What is Kodi and how does this all-in-one software work?

If you are looking for the best way to watch movies on your platforms, TV shows, listen to music and watch all your favorite sports in one place, Kodi is the perfect app for you.

Kodi can play almost all types of media and has an interface very similar to that of a Smart TV. The service does not provide any media of its own and instead relies on files saved locally or from internet sources. Now, it stands to reason that you feel overwhelmed when it comes to Kodi. The truth is that we are talking about a complex application, with all kinds of useful features available.

However, to understand all that this app can do, you need to invest some time in learning the ropes. And of course, That starts with understanding what Kodi is and what it can do.

What is Kodi?

Kodi is a open source software multimedia center that allows you to access all types of content, including videos and music. You can run that content on any device of your choice, including your TV, laptop, phone, tablet, and others.

In a nutshell, Kodi it replaces all those applications that you already have. Instead of having your library multimedia scattered all over your device, you can save all your files and play them within Kodi.

Also, Kodi is free. This may come as a surprise, but the Kodi developers have decided to offer the app for €0, and there are no hidden costs either.

Designed for home entertainment, it’s been around for almost two decades. Microsoft originally developed the software for the original Xbox and called it the Xbox Media Center (XBMC). The program continued to evolve and went beyond the Xbox platform after it was abandoned by Microsoft.

Unlike other streaming software companies like Android TV or Plex, Kodi is run by the non-profit XBMC Foundation. It is continuously modified and updated by developers all over the world and now you can customize Kodi by installing addons or builds that are free.

How does Kodi work and how to start using it?

Kodi can play almost all types of media and has an interface very similar to that of a Smart TV. The service does not provide any content as it is instead based on files saved locally or from internet sources.

If you already have a collection of media stored locally on a hard drive like movies and music, you can use Kodi to organize it, but you can also watch content from various online services.

As for how to get started with Kodi, as we have already explained, this does not contain any content, since it is only a multimedia player that simply facilitates the reproduction of contents. Getting started with Kodiyou need addons, that is, complements or extensions.

Addons are the biggest contributors to Kodi’s current success. They are the gateway to the huge world of free content on the web. If you like to watch movies and TV shows, satellite TV over the Internet, or sports, it is the addons that will make it possible for you. A simple example would be Pluto TV or YouTube, which we will have to search for in their search engine and install.

In a nutshell, the addons from the official Kodi repository are absolutely essential to get you started.

On the other hand, we will also be able to install third-party addons that we cannot find in this repository. Of course, as usually happens in Android, we must touch an option within settings that allows us to enable unknown sources that are third-party sources and carry out extra steps that you can see in this article.

What is supported on Kodi?

Kodi is available on almost all devices. The media center software is easy to download and is compatible with Mac, Linux, Windows (Download for these three operating systems), Android, and even the Raspberry Pi series of microcomputers.

It should be noted that iOS users will be able to run Kodi on their iPhones or iPads if their device is jailbroken (a system that removes some of the limitations imposed by Apple on devices). Of course, it works perfectly with Apple TV.

In the case of Android, however, you only need to have Android 5.0 or later and install the application through Google Play. If you want to run Kodi on Linux, you’ll need an Intel Pentium 4 or newer and graphics cards made in 2010 or later. You should also have 4 GB of hard drive space.

As far as Mac is concerned, Kodi will hopefully work on MacOS X 10.13 or newer. Windows users will need Windows 7 or newer on their devices to run it.

On the other hand, Kodi can also be installed on a Smart TV, as long as the operating system is Android TV. There is still no compatibility with Samsung, LG or Sony systems, to give you several examples.

TV Boxes

Those who do have the possibility of having Kodi are those dongles or TV Boxes that come with the Google operating system. There are many models on the market that are compatible with this system. Such as the Google Chromecast with Google TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick or the Xiaomi Mi TV Box S, among others.

Kodi can work on Xbox game consoles downloading this software from the Xbox App Store. Unfortunately, you won’t have the app on PlayStation. And lastly, Kodi is even available on Raspberry Pi devices.

Once it runs on your devices, you’ll see a banner that lets you choose Images, Videos, Music, and more. Just go where you want and load the content of your choice. Kodi will catalog all your content and make it easily accessible on all devices where the software is installed.

This is what Kodi offers that other apps don’t

Because Kodi it’s open source. There are literally hundreds of Kodi addons and apps that can be used to customize and enhance your experience. This really sets it apart from most other media players out there.

Over the years, Kodi has become an ultra-powerful application. Initially, it was used to store and play multimedia files. However, now it is a home theater software that can act as an entertainment center.

With that being said, here is everything Kodi can do:

1. Import and organize media libraries: allows you to import all kinds of media files. The app can import all those files, add metadata, and let you create playlists and organize your library.

2. Play videos, music and photos: With each new year, Kodi improves its media playback capabilities. In addition to being able to recognize and play all standard file types. Kodi also it works fine with weirder file types.

3. Watch live TV: by integrating Kodi, you will be able to use it as a PVR. This means that you will be able to watch and record live TV without leaving the Kodi interface.

4. Acceder a streaming multimedia: Thanks to a large number of addons (extra features), you can integrate new types of media streaming services with Kodi, apart from the already well-known Netflix or HBO Max. In addition, it is also compatible with the live television broadcast of DTT and even with our IPTV lists.

5. Play Retro Games: Kodi also allows you to play retro games. Thanks to a lot of emulators, you can use all kinds of controllers to play them.

Read More: What is Kodi and how does this all-in-one software work? – Ruetir