FAQs

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Basics

What is Kodi?

Kodi is a free open source (GPL) and multi-platform multimedia centre which can centralise all your local, network and internet media into one easily accessible location.
It is designed to be installed on hardware that is directly connected to your AVR or TV preferably via HDMI.


How is Kodi different to all the other media players?

Kodi allows you to bring all your media together in one location.
Not only can it play a wide variety of media formats - Video, Audio, Images - Kodi also allows you to create libraries of your content which can be displayed and browsed in an artwork rich environment.
Kodi can handle Movies, TV Shows, Seasons and Episodes, Music & Audiobooks, Music Videos, Live TV and PVR, Pictures & Comic Books.
In addition, Kodi has a vast repository of Add-ons (plugins) that can be installed to extend Kodi's capabilities, either by adding new features to Kodi or accessing content from internet sources such as YouTube, Netflix and many, many more.


Where can I find more information and help?

Start from the Main Page of this wiki and use the links or the search bar.
If you still have questions, create an account on the Kodi forum


Can I use Kodi as a Media Server

Kodi does include a built in UPnP server that can stream Music and Video content from your Kodi library to other devices. It can also act as a UPnP client to receive content from other Servers on your local network.
Apart from the UPnP component, Kodi is not designed as a Server. Each viewing location will have a Kodi instance installed on the hardware attached to the AVR or TV at that location.
During normal use, Kodi accesses local content off your hard disk or from your local network storage via a File sharing protocol such as SMB.


What hardware do I need?

Kodi can operate on a variety of devices and platforms such as a standard Windows or Linux PC, most of the hardware in the Apple environment, one of the many good quality Android boxes or Raspberry Pi, to name a few.
Standard audio and graphics components are required to be present in the hardware. The absence of the audio and graphic components will cause the initialization process (that assumes their presence) to fail.
If you need to purchase new hardware, read the Pick the right box thread on the forum.


How do I access those free movies and TV shows?
Click here


Setup

How do I get started?
  1. The most recent stable version is Kodi v20.5 Nexus
  2. Read the First time user wiki guides to get started
  3. Download and install Kodi from the official Download site


How do I create the libraries?

The Video libraries are created by scraping metadata from the websites of various information providers. The following guide will explain how to correctly name your files, create the correct folder structure and scrape them into the library.

See: Create a Video Library

The Music library is created by scanning the embedded tags in your music files. Please ensure you have accurate tags in your files, preferably by using MusicBrainz Picard.

See: Create a Music Library


How do I add my Home Movies to the library?
If you have titles that do not exist on any of the sites of the information providers, like home movies, you can still add these to your library using NFO files which are scanned into the library. Templates are available which you can copy and then complete with your own data.
See: NFO Files


How do I create new menu items?
Instead of having all your movies or TV shows listed in one section, they can be separated and listed separately, e.g. separate Home Movies, Documentaries, Sports Events from traditional movies and TV shows.
See: Custom home items


How do I watch and record TV?
See: PVR


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