Kodi

[altcar bob]

Have had it for 2 years,little used for a year,tried firing it up again,but comp not recognising it  (or does a tv need to be in the loop?)  Its a quad-core 4x4.  Have downloaded drivers but no success,  .

 

  Kodi s for sale from alibaba   about 26 US Maybe better buying new one,but might have same problem   

[Forkinhades]

Picture please

Sent from my SM-N950F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[RichCor]

Android set top boxes usually require some type of Display Monitor or TV be connected to it's video out port as that will be the primary user interface. Then use the IR Remote or optional USB Keyboard & Mouse to get around the menus.

 

BTW, Kodi is the software only, the Hardware and OS running on it are totally a separate thing.

[Peterw42]

OP, as others have said Kodi is a program that runs on android boxes, computers etc, and its free. It sounds like you are describing an android box problem but you also mention drivers and a Computer. 

If your problem is getting Kodi to run on an android box, it may just be a case of downloading and installing the latest compatible version.

[Pib]

Yea, Kodi is just software/an app that is loaded on a computer, Android box, etc.   If you haven't used your Kodi (whatever you are really taking about) for several years it's surely several major Kodi versions behind the times (outdated)...needs updating.

[altcar bob]

Here is the box,as other posters state,its not the box,it needs upgrading,that's fine,can do,but if I cannot find the box on my computer,there is the problem

7 hours ago, Forkinhades said:

Picture please

Sent from my SM-N950F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

[RichCor]

First, does the Android box work (does it boot and display anything on a Composite or HDMI video out?

 

Second, does the box have access to Internet and the Google PlayStore? Can you see if there's an update for KODI there?

 

Third, does your Android box have support for either 'over the air' (in-device) upgrades or manufacturer support tools to re-flash memory? Sometimes there are dedicated support forums for some device models where users share tools, guides, tips/tricks and custom builds for their favorite device (where tools and know-how are available).

 

Android set top boxes are not designed to be viewed over a computer. They are designed to be stand-alone media boxes connected to a Display or TV, but the box *can* also access or be accessed with tools or applications ostensibly to provide remote control or provide the access shared media access over the local network.

 

So not sure why you want to access to it with your computer.

 

As this is an Android box, KODI (Media Center software) is just an app running on the device.

If the Android device has access to the Google Play Store you can initiate an app update via the android user interface ...though, that may be limited by the age of the android OS running on the box. Most android set-top-box manufacturer do not support android OS updates -- they'd rather you just buy a new box.

 

Check to see what version of KODI your device is running, and if the PlayStore has updates available. Also check the manufacturer or user support forums to see if further OS updates are available.

[Forkinhades]

Most points covered by RichCor, the box needs to connected direct to your tv via HDMI. Turn tv on and make sure the HDMI channel is selected for viewing. Then if you have a picture you can send a picture of what you see. Then we can guide you.

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[altcar bob]

OK thanks for the help,am buying a 30 inch  tv just for this,the monitor shows nothing,but Ill try the  HMDI into it first,thought the comp would show the kodi in devices

[janclaes47]

3 hours ago, altcar bob said:

Here is the box,as other posters state,its not the box,it needs upgrading,that's fine,can do,but if I cannot find the box on my computer,there is the problem

Forget about upgrading, there is little chance that you can upgrade a Android 4.4 firmware to a higher Android version.

 

To run Kodi 17 or higher you need Android 5.1 or higher.

 

To flash a new firmware image you need special software called usb burning tool, or have an OTA update file available which I doubt there will be.

 

No you can't find the box on your computer, as most boxes will not be recognized by Windows.

 

Also forget to replace it with a $26 box from Aliexpress, as that will be $26 wasted.

 

Oh and before I forget, there is no such thing as Kodi boxes.

 

By the way, I think to see a HDMI cable plugged in in your box, so it must be connected to a monitor.

 

Does the power light on the box light up?

 

 

Edited January 4, 2018 by janclaes47

[ignis]

If your going to use Kodi remember they are always updating, the last and final one is "Krypton" 17.6, have it + runs great, just around the corner is "Leia" 18  [is in beta version for past few months, this will have a 64 bit version]...  

 

as for a Android Box  to keep up you would need  

Android 7.1  Octa core,  64 bit CPU, 4GB Ram, 32 GB Storage = plenty about.. the New one is Android 8 Oreo

 

If you get your box to work, Android 4.4  you need Kodi 15, or you could maybe try a 'Fork'  never used so no idea.....  https://kod1help.com/kodi-17-krypton-fork-for-android-4-4-2

 

Myself bought early last year Android 6 'marshmallow'  found the TV programmes run better with 2 GB ram, over the old box with only 1 GB ram..   Guess this year sometime will buy the  Android 8 Oreo. 64 bit CPU, 4GB Ram,

 

TV Box running Android 6 with 2 GB cost around 1,500 baht for a known named one.

 

 

Edited January 5, 2018 by ignis

[janclaes47]

6 hours ago, ignis said:

If your going to use Kodi remember they are always updating, the last and final one is "Krypton" 17.6, have it + runs great, just around the corner is "Leia" 18  [is in beta version for past few months, this will have a 64 bit version]...  

 

Kodi 64 bit version has been available since RC 17.0 , only not for Windows.

 

Kodi 18 has just recently entered Beta status and is still far from release date, and hope actually that it never will be released, because it is the first Kodi that will actively try to block 3rd party addons .

 

Without 3rd party addons Kodi is just another media player.

[JHolmesJr]

6 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

Kodi 18 has just recently entered Beta status and is still far from release date, and hope actually that it never will be released, because it is the first Kodi that will actively try to block 3rd party addons .

 

wow....thanks for the heads up...Im staying on 17.6 then. LOL.

[janclaes47]

6 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

 

wow....thanks for the heads up...Im staying on 17.6 then. LOL.

 

Make sure auto updates is disabled in Playstore, otherwise it will update anyway.

 

Anyway. I guess that an official release is still at least 6 months away, and it will have to be seen how the devs of the addons find their way around it but the Kodi team definitely want to get rid of the reputation they have now.

 

As of now there are only very few addons that work on 18.

[Jingthing]

I'm interested in trying Kodi on a box. My understanding is the Kodi box itself is not sold in Thailand. Is it illegal or something?
So short of that is there a sold in Thailand Android box people can suggest?
Thanks.

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[janclaes47]

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I'm interested in trying Kodi on a box. My understanding is the Kodi box itself is not sold in Thailand. Is it illegal or something?
So short of that is there a sold in Thailand Android box people can suggest?
Thanks.

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

As stated before, there is no such thing as a Kodi box.

 

Kodi is a open source 100% legal media player that can be downloaded from all kind of official sources, like there are Playstore and Windows app store, for free.

 

It can be installed on almost every operating system that is around these days, but the most convenient is of course an Android box because they are small and easily to connect to your tv.

 

Android boxes are for sale everywhere but not all Android boxes are equal, same as not all cars or motorbikes are equal, and as with everything you get what you pay for. So the cheapest box will be the most expensive at the end of the day.

 

Kodi is empty, same as Windows media player or any other media platform.

 

To watch all the goodies for free you need to install third party addons, which are not available from official sources, and need to be frequently updated.

 

The reason you need to update them is simply because you are not supposed to get all those goodies for free, and the developers of the addons frequently have to change servers and/or switch sources, because the copyright holders will shut down the loopholes.

 

Nobody will inform you of those server changes, so you need to be fairly well introduced in the Kodi scene and spend a fair amount of time to keep up with all those updates, otherwise you will soon claim that Kodi doesn't work.

 

However nothing is further from the truth because Kodi, and especially the third party addons, are a fabulous piece of software which gives you literally unlimited viewing possibilities. But you either have to spend time to keep up with the updates, or find someone who is specialized in this. Wink wink, nod nod.

 

Everything you can think about you can watch or listen to.

 

The addon developers are considered to engage in illegal activity, however until today none of them has been convicted yet, and few cases have already been rejected by courts worldwide.

As an end user you do not anything illegal, as clearly stated in several international court rulings, because you access streams that are freely available on the internet.

 

Different is when you pay for them, like paying for an illegal IPTV service of which there are many available in Thailand, or download torrents.

 

In the first instance because when you pay it are not freely available sources any more, and in the second case with torrents you provide the streams also to other users.

 

I know I will be slagged of for this soon, but I have all the court rulings that state these facts in writing, so I know what I'm talking about.

[Jai Dee]

Topic moved to AV Forum.

 

/Moved.

[ignis]

12 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

 

Kodi 64 bit version has been available since RC 17.0 , only not for Windows.

 

Kodi 18 has just recently entered Beta status and is still far from release date, and hope actually that it never will be released, because it is the first Kodi that will actively try to block 3rd party addons .

 

Without 3rd party addons Kodi is just another media player.

Thanks for that, had no idea about Kodi 18.... just thought it would be better on my 64 bit Windows PC....  maybe by the time it is realest there will be more addons ?  guess time will tell...

 

 'Kodi 64 bit version has been available since RC 17.0'  Yes but not that many Boxes about... likewise not many with DDR4 Ram with 3 or 4 GB,  still 100;s with 1 and 2 GB.

 

I have Kodi 17.6 on PC,  old laptop still have 14.2, on the main box still have Jarvis 16, on older box 15 the last 3 it is pot luck what works or vanished..........  on my main box have 2GB Ram so will get around to installing Kodi 17.6....  

 

[janclaes47]

28 minutes ago, ignis said:

 'Kodi 64 bit version has been available since RC 17.0'  Yes but not that many Boxes about... likewise not many with DDR4 Ram with 3 or 4 GB,  still 100;s with 1 and 2 GB.

 

To install Kodi 17 x64 you need 64 bit operating system, and while all new boxes lately have a 64 bit processor the Android OS is still 32 bit.

 

Android 7.1.2 is the first OS that is available in 64 bit, as far as i'm aware, but most are still 32 bit.

 

You don't need 4Gb to run kodi x64, but it will not use the extra memory if x32.

 

There are not much advantages for a x64 Kodi, larger and faster RAM will improve the speed of which you can install and app and it may be able to switch faster between addons, but it will not improve your streaming as that depends on your internet connection.

 

A X64 system runs hotter than a x32 system which is a disadvantage in Thailand.You will not be aware of this but most recent boxes already run over 80°C with stock heat sink and stock x32 firmware, and a x64 firmware will make it even worse.

 

I have had DDR4 boxes with 3Gb and I didn't see any advantage over the same box with DDR3 RAM.

 

Edit : An advantage that a X64 system will have is the speed with which it can on the fly decode a 4K stream, but there is not much "real" 4K available in Kodi, and most of us can not stream it anyway as you need +20Mbps to the server which is located overseas.\

 

So again, this advantage is not aimed at how we use Kodi, but people who stream 4K from their private media server.

Edited January 6, 2018 by janclaes47

[ignis]

No idea testing on http://speedtest.adslthailand.com/ = down 107.2  MB/s [Average 106]...... UP = 43.53

 

Testing on http://testmy.net/results = down 39.8 MB/s

 

I did find when I bought the newer 2 GB Box and put Kodi on, it did run a lot better, then the older 1 GB box.. 

 

Not bothered to much about heat. as have a small electric fan on the box

[janclaes47]

2 hours ago, ignis said:

No idea testing on http://speedtest.adslthailand.com/ = down 107.2  MB/s [Average 106]...... UP = 43.53

 

Testing on http://testmy.net/results = down 39.8 MB/s

 

I did find when I bought the newer 2 GB Box and put Kodi on, it did run a lot better, then the older 1 GB box.. 

 

Not bothered to much about heat. as have a small electric fan on the box

Of course your 2Gb box was an improvement, because 1Gb is not enough to run Kodi. When idle it will use already about 800Mb, and as soon as you start using it will crash because you run out of memory. 3 or 4 Gb will not make the same improvement, because it is just excessive memory which you will not use anyway.

 

But yes I know, some even think you need a nvidia shield, and they dare to claim that their streams are so much better because they wasted a few hundred dollars on a box they don't need.

 

Your speed is fine, anything over 7-8 Mbps is a luxury as that is all you need for any stream up to 1080p.

 

If you have buffering with that speed it is from the source side, or your ISP throttles streams., but definitely not because you run out of memory.

 

You can enable debug logging in your Kodi system settings, then you can see how much system memory you are using at any time.

 

In you Android display setting you should also set 1080p 50Hz, as it will automatically switch to 1080p 60Hz, which will save you more than 20% on your CPU usage.

 

The only reliable speed test is testmy.net to UK server, Adslthailand and most other speed test servers use multithread same as a torrent, so you always get the maximum speed.

 

With a live tv stream you get 1 connection and that's it, and that is also how testmy.net tests your speed, with a single connection.

 

All your Kodi connections come from Europe or US, so testing to a Thai or regional server also doesn't make any sense.

 

And some test servers are even right out fakes. I had the "specialists" from 3BB here and they managed to get a 150 Mbps download on my 30Mb VDSL connection, using some test server of which i forgot the name. I made a post about during that time. Even to UK they got a multiple of the package I pay for.

 

Copper wire isn't even capable of a 150 Mbps speed, but they managed that result over and over again.

 

In short you are doing just fine with your 2Gb RAM box and internet connection, as long as you have a modern processor, so don't waste your money on a 4Gb DDR4 box.

[ignis]

3 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

Of course your 2Gb box was an improvement, because 1Gb is not enough to run Kodi. When idle it will use already about 800Mb, and as soon as you start using it will crash because you run out of memory. 3 or 4 Gb will not make the same improvement, because it is just excessive memory which you will not use anyway.

 

But yes I know, some even think you need a nvidia shield, and they dare to claim that their streams are so much better because they wasted a few hundred dollars on a box they don't need.

 

Your speed is fine, anything over 7-8 Mbps is a luxury as that is all you need for any stream up to 1080p.

 

If you have buffering with that speed it is from the source side, or your ISP throttles streams., but definitely not because you run out of memory.

 

You can enable debug logging in your Kodi system settings, then you can see how much system memory you are using at any time.

 

In you Android display setting you should also set 1080p 50Hz, as it will automatically switch to 1080p 60Hz, which will save you more than 20% on your CPU usage.

 

The only reliable speed test is testmy.net to UK server, Adslthailand and most other speed test servers use multithread same as a torrent, so you always get the maximum speed.

 

With a live tv stream you get 1 connection and that's it, and that is also how testmy.net tests your speed, with a single connection.

 

All your Kodi connections come from Europe or US, so testing to a Thai or regional server also doesn't make any sense.

 

And some test servers are even right out fakes. I had the "specialists" from 3BB here and they managed to get a 150 Mbps download on my 30Mb VDSL connection, using some test server of which i forgot the name. I made a post about during that time. Even to UK they got a multiple of the package I pay for.

 

Copper wire isn't even capable of a 150 Mbps speed, but they managed that result over and over again.

 

In short you are doing just fine with your 2Gb RAM box and internet connection, as long as you have a modern processor, so don't waste your money on a 4Gb DDR4 box.

Many thanks, so will review again in 2019

[Golden Triangle]

Hopefully this is the right place to post this question, I have a Minix NEO X8-H plus box, I have had it for maybe 3 + years now and it has been a good servant, tonight I tried to watch a movie or a TV program but all I get on Movie HD, Megabox & Show Box is can't play video.

 

I haven't received any update requests as I used to get quite frequently to continue access to these platforms, can any one help ? My technical knowledge of these things is limited to say the least TIA.