[Dennis_D]

I still see there's a fair amount of discussion on the forum concerning piracy.  It seems to be largely refusing to help anyone with a sketchy 3rd party addon installed, whether or not it has anything to do with the poster's problem.

This approach doesn't seem successful.  The Kodi users simply turn to the sites that provided the pirate addons.  Even if they have to pay for a pirate service.

Instead of just shunning the piracy users, why not show them that there is PLENTY of legitimate streaming content (both free and paid) that they can access.  Addons like Crackle, Newsy, WNBC, YouTube, ABC Family, Charge, Cheddar, Comet, CNN, Comedy Central, ESPN 3, Fox News, InfoWars, MLBtv, NewsMax, PBS Kids, Red Bull TV, Sky News, TYT, Vimeo, etc, prove that.

The problem is that a pirate addon often consolidates separate streaming video sources into one easy to navigate interface.  Like cable TV does.  If Kodi were to provide such an interface, users would be far less likely to go over to piracy in the first place.  While Kodi enthusiasts might not mind have to remember where everything is and not care that they have to click thru a dozen steps to find what they want to watch, casual users do.   And they're the ones finding piracy an alternative for ease of use.

Lunatixz is the only developer here that is trying to bring that about with his amazing PseudoTV Live addon.  If that addon was integrated into the Live TV function on the main menu (with a setup wizard for integrating streaming addons), my wife (a dedicated roku user) would have no problem with switching over to Kodi.

[PatK]

The statement "This approach doesn't seem successful." what is success is a matter of interpretation. A lot of these 3rd party add-ons are written so bad, that they interfere with the solid operation of the program, making the set-up unstable; then the user comes running here for support. What's worse is that we have found instances that add-ons have lead to vulnerabilities and in some cases bricking the hardware, with foreign patches overlaying good code and users complaining that Kodi doesn't work, it's unstable etc. and we need to fix it; have lead us to where we are to-day. Check my signature link " Caution: add-ons you install "

https://kodi.tv/about

[DarrenHill]

Also the key point is we provide a media player, not a media service. The main take-away is that we don't provide any media ourselves, just the means to play it. Provision of media has always been the responsibility of the user, not us.

We are a volunteer organisation, and our manpower is spread thin enough as it is in trying to actually make Kodi the best media player product we can. We do not have enough manpower to provide media too, nor do we have interest in doing so as that would of course then need upkeep/maintenance and working with all of the sources to ensure that the provision is there.

In the end users are free to use Kodi for whatever they like, we explicitly do not make any kind of limitation there. What we do however is reserve the right as to what we do and do not support. In the end it's all about user choice - if they want to chose piracy that's up to them, but all we ask is that they do it knowingly and with acceptance that it's their explicit choice to do so, and that any results or repercussions are their responsibility.

Sadly in this day and age common sense does not seem to apply to the internet, and people's stupidity/greed/ignorance (delete as appropriate, although normally all apply) leads them into all sorts of situations that in the "real world" they'd spot for a scam or at least highly dodgy instantly and go nowhere near.

[Lunatixz]

I don't know of many "pirate" plugins that try to consolidate Kodi content. What I've seen is usually poorly written and meant to shill a pirate IPTV service.

Consolidation of content into a cable like feel is my preference (as well) however it is not the majority's. Look at Google's "Live channels" which in many ways mimics "PseudoTV" and remains a largely un-utilized part of AndroidTV's API. I'd wager less than 5% of apps support integration...

I believe the upcoming release of PseudoTV will fill the void, however it will be in a slimmed down capacity. The project grew to cumbersome to remain in its former form and needs to take advantage of Kodi's built in capabilities.

[tjay260476]

With DRM now added into v18, if you use the third party addons (they are that, they aren't in the official repo - although legal) that utilise Prime and Netflix you can export purchase movies from Amazon, TV shows that you are watching via Netflix into your own library (provided you have a paid subscription).

So there is already some consolidation happening. It needs to be the add-on devs that need to add the 'export to library' functions to their add-ons.

[Eldorado]

With DRM now added into v18, if you use the third party addons (they are that, they aren't in the official repo - although legal) that utilise Prime and Netflix you can export purchase movies from Amazon, TV shows that you are watching via Netflix into your own library (provided you have a paid subscription).

So there is already some consolidation happening. It needs to be the add-on devs that need to add the 'export to library' functions to their add-ons.

 I am personally not a fan of the add to library option as it mixes online content with local, while I get some may like it by having everything in one spot, I am on the side where I like to keep things separated

Is it feasible to add an 'Online Library' section, or even something others would prefer? I know the work to create yet another library won't be trivial

Perhaps a good middle ground is adding a flag to current libraries that mark online content so that views can be created?

[Dennis_D]

I don't know of many "pirate" plugins that try to consolidate Kodi content. What I've seen is usually poorly written and meant to shill a pirate IPTV service.

It may be poorly done, but many of the larger pirate plugins are "everything is in here" compilations.  Like the now-extinct <... deleted>.

Consolidation of content into a cable like feel is my preference (as well) however it is not the majority's. Look at Google's "Live channels" which in many ways mimics "PseudoTV" and remains a largely un-utilized part of AndroidTV's API. I'd wager less than 5% of apps support integration...

If not a "live-streaming" able-like presentation, perhaps an "on-demand" set-up like Hulu, where it's all accessed inside one addon.  Instead of going to the WNBC Programs addon to catch last night's episode of "America's Got Talent," and then switch over to Inforwars to listen to Alex Jones ranting & raving, then go the the PBS ThinkTV addon to watch an episode of "An American Family" then on to the ABC Family addon to catch "grown-ish," and next to the Comet TV addon for a showing of "The Killer Shrews," jumping over to the WABC Programs addon for "American Housewife," then to the Food Network addon for "Diners, Dives, & Drive-Ins," and finally to the CNN addon to see what stupid thing President Trump said today. 

There is ALREADY so much streaming content legally available on Kodi thru approved addons.  I'm just talking about gathering it under one addon instead of scattering it across dozens.

I believe the upcoming release of PseudoTV will fill the void, however it will be in a slimmed down capacity. The project grew to cumbersome to remain in its former form and needs to take advantage of Kodi's built in capabilities.

And I am breathlessly awaiting PTVL's new release - but I'll restrain myself from asking for a release date.   If it won't run on my puny little Rpi3, I may have to upgrade...

Mod edit: let's let even dead piracy addons rest without being mentioned, as you suspected.

[tjay260476]

Are you talking about something that pulls highlights from (the UK here, so will use a UK add-on as an example) BBC iPlayer, new movies and TV shows from Netflix, and bought movie via Prime? With News updates from Sky News thrown into the mix?

If that is the case....that would be cool! Don't mind if its an add-on that can be added to the main menu, or a full feature!

[da-anda]

I had this idea even before Apple and Google came up with a consolidated news/content feeds and search. But I lack the dev skills to pull something like this off for the core.

[jmh2002]

In a similar manner of thinking I asked the Super Favourites developer a long time ago of he could create an addon (or add the feature to SF) to:

...collate video streams from several different addons into one home screen widget, in order to easily be able to see what new videos are available without having to manually check and drill down into each addon, or often even multiple sections of addons..

I can do this easily with one addon of course, but I didn't find a way to do it with multiple addons.

Unfortunately this feature didn't make it to release yet, but the old thread is here: https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=278370 and the reply from the SF developer as follows:

...it should be possible for SF to actually trigger each item in a Super Folder to retrieve the list that item would create if clicked, and then create one single list made up of the contents of all these smaller lists.

I assume that is what your requesting.

Yes I think that is what I am requesting

Collating everything together = "and then create one single list made up of the contents of all these smaller lists." So yes I think we are on same page.

Then from this final "one single list" I would like to be able to both view it in a Super Folder, and play the videos from there, as well as create a custom home screen widget for this folder too.

[learningit]

The Leia version of all my add-ons ( https://kodi.tv/addons/browse?keyword=&c...=title+ASC ) will allow content to be added to the library (some currently do:ABC Family, Popcornflix, Shout! Factory, SnagFilms, tubi tv, WABC, WNBC, maybe others ).
You can then build a smart playlist to do whatever you want. It's way too cumbersome to support a consolidated add-on.
All the live streams will also be available in a consolidated view through a new add-on which can also generate a playlist for the Simple IPTV PVR.
It's a fairly big update for Leia with changes for python 3, etc.

[Dennis_D]

The Leia version of all my add-ons ( https://kodi.tv/addons/browse?keyword=&c...=title+ASC ) will allow content to be added to the library (some currently do:ABC Family, Popcornflix, Shout! Factory, SnagFilms, tubi tv, WABC, WNBC, maybe others ).
You can then build a smart playlist to do whatever you want. It's way too cumbersome to support a consolidated add-on.
All the live streams will also be available in a consolidated view through a new add-on which can also generate a playlist for the Simple IPTV PVR.
It's a fairly big update for Leia with changes for python 3, etc.

I have used those library features when they are available to build the main Kodi library.  I'm excited that the feature will be available in more additional addons.

[endgameshow]

Honestly i dont know the anwser but i smell something going on with the entire industry as it's the only reason not to show the paid and free service clearly. i have been using pluto tv, tubi and other third party app from apknite for a free service. it got lots of trouble too but it's acceptable and

[the_other_guy]

I had this idea even before Apple and Google came up with a consolidated news/content feeds and search. But I lack the dev skills to pull something like this off for the core.

well do some thing about it start by gonig to Kodi\userdata\library (can be done with library node editor )


first add link to favourites open plugin to list of items that pick the one you need ad to favourites open favourites
the link will look like this <favourite name="Comedy" thumb="C:\Users\you\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\addons\plugin.video.crackle\resources\media\icon.png">ActivateWindow(10025,&quot;plugin://plugin.video.crackle/?genre_id=18&amp;id=movies&amp;mode=100&quot;,return)</favourite>

now we will use the info for a node

xml:
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>

<node order="7" type="folder">

 <label>Comedy</label>

 <path>plugin://plugin.video.crackle/?genre_id=18&amp;id=movies&amp;mode=100</path>

 <icon>C:\Users\you\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\addons\plugin.video.crackle\resources\media\icon.png</icon>

</node>

my example uses youtube plugin but you can mix and match
http://www.fast-files.com/getfile.aspx?file=193482
download copy to \Kodi\userdata\library\video and add folder
you can then find the files in video

[IIDexII]

Can I please know what kind of Add-ons is safe and allowed on Kodi? We live in Sweden.

I just bought a Google streamer with Kodi for HBO and youtube, Tidal etc.

And it came with alot of bloatware and Add-ons, some useful for Flac, audio codecs etc. And some others video add ons etc, I thought it was for better playback?

But I'm new to this, and some of the movies on the menu streamable on Kodi hasn't come on bluray here yet...

That made me abit suspicious?

I just want to know, because I prefer to pay like Netflix and Hbo, or know what is for free, like YouTube and TV channels.

I also want to test if the streamer can bitstream 5.1 Dolby digital and DTS
Is there some way I can test this?
Im not sure Hbo Nordic has support for Dolby digital.

I use Hdmi.