Heard about Kodi and want to know what is Kodi? And why is this hype about Kodi box? We are going to answer all your questions here; well, almost all.

First things first, there is no such thing as Kodi box. The so-called Kodi boxes are Android TV boxes in reality which come with the Kodi software pre-installed. And those “fully loaded” Kodi boxes come with support for more Kodi streaming services.

Kodi is a multi-platform media player. It is free and open-source, and the non-profit XBMC Foundation developed it. It can organize and play media files on your hard disk or local network or stream it from the various streaming services with proper Kodi plug-ins installed. More about the Kodi plug-ins/add-ons and Kodi repositories is available below in this post. To install the add-ons on Kodi, you need the help of repositories. To install these add-ons, we need to install the Kodi repositories. Here are some repos to stream worldwide channels on Kodi.

The Kodi download page shows you can download Kodi for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android and also on Linux and Raspberry Pi.

How to set-up Kodi

Kodi is just another software package, and you can download it either on PC, mobile or the boxes coming with Android TV. If the box or stick you have bought already has the Kodi installed, you are saved from doing some of the work.

All you need is to connect to the Internet and go streaming or play the media available on the local drive.

Kodi supports almost all the common formats people use. Apart from that, the Kodi Netflix add-on can stream content from Netflix; and the YouTube add-on lets you view the videos on YouTube.

Then there are various music add-ons to let you stream music from SoundCloud or listen to radio via TuneIn Radio. Not only this, but Kodi also supports games.

Add-on is a piece of code to enhance the software it is made for. As the code of Kodi is open-source, independent developers also have made useful Kodi TV add-ons. Add-ons are available on the official Kodi repository and also on various 3rd party repositories. Repositories act as storage where the developers upload their add-ons.

How to install add-ons

Don’t go for a “Kodi box” and definitely not for a “fully loaded Kodi box.” Instead, buy a general Android TV box and install Kodi and the required add-ons yourself. The process isn’t complex and also, saves you from the crappy add-ons those fully loaded boxes come with. To install add-ons:

i) Go to Add-on manager from the menu.

ii) You can either “install from repository” or “install from zip file.”

iii) The official Kodi repository is available built-in with the app, or you can install new repositories from the “install from zip file.”

iv) Next, you have to select the repository and install the add-on required or install the add-on from the already downloaded zip.

v) Once the process is finished, the add-on is available for use.

Is Kodi legal to use

To use the default, Kodi NZ users don’t have to face any criminal charges. You can buy a box and stream free content. The software isn’t notorious, but many 3rd party add-ons allow users to watch copyrighted content and view subscription channels for free.

If you have got one of those “fully loaded” boxes, chances are there you are already breaking laws without you knowing. The sellers load these boxes with 3rd party plug-ins that may promote access to copyrighted content. Many of the Kodi add-ons used to watch movies and TV shows, get their feed from pirated streaming sites.

Are Kodi boxes safe

Some of the users claimed that the boxes were infected with malware. (Another reason, not to buy loaded boxes).

As these are android based, you can install an anti-virus of your choice. There were few security issues with previous versions which have been addressed with the version 17.3. If you don’t know how to update Kodi, it’s nothing to worry about. All you need is a fresh installation of the software (and the add-ons and the repositories).

VPN for Kodi

ISPs keep track of any traffic which passes through it, be it from the browser, an app or the box. To keep yourself from the prying eyes, start using a VPN. The best VPN for Kodi is, no doubt ExpressVPN. Don’t tire yourself with questions as “Is ExpressVPN safe?”. It is safe and reliable. It doesn’t keep logs and also offer good speeds.

Apart from encrypting your data, and thus privacy from ISP’s monitoring, VPN’s geo-locate your IP to another country and you can access region-restricted services such as the BBC iPlayer (available only in the UK) in Kodi from the comfort of your home in New Zealand. And the activity won’t be traced back to you.

What are you waiting for!