Kodi (formerly XMBC) - free and open source home theater/media center software and entertainment hub

mood · May 21, 2020

What is Kodi? What is XBMC?

XBMC is the old name for what is now known as Kodi. XBMC is still the proper name if you are referring to an old version of the program (e.g., XBMC v13), but versions as of v14 and the project itself is known as Kodi.

Kodi® media center, formerly known as XBMC Media Center, is an award-winning free and open source cross-platform software media player and entertainment hub for digital media for HTPCs (Home theater PCs). It uses a 10-foot user interface designed to be a media player for the living-room, using a remote control as the primary input device. Its graphical user interface (GUI) allows the user to easily browse and view videos, photos, podcasts, and music from a harddrive, optical disc, local network, and the internet using only a few buttons.
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Kodi wants to entertain you
Kodi spawned from the love of media. It is an entertainment hub that brings all your digital media together into a beautiful and user friendly package. It is 100% free and open source, very customisable and runs on a wide variety of devices. It is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers and a huge community.

It allows users to play and view most videos, music, podcasts, and other digital media files from local and network storage media and the internet. Our forums and Wiki are bursting with knowledge and help for the new user right up to the application developer.
What can Kodi do for me?
Kodi is the ultimate entertainment center software. It plays almost every kind of media you can find and it looks great while doing it! This is just a few things Kodi excels at, why not try it yourself today?
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Kodi "Leia" 18.7 Release (May 21, 2020)
Website (GitHub)
Announcement
Download

mood · Jul 30, 2020

Kodi "Leia" 18.8 Release (July 29, 2020)
Website (GitHub)
Announcement
Download

So, here we are again. Those of you with eagle eyes may already have seen this rolling out, but just to make everyone else aware - 18.8 is here. In our ongoing quest to make your lives as simple and fulfilling as possible, we're proud to present what is likely to be the final release in the 18.x "Leia" series, before all effort now shifts to 19.x "Matrix".

As usual, this is a bug fix release, so don't go looking for new features. Full details are on GitHub, but here's the short form... as you'd expect this late in the 18.x development cycle, this isn't a huge release, but it does include some things we thought were necessary to keep us going until the next major release emerges. In summary, this version: [...]
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mood · Aug 10, 2020

Here's what's new in Kodi 19 'Matrix'
August 10, 2020
https://betanews.com/2020/08/10/whats-new-kodi-19-matrix/

Two weeks ago, the Kodi Foundation released what is intended to be the final build in the Kodi 18 'Leia' branch, with the team now switching its focus to the follow up, Kodi 19 'Matrix'.

At the same time, the team also released the first Alpha version for Matrix, and it comes with a lot of changes and improvements.
Because it’s only an Alpha there are lots more tweaks and enhancements to come, but if you install the build now this is what you’ll find to be new, and it's a lot: [...]
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As noted above, the team has switched from Python 2 to Python 3, so that could mean some add-ons stop working for you, so be warned.
You can download Kodi 19 from here.
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Kodi 19.x "Matrix" - Alpha 1

This is a major release, so, as you'd expect, it comes with many new features. However, it will inevitably cause problems for some people, which is why we'll go through a more traditional Alpha/Beta/Release Candidate model. As such, then, please be aware that installing this will inevitably break things, and we'd really like your help at that point to identify the problems and get them fixed.
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mood · Oct 6, 2020

Kodi 19 “Matrix” Alpha 2 launches with new fixes
October 6, 2020
https://www.neowin.net/news/kodi-19-matrix-alpha-2-launches-with-new-fixes

Last month, Kodi announced the availability of Kodi 19 “Matrix” Alpha 1. The new update came with a long list of changes including the ability to decode AV1, new music visualisations, subtitle enhancements, and more. Today, Kodi 19 “Matrix” Alpha 2 has been released with a raft of fixes to improve stability.

Most of the changes in this update are fixes for existing features, perhaps the most interesting change listed in the blog post is that the SeekBar has now be re-designed so that it will auto-hide when video playback is paused. You should also notice better out-of-the-box behaviour with regards to music and video library artwork.
If you want to try out the second Alpha release of Kodi 19 “Matrix” just head over to the Kodi snapshots page and navigate to the appropriate download for your device.
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Kodi 19.x "Matrix" - Alpha 2

It's been more than a month since our last "preview" release, so it's time we boxed up something new for everyone.
The usual drill applies: this is an alpha, some things will be broken, your home is at risk if something goes wrong, it might run off with your partner, don't blame us if it eats your kittens. Otherwise, though, all should be fine.
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EASTER · Oct 6, 2020

Wonder how this one will stack up to say VLC Player or even MPC-BE & HC.

Stupendous Man · Oct 7, 2020

EASTER said: ↑

Wonder how this one will stack up to say VLC Player or even MPC-BE & HC.
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For Windows, I don't know. I never tried Kodi on Windows.
For Kubuntu, Kodi plays specifically Disney/Pixar DVDs much better than VLC media player or any other media player that I tested on Kubuntu. See my March 28 post in the 'What's your default Video Player?' thread.
I haven't tested Kodi with anything else than Disney/Pixar DVDs. For simple video or audio files I use VLC media player on Kubuntu.

reasonablePrivacy · Oct 7, 2020

EASTER said: ↑

Wonder how this one will stack up to say VLC Player or even MPC-BE & HC.
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IMHO it's like comparing apples vs oranges. VLC and MPC-BE are "just" media players. Kodi is a media center software.

mood · Oct 24, 2020

Kodi "Leia" 18.9 Release (October 24, 2020)
Website (GitHub)
Announcement
Download

Okay, one more roll of the "Leia" die, although this one is really driven by circumstances beyond our control. Technical changes by Cloudflare caused significant issues with HTTP access to any site using them - metadata sources, for example - and we need to put in a quick workaround before everyone gets too upset; while 19.x "Matrix" is close, it's not close enough to leave these issues unaddressed.
So, as we're building that new code, we thought that we might as well fix a couple of other regressions while we're here.

The full changelog can be found in our GitHub milestone or you can read the merged PRs here. If you want to read back on the full history of v18 itself, or of previous versions, you can find the corresponding articles in the relevant blog posts.
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mood · Nov 2, 2020

New Kodi 19 'Matrix' release delivers major feature changes
November 2, 2020
https://betanews.com/2020/11/02/new-kodi-19-matrix-release-feature-changes/

Although the Kodi Foundation pushed out an emergency update for Kodi 18 'Leia' last week to fix an internet access issue caused by a technical change from Cloudflare, the team's main focus has been on Kodi 19 'Matrix', the next big release of the hugely popular home theater software.

Today the team rolls out a brand new Kodi 19.x 'Matrix' preview build with a large number of improvements.
19.x 'Matrix' Alpha 3 is expected to be the final alpha release before we hit the beta stage. It’s obviously still a very early build, so won’t be for everyone, but it comes with a sizeable list of feature changes and improvements, which include: [...]
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Kodi 19.x "Matrix" - Alpha 3

So... drum roll...hot on the heels of 19.x "Matrix" Alpha 2, and after a quick detour for an unexpected 18.9 "Leia" release, we bring you the stunningly-named 19.x "Matrix" Alpha 3. This will hopefully be the last of our alpha releases, before we move into beta and onto formal release (but no promises, obviously).
Usual caveats: while we're approaching beta, this is still an alpha, and some things will be broken. That is, basically, the whole point of releasing it, after all: find the problems, and fix them before final release.
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mood · Nov 23, 2020

New Kodi 19 'Matrix' release is the build you've been waiting for
November 22, 2020
https://betanews.com/2020/11/22/new-kodi-19-matrix-release-beta/

The next major version of Kodi, has been in development for two years now, promising a number of big changes from its predecessor, Kodi 18 Leia.

The Kodi Foundation has been hard at work finishing the next iteration of its hugely popular home theater software, releasing alpha builds of Kodi 19 at the rate of one a month for the past three months. Today the developers take the biggest step yet towards what they're calling the 'Great Unveiling'.
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Kodi 19.x 'Matrix' Beta 1 is -- as you can tell from the name -- the first beta version in the new branch, and from now on the focus will be (primarily) on fixes rather than adding new features.
With this version of Kodi, the developers have switched to Python 3, which makes for a better, more secure product, but it's also the reason that development has been a bit slow at times.

So what’s new in Kodi 19 'Matrix'? The team details the following highlights:
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Kodi 19.x "Matrix" - Beta 1

Lights! Camera! Action!
... nearly. It's Beta time for Kodi 19.x "Matrix", so let's take another step towards the Great Unveiling.
As we now move into Beta, this release is much more about fixes than features: while there will be the odd new functionality, we're concentrating very much more on getting everything working properly from this point.
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mood · Dec 9, 2020

Brand new Kodi 19 'Matrix' available -- download it NOW!
December 9, 2020
https://betanews.com/2020/12/09/new-kodi-19-matrix-release-beta2/

The Kodi Foundation has been hard at work finishing up the next iteration of its hugely popular home theater software. Kodi 19 'Matrix' offers a number of big changes, including a switch to Python 3 for add-ons, improved music handling, an interface makeover, and PVR reminders.
Today, the team rolls out a new update and you won’t want to miss it.

Kodi 19.x 'Matrix' -- Beta 2 doesn’t introduce any new features as it’s mostly a bugfix release (which is what you’d expect -- and want -- from a second beta), but the developers state that the build should be pretty reliable now [...]
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Kodi 19.x "Matrix" - Beta 2

So, here we go again. Nothing earth-shattering, just a quick note to tell you that the second Beta of Kodi 19.x "Matrix" is now available for installation.
By this stage, there should be no show-stopping bugs, and this release should be pretty reliable - just make sure you know how to roll back, just in case.
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mood · Jan 16, 2021

Kodi 19.x "Matrix" - Release Candidate

And, off we go again. The dust settles on the festive season, so it's time for another pre-release to hit the streets... we're getting close to final release now, so we're moving out of Beta and into RC.

This is stable, reliable code, suitable for daily use. Please, then: install, test, and give us clear feedback on any remaining issues, either with the new features or perhaps with a regression in existing code. As this is a release candidate, we think it's basically ready to go, but let's aim to make sure.
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You can get this release from here or - if appropriate - our nightly PPA here. If you're on Android, you can enrol in our Beta programme and get updates directly from Google Play.
As usual, you can also see changes since the last release here or browse the merged PRs here.
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mood · May 9, 2021

Kodi 19.1 'Matrix' is here and you should download it NOW!
May 9, 2021
https://betanews.com/2021/05/09/kodi-19-1-matrix/

It’s been three months since the Kodi Foundation released the stable version of Kodi 19 'Matrix'. The latest iteration of the popular home theater software brought with it a wealth of changes, fixes and new features.
Of course no matter how much testing new builds undergo, there will always be bugs and issues that slip through the net.

Today sees the release of Kodi 19.1, and this build fixes a whole bunch of problems. The full list of fixes can be found here, but the main changes are: [...]
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Kodi "Matrix" 19.1 Release (May 9, 2020)
Website (GitHub)
Announcement
Download

It is a truth universally acknowledged that, no matter how much testing you do before a major release, you'll never find and squash anything like all the bugs until you get a proper, large-scale, mass test of the code. In other words, it's time for a bugfix release on the Kodi 19 "Matrix" series, as - thanks to your feedback - we've managed to fix a whole batch of issues over the past few weeks.
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