anything. Just depends on what you want. If you screw it up somehow and need some help at 9pm cause there is a game you want to see your screwed. There are advantages either way, money one way, support the other just depends on your view of what you want.

The use of the stand a lone boxes is very much dependent on the user, from what I can see .. and support means nothing, those are just words that sound good ..


If anyone wants to spend some time on with Mr Dell in a quest to obtain a great deal on a refurb unit ::


48% off any item*, plus free ground shipping.

Coupon Code: DELLPOWER48. Expires Sunday, November 13th 9:00 AM CST


Dell Refurbished Computers & Electronics | Official Dell Store

This unit is particularly tasty, as it specifically notes HDMI out / 500 gig HD and an i3 .. $199 minus 48% == $103.00 roughly ..


Dell Refurbished Dell OptiPlex 390 - Desktops


and, the Windows 10 Free Upgrade for Assistive Tech is still available ..


Windows 10 upgrade for assistive technology users

IDK if I would upgrade. My windows 10 computer works perfectly but my other 2, 1 went TU and the other runs really slow. Besides you don't need Win 10 for Kodi from what I saw. The version 16.1 runs on Windows that's all it says. That would be a good way also.

One thing I'm not sure of is when they come out with 17 is that Krypton it will only run on Android 5.1 or higher not sure about Windows.

 

[MikeE3]

Page 17 - Kodi Convo

Well, I am, of course, the likely one and only in the Gang that advocates for a dedicated PC .. .. all I can say is KODI and it's friends run flawlessly on my Dell i3, with WIN10 .. and, of course, you don't need a monitor, since it's driving your TV .. although you can run a VGA out as well as the HDMI and drive a monitor with TV simultaneously / and watch KODI and browse on the monitor if you like ..

I think I'm going to stay off the BP for awhile, I think they are getting a little ridiculous about politics. All I did was told them about whats going on on FB and everyone got their .... in the wringer about it and deleted them If he fired off a missile probably couldn't talk about that either. Guess you can't talk about real life there.

Classy has been mentioning it for a while now .. I've abided .. I don't think we want the BP to turn into Reddit .. these type things generally end up escalating at some point

Probably won't be missed. I just can't hold my conversations to dogs and illnesses and I guess what the FDA is doing and the states is OK.

Willie I don't know if your out there I did this now once the popup box appears then what or does it work auto matically

I also noticed once I installed the addon installer there are alot of other addons in there do I just click on them to install them and what are they all?

Also when I uninstall this from my computer can I just use control panel>programs>kodi>uninstall and that will clean everything off.

Yeah if you get into a repo directory they're all add ons. What do they do? No clue. U kin prolly google em.

Never tried to uninstall but yer guess is az good as mine.

Nope, not just you. I like the id of a PC too, just not a tower or mini-tower. Don't have a place to put it with the hardwired HDMI cable connecting to the TV. A laptop is more my ideal setup and it doesn't have to be hardwired to the TV. I stream from a laptop now using Apple TV and that works fine for me.

hmmm, now you got me curious. Haven't been on the BP all day ... something going on over there?

U kin akchooley lay it on itz side and voila! Instant foot rest.

How about the maitenance tool any idea about that

Nevermind I figgered it out all by my little self. Mike are you putting all your add ons on with tvaddans? @MikeE3. There is a video I have yet to watch titled tvaddons is ruining kodi. The same guy who did it put a video on how to install exodus and he uses tvaddons. HMM

Pat, I've run across tvaddons don't really know if I've used it or not. I can say the repositories I have installed are:

• Fusion
  
  
• RMKodi
  
  
• Tomb Raider Builds
  
  
• Top Tutorials Repo
  

Top tutes rock. I get 98% of my stuph there.

I've loaded/tested many builds/repos in da past two weeks. Just trying to see what add-ons I really want in order to streamline my setup wid a bride friendly menu.


I find most builds/repos very bloated. Now fer moi, still seeking a reliable live UFC link. Did get to watch a bit of UFC 205 last night, although somewhat choppy wid occasional audio dropouts.


BTW, don't overlook other builds/repos listed along wid da linked 'target'.


Nonetheless, Kodi is a frickin' kick azz platform!!!

Fusion has tvaddons in it. It's an easy way to install a whole lot of addons like exodus but you can install fusion without it and exodus and the exodus repo or you can add it as a plugin and install exodus with it plus a lot of other things. But you can use it to uninstall everything including it and get a clean kodi. Has a lot of tools. One of them gets rid of it.

You guys definately know a lot more about this stuff then I do. I looked over what you said you had, what I got was rm kodi is for gamers, tomb raider sounds pretty involved, top tutorials is easy to install.

If my 'rememberer' is working ... the only add-on I selected/installed from the TombRaider repo was Pyramid for Live TV. But the install also installed TombRaider itself along w/ Pyramid.

I spent a good part of the day, yesterday, with KODI and Exodus .. I had finally got everything tweaked to where I wanted it, using a 24" monitor .. I had also bought an HDMI splitter / amplifier and enough HDMI cable lengths to drive my 65" living room TV and my 135" Home Theater projector .. running HDMI into my Audio / Video components and out to both displays .. using a wireless keyboard and mouse in each room, both same model, splitting into dual displays, I was able to control each TV individually .. in different rooms .. with the PC mini-tower centrally located .. this set up allows me to rip my DVD and Blu Ray's onto the PC and use KODI as a library, as well as dump music and pics and use KODI as a master control for the whole she bang .. so far so good ..


The playback of conventional material was perfect and I had full control over the system ..


As I booted up Exodus, here is the rub .. (and yes, I know it's free, so what can I expect ..??) .. although picture quality on the 24" monitor seemed at least acceptable, once viewed at 65" and especially at 135" .. the heavy compression / macroblocking became almost unbearable .. example ::


Worst case example ::



Most were not that bad .. macroblocks were much smaller / this is an example only ..


my color gradation is no better than 8-Bit ::



This occurred on each and every film or TV show .. and I was using a Real-Debrid account to insure HD sources had been scrapped and had eliminated all the Exodus built in sites that used anything but 1080p by removing them from the software manually .. as well, in no case, was I able to discover any feed with better than 2 channel audio ..


I posted the issue on a Tech Forum and pretty much got :: that's just the way it is, video quality is dependent on the person that uploads the video and they are all generally heavily compressed, and you're not going to get surround sound ..


Throwing it out here just for any idea / thoughts of your own, personal observations ..

 

[MikeE3]

Page 18 - Kodi Convo

hmm. unc. How mutch oomph duz yer amp have? Cable resistance? I didn't go that route but not having a prob with a box and wi-fi.

Why a box u may ask?

Well an older tv u kin plug external speakers in and the tv will still control them with the mote. Kodi boks not necessarily reekwired.

Newer sets... nope. You'd have to control them manually. Or that would make for a trip to the PC to control sound.

Now, yeah you could prolly rig it with rca's and config evee ting but itz such a pita (not to mention even more expensive and still no guarantee depending on the tv)... got a box.

The sound system I'm going to use uses an optical cable to hook to the tv and since they are both the same brand 1 remote will control both. You got a real debrid account Willie? I heard people are having trouble getting their payment through and they don't notify you when your time is up so you can renew they just cut you off. Plus if you do an OTA update then you have to reregister but heard it's worth it.

Like I said, I'm using an HDMI switch box with a signal amp .. I'm getting plenty of signal .. the KODI source streams are the problem .. bitrate is low, files are highly compressed .. and mono or stereo is as good as it gets .. Netflix / Amazon / my CATV on Demand, all are working beautifully ..


The system is more than capable of decoding and sending the full stream to each TV ..

Uncle said (wish we could multi-quote here!)


"I posted the issue on a Tech Forum and pretty much got :: that's just the way it is, video quality is dependent on the person that uploads the video and they are all generally heavily compressed, and you're not going to get surround sound ..


Throwing it out here just for any idea / thoughts of your own, personal observations .."


Yeah, you can't make the infamous silk purse out of the famous pig's ear... short of compelling the uploaders into using a better compression algorithm (or lower compression level, which of course makes for bigger files), not much can be done.


We don't have anything that large, and I've not put Kodi to the TV yet, so I've not had the problems...

On Screen Video Diagnostics, or Codec Info, can be displayed when a video is playing by pressing O on a keyboard, or the corresponding control on your remote. It would be great if anyone could offer up a screen grab or the info they see, just for comparison purposes ..


The codecinfo window/overlay normally contains information about the currently playing media, such as video and audio codecs, frame skips, decoding method, etc ..


The KODI specs ask for a 3-D capable CPU for rendering, which my i3, 2120 / 3.30 GHz is shown as on the Intel site .. so it's not the CPU .. graphics engine also meets spec for KODI


Tonight, I'm going to try the following :: Use limited color range (16-235): recommended for HDMI TV .. Set KODI to Expert and head to System > Video > Acceleration and uncheck “Allow Hardware Acceleration” (usually DXVA2 or VAAPI) .. another tip on the KODI forum ..


I'll also likely refresh the video driver / audio driver, which I can't remember if I did when I ungraded this machine from WIN7 to WIN10 ..


I'm sure there is a solution and it lies within KODI itself, not Exodus .. or it may be just as simple that my search turned up low bitrate files, or Sunday night is a heavy user time for what I was looking for ..

I'd suspect the largest part of the issue is that .. I'm also going to try a VUDU HDR stream and make sure that source is displaying fine .. ISP speed coming in is still hovering around 90Mbps, so I know it's not that ..

FWIW, isp speed for me runs over 100 on speedtest. BUT the speed test IN kodi runs around 50. Still pretty good but half the outside speed.

I use ::


SpeedOf.Me, HTML5 Speed Test


Because it simulates real use ..


If your playing content and check speed during that, it's always going to be less ..

No, Kodi's internal speed test.

Umm... no clue which installer installz it.

My rememberer iz shot.

When I asked about it 4K that is they said it very hard to get and very unstable. I watched a movie at 1080 and it looked real good with no buffering issues. So that's normally the sources I've been using. What addons does RB work with I heard it doesn't work with all.

I have both. They function much the same in terms of playback on Kodi, but they do use quite a few different link sources. I've used 1Channel for years on the computer and just started using Exodus when I got Kodi. I've been able to find a few movies through Exodus links that weren't available on 1Channel, and vice versa. Unfortunately, many of the movies I look for aren't available on either. That's my fault, though. I tend to like a lot of fairly obscure, older movies and am a big fan of foreign films, especially South Korean and French.

There is an EXODUSFR for French, and DRAMAGO for Korian....

Apparently, the only Exodus HD 1080p streams are going to mainly be GVIDEO and VK as far as a user getting the cleanest feed .. why ..?? because their servers can handle a large group of users, even if many are watching the same thing ..


Zen, Releasehub, Fine and Dandy, More Power (for Phoenix) look to be fairly well curated as far as real HD is concerned .. as well as at least 5.1 audio ... Watch 1080p looks like it may have promise as well ..


will be trying Apollo Group out, it's new


How to install Apollo Group on Kodi | Kodiapps


Kodi Tips - Unofficial XBMC/Kodi Resource | Facebook


Continuing the Quest ..

These services are based outside the USA, since these apps allow actual downloads of content, not just enhanced KODI search, which, as we know, is illegal .. I paid with PayPal and selected ::


Welcome - premiumize, All in One Cloud-Downloading


Disclaimer :: I do not intend, nor do I plan on, downloading any content .. my use of a DEBRID is for search enhancement only ..


Most all of the outfits that offer are in Europe ..

So you had no problem with getting them paid with that? I've talked to guys on my FB group that have had trouble with a regular CC thats why I had the idea of using my PP CC+Debit card since they will ask me right away and I can ok it. With a regular CC the banks a lot of time deny them the first time. I used your speed test and come out the same as with Ookla about 23Mbps I'll see how it works and if its fine with RD then I will keep it otherwise for $20 I can double it and get a new modem which I have on lease so will make no diff in my bill. Had to order a new TV stand since mine is only 46" and the TV is 48" between the legs. This one is much better for what I am using cause it has a 6" shelf full length of the stand which is 53". My TV is 53" wide also. Box is supposed to be here tomorrow TV, Sound System and Stand Friday. So this weekend will be fun especially if I get RD. I had problems with some of the latest movies last weekend finding a source. I heard it only works on about 5 of the Addons. I also heard some people were having problems with their box when using them through a Hopper and a Joey. I decided to go for the 4K Tv because it has upscaling and the picture even at 1080 is better if you are sitting between 6' and 8' which will be perfect for us they said that anything more then that you couldn't see the better clarity. How do you know what the bandwidth is and what is a good number?

My latest discoveries ::


1) The sheer number of folks streaming thru KODI anything as far as Movies or TV goes, is a factor in the quality .. last night, I took a look at Independence Day (the new one) and it had quality issues and in tracing the stream, it looked like several thousand folks were viewing it .. then, I took a look at Captain America :: Civil War and it was almost as good as a Netflix HD stream .. still stereo, but the video was great .. only a few hundred viewing .. peak times, Friday evening, weekends in general are probably the worst time to view, which makes sense ..


2) GVIDEO and VK so far have the best quality generally speaking ..


3) I mentioned it before, pressing the letter O on your keyboard will turn on an overlay that will give you details on what you are getting .. I assume remotes would have a corresponding button .. you can see that the bitrate is pretty low, even though this is a HD feed, 440kbps on audio, 2352kbps on video, and the overlay is live and constantly changing .. Netflix averages 4640 kbps on HD video .. VUDU HDX as an example, 9.5 Mbps average, and as high as 20 Mbps for complex scenes ..


View attachment 614567


If viewing on a laptop, tablet, etc, I don't think quality becomes that much of an issue .. once you start trying to drive a big screen, it gets tougher .. myself, being a gearhead and movie fan all my life, I'm bothered by the issues I noted a few posts back .. yes, KODI is free, sure, but if I can't get a stream that I can enjoy watching, I'd rather just rent a Redbox BluRay or record a series ..


After diving into it now and experimenting, I've decided that if it's a TV show like Fargo that I missed and want to watch, KODI here I come .. if it's a Big Budget Hollywood Blockbuster, I'll likely stick with a BluRay rental .. some of that also has to do with sound .. I'm running a 7.2 system and a stereo or mono feed from KODI just does not cut it ..


It is what it is, I've just not been blown away by the quality as it relates to a big screen TV ..

 

[MikeE3]

Page 19 - Kodi Convo

Well I'll let you know how mine works when I get it and get it set up. I figure If I can get 1080 HD I will be happy but not sure if the box knows what you are streaming to. Roku doesn't care plus they are getting more and more 4K channels on Roku. I'm not ready to give that up and may get one of their new boxes that do 4K the 3 does 1080HD but my tv at present is only 720

That's it it doesn't have buttons it is a 6" android tablet. In a 50 page owners manual using the remote takes up about 35 of them. It's exactly like a smart phone with no phone running android 5.1.1 Lollipop

But to get a comparable Samsung not as good and 55" instead of 60" with a simple remote is $250 more.

i'm starting to like the "Stream all the Sources" addon


it purports to check all the links for quality, then (depending on options) automatically play the best quality one.


SSS (small sample size) but so far so good. it found me a watchable link for Dr. Strange, which i'd given up strolling thru crappy cams for, among other things.


prior to kodi, i used a program called Playon to connect 1channel to my Roku. sources were ranked on a scale of 1-5, so you had a good shot at picking the best one. i don't see that on kodi (i think-been a while since i tried 1channel), but this seems pretty nice.


does anyone have a working "project free tv" addon? last time i asked on a kodi forum, i was told to switch to Exodus

... "switch to Exodus"


Dennis et al, I've found Exodus to be da best movie addon wid da most configurable capability and content!


I'll even go as far to say dat any build/repository without Exodus has either a selfish motive or are ignorant...

yeh, i'm more of a tv buff than a movie buff. i only watch a movie if i've been hyped about it via acquaintances-- prolly due to my limited attention span

my major gripe with Exodus is that their calendar feature rarely (if ever) shows my favorite food network shows. (tho i can sometimes find them via search). until i started playing with SAtS, it was my go-to


i can't cook worth crap (nor do i longer even try), but i've been addicted to cooking shows since the 70s on PBS.


the "project free tv" website lets me watch most of them, but neither kodi plugin is working for me. but watching stuff in a browser is less than optimal

that is why I put the quotes around "buttons".

don't know if you have seen an android remote, but they tend to look like this:

View attachment 614661

note that the "buttons" are marked

yeah it's probably one with a 120hz refresh rate. They go pretty cheap anyway not that cheap but considerably cheaper then 240hz. They make flat and curved screens the curved is more. I've read that 240hz is kind of a necessary thing especially with a big screen and with 4K. Otherwise motion can look blurrier then with 240. I also heard that that is partially the human brain causing that and 120 is harder for the brain to not see that with that clear of a pic at the large size. They were talking 60"+