[Thomas Clifford]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum and would like to gather in some thoughts on an issue. 

I am a business student at Glasgow College, and I am doing an end of year project on the topic of Kodi, and how it has had an impact on major companies like Sky, Virgin, BT etc. (mostly on Sky.)

I would like to gather some information on some of you fellow Kodi users and would like to know your attitudes and opinions towards Kodi.

Have you saved money on Sky bills? Do you find Kodi easier to use? Do you find that there is more content on Kodi than there is on Sky's streaming services? How do you think Kodi has had an impact on companies like Sky? Do you stream a lot of content on Kodi? What do you think are the positives and negatives of Kodi? 

Any replies would be greatly appreciated guys.

Many Thanks,
Thomas Clifford.

[Av3nged]

Have you saved money on Sky bills?

I have reduced the amount of TV that I watch in general to around 2hr a week. I canceled my cable before I got into Kodi opting for OTA TV. To answer your question no, mainly because I stopped paying for TV prior to when I started Using Kodi.

Do you find Kodi easier to use?

This is a Tough question every user will have their own experience and it also depends on the skin you use. Both services have their own way of doing things and they both are good at what they do.

Do you find that there is more content on Kodi than there is on Sky's streaming services?

Kodi provides no content it is up to the user to provide content, so the amount of content available is up to the user.

How do you think Kodi has had an impact on companies like Sky?

I would say that Kodi has/had no impact on companies like Sky. If Kodi did not exist companies like Sky would see the same challenges that they have seen recently.

Do you stream a lot of content on Kodi?

I watch YouTube sometimes but mostly I watch movies and TV shows from my NAS.

What do you think are the positives and negatives of Kodi?

Positives are that Kodi is a media player and it plays media so I can’t ask for more. Negatives are that major steaming services do not have official addons, but is that a negative of Kodi or of the streaming service.

[Thomas Clifford]

Hi Avenged.

Thank you very much for your interest in my post.

This has helped me with the first part of my findings for my project.

[da-anda]

your questions sound like your main source of information are British tabloits that are full of wrong facts. Those claim that it's Kodi that is providing the pirated content, which is not true. Kodi is only a media player that can be customized and extended with add-ons (like f.e. Firefox). It will simply play what it's being pointed to. Just like a browser is showing you any website you point it to. The content is hosted on illegal filelocker sites and can just as well be watched in the browser, VLC or any other media player like Kodi. It just happens that some have written an add-on for Kodi that is aggregating those pirated streams from those websites and present the results in our easy to use and customize UI.  Then others have bundled Kodi with those add-ons preinstalled (which is a violation of our trademark!) along with cheap Android boxes and advertised them as the overall streaming solution. After this, the nightmare began.

To answer some of your questions. I think that the sheer amount of victims of those piracy box sellers (aka users that pirate without knowing, which is why it probably got that popular) might have made companies like Sky think about their products and how to become more attractive to paying subscribers. But that's likely the only impact the piracy-add-on epidemic had so far.

For me personally, this all didn't change anything. I never had a Sky subscription and never will have, since I just don't like their services and I have no interest what-so-ever in sports. I'm a happy paying subscriber to Netflix and Amazon Prime and enjoy their content (also via Kodi on certain devices) along with my local Blu-ray and DVD collection ripped to my NAS. I also enjoy free-to-air LiveTV via Kodi as well as listening to my music collection and streaming services (Google Music) along with browsing vacation pics (like when friends are around). Kodi is the central hub for my media consumption because I'm in full control and can adjust any aspect to my personal preferences. This is the actual power of Kodi - the freedom adjust it anyway you like. Soon I'll write a custom add-on and integrate some home-automation logic to dim my lights when I start to watch anything (be it LiveTV, Netflix or whatever). I never used any of those piracy streaming add-ons and never will (alone by the fact that those are super dogy in terms of privacy and subject to frequently break). The only thing I stream (apart from Netflix and Amazon) is stuff like Youtube and random other videos publicly available on my favourite tech websites that happen to have an add-on in the Kodi add-on repository.

The only "negative" thing about Kodi for me is, that content providers like Netflix, Hulu and co don't offer official add-ons so that paying subscribers could enjoy their content the way the they like to.

IMO the piracy streaming epidemic would vanish if there would be one affordable subscription service that combines all the content from Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon etc with an easy to use interface, which those Kodi piracy boxes basically are, minus the payed subscription service ofc. Users don't want to have to pay for 5 subscription services to be able to watch all their favourite TV shows, nor do they want to constantly switch apps or have to remember which show is available in which app. But that's just my POV

[Thomas Clifford]

Hi da-anda, 

I really appreciate your answer. Very detailed and informative. 

Thanks for your answer and has further helped my research.

[tjay260476]

Ok, I may be able to help on this one.

I used to be a HTPC enthusiast just before Xbox Media Player came out, and have followed it a lot. I have used everything from Showshifter to Windows Media Centre to XBMC. I left the HTPC game because I wanted a stable Satellite service so went to Sky. (at this point in time PVR software wasn't as stable as it is now)

I was a heavy Sky user,  I had Movies, TV Boxsets, I was using their Youtube app too. When Sky Q came along, with the option of Multiscreen etc I took it. Here are some of the features of Multiscreen - I think Team Kodi might see some similarities in this feature list!

1 - Watch TV in two or more rooms using a centralised tuner
2 - Watch a Movie or TV boxset in one room, pause it and pick up in another
3 - Pause/rewind fast forward TV
4 - Play your own music library through set top box.

My viewing habits changed, and realised that i wasn't watching oodles of Movies/TV and was only watching Freeview channels and Youtube. My main issue was to get Live TV into the bedroom without making more holes in the wall. As my flat already is set up with a wired network I looked around for alternatives I also still had the server that held my local content, which I deleted 4 years previous as I wasn't using it at the time. Although I did spend a few weeks putting back my DVD library and Tv library back (NOT ENJOYABLE!!!)

I have bought the HDhomerun Connect, a network TV tuner, this gave me TV in the bedroom. I bought extra bits for my server as it was grossly underpowered in the RAM department and HDD department. It runs a MySQL database, so have the same ability as Sky Q. With addons such as Youtube and Tubecast I have the same features as I had with Sky Q. With Catchup TV and more I have UKTV Play catchup and iPlayer WWW I have BBC iPlayer.

I have a Netflix and Amazon Prime Account which both are being under utilised because I'm a lazy bugger and cannot switch from Fire Stick to Raspberry Pi! (When v18 comes this will change). Also with my local TV and Movies library, as those libraries are not at the whim of Sky, and won't disappear half way through a season (has happened to me!)

For me, I have a long term goal in cord cutting (which incidentally DOES NOT mean FREE TV) and that is to cut the cost of my monthly subscription. However, so that I am in complete control of what I watch and how I view it, I have bought legitimate hardware that is supported by its makers and Team Kodi (Raspberry Pi). I have done it the 'official' way. 

For me personally, I am on a years contract with myself, as I realised that I am not going to really see a return until August this year. 

Cordcutting - if done properly and legally can be very stable and very enjoyable.

I used to pay £61 a month for TV, 

With Netflix and Prime that is now at £18 per month.

The only other subscription is Schedules Direct, which is £26 a year.

I think the actual question should be directed to Netflix and Prime, as @da-anda pointed out this question is more directed at Piracy box sellers...

I may be an unusual case as I went from HTPC to Sky back to HTPC, but I do see the merits of both, also both have their drawbacks too. 

The money I have saved per month? I spent it on a projector in the bedroom, where I am, ironically watching more movies now (from my own purchased content played locally) than I did when I was with Sky...

Edit: This is more a personal observation, my friend has found my setup easier to use than Sky’s TV box... that is the Live TV side of things, but that is a different argument altogether, strange though, as Sky’s GUI was done by paid staff, and the stock skin was done in someone’s spare time for free, I have added this here as it could take the basis of your discussion slightly differently if you look at Sky’s 10 foot interface vs Kodi’s.

[speedwell68]

Have you saved money on Sky bills?

Yep.  I was paying £58 a month plus the cost of my TV License, which is £147 a year.  So in total it was costing me £843 a year just to watch TV.  I now have Netflix/Amazon which is costing me about £190 a year, so a massive saving.

Do you find Kodi easier to use?

No easier or harder really.

Do you find that there is more content on Kodi than there is on Sky's streaming services?

Kodi provides no content.  I do use some 3rd party addons namely ITV Player, UKTV Play and YouTube.

How do you think Kodi has had an impact on companies like Sky?

I think Sky and BBC must be feeling the impact of online TV services.  If 1 million households dropped the TV Licence like I have the BBC would be in serious trouble.

Do you stream a lot of content on Kodi?

The odd show on ITV or UKTV Play, loads of Netflix/Amazon shows and a massive amount on Youtube.  My kids are never off Youtube.  I also watch a lot of ripped Movies from my Media Server.

What do you think are the positives and negatives of Kodi?

I think it gives me freedom of choice.  I used to watch TV just because it was on, now I watch because I have something to watch.  Kodi has also taught me loads of stuff about home networking and tweaking software to my taste.

[Av3nged]

...
I think Sky and BBC must be feeling the impact of online TV services.  If 1 million households dropped the TV Licence like I have the BBC would be in serious trouble.
...

over the last 4 years Sky's revenue has gone up an average of 13% a year making its total revenue in 2017 12.9 billion £

[speedwell68]

...
I think Sky and BBC must be feeling the impact of online TV services.  If 1 million households dropped the TV Licence like I have the BBC would be in serious trouble.
...

over the last 4 years Sky's revenue has gone up an average of 13% a year making its total revenue in 2017 1.29 billion £ 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/201...-revenues/

[Av3nged]

Interesting article but that only looks at one quarter of the operation. Their business might have slowed down but an increase of 951 million over what they made in 2016 is not that bad.
http://www.londonstockexchange.com/excha...ml?lang=en
EDIT: 2017 revenue was not 1.29 billion but 12.9 billion

[DoubleT]

I have never used Sky, never will - mainly because of who they are and who they finance. Not a company i will ever do business with.
I pay for Virgin Media Cabled Internet (fastest in my area) they are the main rival to Sky in the UK. 
I thought about getting tv from them, but prices are ridiculous.

They have a streamin option but it doesnt cover the channels i'd want.
I'd also need to take the top offering to get the few channels i'd watch.

They have made it so complicated and expensive i'll never use them,
TV is not worth £75 a month to me. If i lost my "usenet abilities" - i'd read more books...

Kodi in every-room MySQL backend. Much joy.

[Mnementh]

...

I do use some 3rd party addons namely ITV Player, UKTV Play and YouTube.

... If 1 million households dropped the TV Licence like I have the BBC would be in serious trouble.

...

Do you stream a lot of content on Kodi?

The odd show on ITV or UKTV Play, loads of Netflix/Amazon shows and a massive amount on Youtube.  My kids are never off Youtube.  I also watch a lot of ripped Movies from my Media Server.

 

I'm sure you're aware but I thought I'd point it out for anyone who's not, if you watch live television through ITV Player, UKTV Play or the iPlayer you still need to pay for a TV license. If you only use them for "catchup TV" (except for the iPlayer now) then you don't.

[speedwell68]

...

I do use some 3rd party addons namely ITV Player, UKTV Play and YouTube.

... If 1 million households dropped the TV Licence like I have the BBC would be in serious trouble.

...

Do you stream a lot of content on Kodi?

The odd show on ITV or UKTV Play, loads of Netflix/Amazon shows and a massive amount on Youtube.  My kids are never off Youtube.  I also watch a lot of ripped Movies from my Media Server.

I'm sure you're aware but I thought I'd point it out for anyone who's not, if you watch live television through ITV Player, UKTV Play or the iPlayer you still need to pay for a TV license. If you only use them for "catchup TV" (except for the iPlayer now) then you don't. 

I knew this and only watch on demand.  I don't consider £147 a year for the iPlayer to be value for money, not when I can get Amazon and Netflix for not much more.  The BBC should have set an on demand only fee at 50% of the full licence.  I have chosen not to use the BBC.

[Mnementh]

 I knew this and only watch on demand.  I don't consider £147 a year for the iPlayer to be value for money, not when I can get Amazon and Netflix for not much more.  The BBC should have set an on demand only fee at 50% of the full licence.  I have chosen not to use the BBC.

 Couldn't agree more, unfortunately I do watch live sport, that's literally the ONLY thing I watch live, so I unfortunately have to pay both the BBC tax and the Sky tax (the one where you have to pay for all of the rubbish you don't want to get the sport you do want in HD...).

[samcook]

Seems Amazon is trying to be that "all in one" source as much as possible with their Channels structure. All the better if someone can get a good Amazon Prime Video add-on up and going, it would solve a lot of issues. I know there's one somewhat in the works? But I haven't really been able to get it working well...and it only pulls from Amazon's German site.