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{{mininav|[[First time user]]}}
{{mininav|[[First time user]]}}
<section begin="intro" />This page describes the basic controls that are used in most areas of Kodi, as well as the Kodi home screen. This page assumes you are using the default skin for Kodi, [[Confluence]].<section end="intro" />


== Home screen ==
{{main|Add-on:Confluence/Settings}}
[[File:XBMC home.jpg|center|700px]]


The home screen in the default skin, as well as most other skins, show the user the major areas of Kodi, such as videos, music, pictures, etc. Menus can be laid out in various different ways, but in Confluence most options are in a horizontal menu.
= Introduction =
'''Welcome new user!!''' <section begin="intro" />You have finally installed Kodi on your equipment, launched it, and then probably sat there for a few minutes scratching your head thinking what is this?? This page will describe the commonly used screens and basic navigation around Kodi. Its aim is to allow you to become familiar with Kodi and prepare you for the upcoming setup pages.<section end="intro" />


This page will not describe how to load your media. That task is covered in the following pages. As with most pages of the wiki, this page assumes you are using the default skin '''[[Estuary]]'''. If you are using another skin, then you have run before learning to walk, so you should change back until you have at least set up Kodi.


Pressing left or right on the main menu "ribbon" will highlight different main options, which then have additional more specific options that can be selected when the user presses down {{keypress|down}}. The main options are:
Kodi has been designed around the ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10-foot_user_interface 10 foot interface]'' principle. This means that Kodi is best used with a remote control while sitting on your couch looking at your TV. It was not designed for use on a computer sitting at a desk with keyboard and mouse. '''If you choose to use it this way, then be aware that the navigatione experience won't be as smooth as a remote control.'''


* '''[[Videos]]''' - Shows the top level of all video areas, including file views, movie library, TV show library, music video library, playlists, and video related add-ons. Users can also use this to navigate to more '''[[video nodes|nodes]]''' in the library, showing movies or TV shows by year, genre, actor, or even custom created nodes for specific people, moods, etc.
{{red|Although this guide applies to all parts of Kodi, some portions have been based on the Video/Movies/TV Shows section of Kodi. To see the specific Basic Controls for Music, see '''''[http://kodi.wiki/view/Music_navigation Music Navigation & Playback]}}'''''
* '''[[videos|Movies]]''' - This is a short cut to the "All movies, by title" node in the video library.
 
* '''[[videos|TV shows]]''' - This is a short cut to the "All TV shows, by title" node in the video library.
 
* '''[[Music]]''' - This is the main music view, which can be toggled between a basic file mode or a meta-data rich "library mode" via the sidebar menu. Users can also find playlists and music/audio-related add-ons in this section. Like with videos, the library mode has '''[[audio nodes|nodes]]''' that show different listings and can be customized.
The following image is a screenshot of the Home Screen when Kodi launches. In this case there is media in the library, but you may not have media in your library yet.
 
<gallery mode="packed" widths="900px" heights="506px">
File:HomeScreenGuide.jpg
</gallery>
{{-}}
 
 
= Power Options =
[[File:Estuary-power-menu.jpg|right|300px]]
Pressing {{keypress|S}} on the keyboard, or by selecting the Power icon in the top left corner of the home screen calls up the Power Options menu. Depending on your hardware, your Power Options may have more or less options to that shown in the image.
 
The options on this menu are from top to bottom:
 
;Exit
:Exits Kodi to your operating system.
;Power off system
:Powers down your computer
;Custom Shutdown Timer
:Kodi will shutdown your computer after you enter the countdown time. Enter the time interval in minutes.
;Suspend
:Suspends your computer.
;Hibernate
:Hibernates your computer.
;Reboot
:Restarts your computer.
;Log off <ProfileName> user
:If using Profiles, the option to log out the current user and login as a new user is this option. <ProfileName> will display the name of the currently logged in Profile/User.
 
 
 
= Settings =
The Settings Icon in the top left of the screen provides access to the Kodi Settings pages. Most general use settings are contained in these pages. During your travels with Kodi, you will come across mention of the advancedsettings.xml file. This holds advanced Settings for Kodi and can be modified by the user.
 
For more information on the Settings pages, {{See|Settings}}
 
For more information on the advancedsettings.xml file, {{see|AdvancedSettings.xml}}
 
 
 
= Search & Filter =
[[File:GlobalSearch.jpg|right|300px]]
The Global Search function allows you to search  your library, add-ons or some on-line sources for information.
 
Some of the pictured options will require installation of an add-on. Simply confirm the installation of the add-on when prompted.
 
{{see|Add-on:Global Search}}
{{see|Add-on:YouTube}}
{{see|Add-on:ExtendedInfo Script}}
 
 
There are also Search functions inside each of the Main Menu options which are accessible from the [[Basic_controls#Sideblade_Menu|Sideblade Menu]]. These are called '''Filters'''. The function "filters" the currently displayed list to match your query. When using the Filter function, be aware of the following:
*The Filter will only filter that class of media, so performing the Filter in Movies will only return Movie results.
*The Filter only works when you have a listing of media displayed. If you do not have a listing of the media to Filter, then the filter will return a ''Not Found'' result.
 
{{see|Advanced library filtering}}
{{-}}
 
 
 
= Main Menu =
All classes of media are separated into their own menu options. The default classes are listed below. Other skins allow you to add additional menu items for, say, Home Movies, Cartoons, Disney etc.
 
It is possible to remove unwanted menu options and to re-add them at a later date. Very useful for those options that remain unused in your setup such as Live TV, Radio etc. See: '''''[[Add-on:Estuary/Settings#Main_Menu_Items_Settings|Hiding Menu items]]'''''
 
As each Main Menu option is selected, the Home Page will dynamically update with information relevant for the selected menu option. The full list of available menu options are as follows:
 
* '''[[Video_library|Movies]]''' - This is a short cut to the "All movies, by title" node in the video library.
* '''[[Video_library|TV shows]]''' - This is a short cut to the "All TV shows, by title" node in the video library.
* '''[[Music_library|Music]]''' - This is a shortcut to a file manager view, which when viewed, can show your music files either by genre, Artist, Album, Song, or by year.
* '''[[Music_library|Music Videos]]''' - This is a shortcut to a file manager view, which when viewed can show your music video files either by Genre, Title, Artist, Albums, Directors, Studio or Tags
* '''[[Live_TV|Live TV]]''' - With a PVR add-on, this can give you Free To Air Television channels with an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) with Pause/Rewind/Fast Forward and Record facilities
* '''[[Live_TV|Radio]]''' - With a PVR add-on, this can give you Free To Air Radio Channels with an EPG (Electronic Program Guide)
* '''[[Games]]''' (not available before Kodi v18 Leia) - This is a shortcut to a file manager view, which when viewed, can show your games.
* '''[[Add-ons]]''' - This shortcut takes you to a secondary menu that lists your installed add-ons by type, such as 'Video-addons', Music add-ons, Program add-ons. In this menu you can install add-ons from the official Kodi repository. '''''See: [[Add-ons]]'''''
* '''[[Pictures]]''' - Shows a basic file-based image viewer, as well as picture-related add-ons.
* '''[[Pictures]]''' - Shows a basic file-based image viewer, as well as picture-related add-ons.
* '''[[Add-ons|Programs]]''' - "Programs" is normally just a selection of "program"-type [[add-ons]], such as add-ons that control lights or show sports scores. However, some platforms such as Android will also list other installed programs, which can be launched from within Kodi.
* '''[[Video_library|Vidoes]]''' - Allows you to access the file system of your Sources. It includes file views, movie library, TV show library, music video library, playlists, and video related add-ons. Users can also use this to navigate to more '''[[video nodes|nodes]]''' in the library, showing movies or TV shows by year, genre, actor, or even custom created nodes for specific people, moods, etc.
* '''[[Settings|System]]''' - All the system settings, system info, [[profile]] controls, and [[file manager]].
* '''[[Favourites]]''' - Shows all your meda that has been tagged as a ''Favourite'' in one easily accessible location.
* '''[[Weather]]''' -  Once set up, this will show the weather forecast in your local area


{{note|Certain options, such as "Movies" and "TV shows" will only show up once files have been scanned into the library (see '''[[adding videos to the library]]'''). Even without a scanned in library, users can still use the "Videos" button to select and play videos using file-based navigation.}}
= Home Screen =
The term '''Home Screen''' can be used to mean the entire screen as depicted in the image in Section 1 above. If it is prefixed by a menu item, say ''Movies Home Screen'' or ''TV Show Home Screen'', then it refers to the section to the right of the Main Menu. The following information refers to the latter.


The Home Screen contains a dynamic list of media relevant for the selected main menu item. The image above displays the following items:


In the [[Add-on:Confluence/Settings|Confluence settings]] different main menu options can also show add-on shortcuts. For example, video related buttons/tabs can be set up to show shortcuts to your most used video add-ons. Video, music, pictures, and "programs" can all have add-on shortcuts.
;Categories- also known as Nodes
:A quick link to the available Movie Nodes. It allows you to navigate your Movie library via Genres, Title, Year, Country Actors, Directors, Studios, Sets, Tags and Recently added
:{{see also|Video_nodes|Music_nodes}}


;Poster views
:Displays movie titles that fit into the following criteria:
:*In-progress
:*Recently added
:*Unwatched movies
:*Random selection
:*Movie Sets


Above the main menu ribbon is a search button, which searches for videos and music that have been added to their respective libraries. It does not currently search for add-on content.
;Genres
:Quck icon selection of available Genre's in the library.


;Studios
:Quick icon selection of available Studios in the library.


Below the man menu ribbon are two additional buttons and an '''[[RSS ticker]]''':
* The "Star" button opens up the '''[[Favorites|Favorites menu]]'''.
* The power button opens up the '''[[Shutdown menu]]'''


The other classes in the main menu have a similar selection but designed and named to be most relevant for their class of media.


The home screen also displays the current date and time, and can optionally show '''[[weather]]''' information, if set up.


{{-}}
=== RSS ticker ===
{{main|RSS ticker}}
{{#lst:RSS ticker|intro}}


== Contextual menu ==
= '''Sideblade Menu''' =
The '''context menu''' gives you quick access to some functions that also can be accessed by the keyboard directly (e.g. ''Queue item''), while other functions (e.g. ''Change content'') are only accessible from the context menu.
[[File:EstuarySideBarMenu_small.gif|right]]
[[File:Estuary-player-sidebar-video.jpg|210px|right]]
 
'''{{resize|1.4em|{{red|The Sideblade Menu is a critical menu that holds numerous options. It is available in most locations.}}}}'''
 
The Sideblade Menu is accessible from '''most''' screens in Kodi.
 
{{red|The menu options shown below are for the Movies section. The options will vary for the other media classes}}
 
<section begin="SidebladeMenu" />You can invoke the sideblade using one of the following methods:
* pressing the {{keypress|left}} key on your remote control
* pressing the {{keypress|left}} key on a keyboard
* bringing the mouse cursor to the left border of the screen.<section end="SidebladeMenu" />


You can bring up the context menu either by:
* right-clicking with the mouse.
* pressing the {{keypress|C}} key .
* pressing the {{button|guide}} button on a [[Remote controls#MCE Remote|MCE]] remote.


Examples of the context menu:
The options in the Sideblade Menu vary. The following is the menu in the Movies listing.
<gallery widths="240" heights="136">
File:Contextmenu1.png|The context menu in the ''Movie library''.
File:Contextmenu2.png|The context menu in the [[Add-on:YouTube|YouTube]] add-on.
File:Contextmenu3.png|The context menu in the ''Video file browser''.
File:Contextmenu4.png|The context menu in the ''Favourites menu''.
</gallery>


;See below for specific explanations of the contextual menu on different menus and areas of Kodi:
* '''[[Video navigation#Contextual menu|In the video library]]'''
* '''[[Music library#Context Menu|In the music library]]'''
* '''[[Favourites]]''', '''[[playlists]]''', the '''[[file manager]]''', and various '''[[add-ons]]''' have management and editing options in the contextual menu.


== Sidebar menu ==
'''Available Options'''
[[File:Mini player sidebar-video.png|200px|right]] Many options, mostly related to view control, can be accessed with the left hand sidebar menu.
You can bring up the sidebar menu either by:
* bringing the mouse cursor to the left side.
* pressing the {{keypress|left}} key, when browsing Files.
* pressing the {{keypress|left}} key, when browsing the library views List, Big List, Thumbnail, Media info, Media info 2 and Media info 3.
* pressing the {{keypress|up}} key, when browsing the library views Poster wrap and Fanart.


;View
;ViewType
:Change current library view.
:Change current library view.
;Hide watched
 
:Global toggle to hide watched items in Files and your Movie and TV Show libraries.
;Sort by
:Select how the list of Movies/TV Shows/Episodes are sorted- eg ''Title, PlayCount'' etc
 
;Order
:Once the ''Sort by'' is selected, do you want the order ''Ascending'' or ''Descending''
 
;Filter
:Allows you to filter your list on certain criteria- eg ''Director, Actor, Ratings, Tags'' etc '''''See: [[Advanced library filtering]]'''''
 
;All Videos / Watched / Unwatched
:Global toggle that allows you to select what is shown in the list - ''All Videos, Watched'' or ''Unwatched'' videos only
 
;Update library
;Update library
:Updates all libraries.
:Scans the library for newly added Movies, TV Shows, Episodes and Music Videos in the Video Library.


;Go to playlists
:Will open the currently playing Party Mode playlist


Additional information about the sidebar menu's functions in different parts of Kodi can be seen on these pages:
;Bottom Icons- From Left to right
* '''[[Video navigation]]'''
*Pause
* '''[[Music navigation]]'''
*Stop
* '''[[Add-ons]]'''
*Skip to next video
* '''[[PVR/Basics]]'''
*Open Play Mode screen. Displays Fanart and video information. aka Now Playing screen.


To see the Sidebar Menu for '''Music''' see '''''[[Music_navigation#Sideblade_Menu|Music Sideblade Menu]]'''''
{{-}}
{{-}}


== Profiles ==
{{Main|Profiles}}
{{#lst:Profiles|intro}}


== Favourites ==
{{main|Favourites}}
{{#lst:Favourites|intro}}


== Shutdown menu ==
= '''Context Menu''' =
Pressing {{keypress|S}} on the keyboard, or by selecting the Shutdown icon in the lower left corner of the default Confluence skin the home screen brings up the shutdown menu.
'''{{resize|1.4em|{{red|The Context Menu is a critical menu that holds numerous options. It is available in most locations.}}}}'''
 
The '''Context Menu''' allows quick access to a limited set of functions relevant for the currently selected item.
 
<section begin="ContextMenu" />After highlighting an item (eg a movie) the Context Menu can be invoked by:
* long press the {{keypress|OK}} key
* Press letter {{keypress|C}} on a keyboard
* right-clicking with the mouse<section end="ContextMenu" />
 
References to Context Menus are scattered throughout the wiki on relevant pages and can be found easily enough in Kodi. As there are many, many types of context menus, it would be uneconomical to list them all here.
 
The following are a few examples of the context menu.
<gallery mode="packed-overlay" widths="500px" heights="283px">
File:MovieSets02.jpg|The context menu in the ''Movie library''.
File:EstuaryContextmenu3.png|The context menu in the ''Video file browser''.
File:EstuaryContextmenu2.png|The context menu in the [[Add-on:YouTube|YouTube]] add-on.
</gallery>
 
 
 
= '''Information Page''' =
[[File:Artwork-Actors01.jpg|right|500px]]
<section begin="InformationPage" />For each title in the Movies, TV Shows and Music Videos library, an Information Page is available as displayed in the image.
 
This screen will display the metadata for the title. A number of options are available along the bottom of the page. What is displayed will depend on the skin in use and which class of media is displayed (Movie, TV Show, Music Video)<section end="InformationPage" />
 
This is a Library only feature and will not work on titles not in the library. Attempting to perform this in the File Browser using Videos>Files will commence the scrape process for that individual title. '''''See: [[Updating_or_removing_videos|Update Video Library]]'''''
 
 
To access the Information Page, navigate to, and highlight the required Movie, TV Show or Music Video title. Once highlighted use one of the following methods to view the Information Page:
*Press {{keypress|i}} on a remote control, or Press {{keypress|i}} on a keyboard
*Using the '''''[[Basic_controls#Context_Menu|Context Menu]]''''', select '''Information'''
 
 
Available option buttons (not all are displayed in the image)
;Actors image
:Clicking on the image of an actor will bring up a listing of other titles, in your library, the actor appears in
:Installing the '''''[[Add-on:ExtendedInfo_Script|ExtendedInfo add-on]]''''' will provide extended actor information from online sources
;Play
:Commence playback of the title
;Your Rating
:Use this option to apply your personal rating to your media. The display of the User Rating depends upon the library view in use. It is displayed at the top of the Poster as a blue star containing the rating in Poster View. Each type of view displays it differently.
;Trailer
:Commence playback of the '''''[[TheMovieDB.org#TMDB_-_For_Moves|Trailer]]'''''. If no trailer is available, either the button will not be displayed or you will be offered to install the YouTube add-on to view online trailers.
;Show Fanart
:Full screen display of the fanart attached to the title
;Same director
:Displays a listing of other titles in the library from the same director
;Movie Set
:Open the '''''[[Movie_sets|Movie Set]]''''' that the current movie belongs to. Only visible when the movie is part of a set.
;Choose art
:Settings page that allows the manual selection of '''''[[Artwork]]'''''
;Refresh
:Allows you to rescan or rescrape the title. Useful if you have modified information in the NFO File, or you would like to re-scrape updated information from the site of the Information provider. '''''See: [[Updating_or_removing_videos|Update Video Library]]'''''
:Highlighting this button will also display the path to the playable file that {{kodi}} has recorded in the library database. Useful to track down duplicate entries.
 
 
 
= Now Playing Controls =
The Now Playing Controls are covered in more detail in the following two sections...
 
;Music Player Controls
:'''''See: [[Music_navigation|Music Navigation & Playback]]'''''
 
;Video Player Controls
:'''''See: [[Video_playback|Video Playback]]'''''
 


[[File:EdenScreenShots-PowerMenu.png|right|300px]]
'''The options on this menu are from top to bottom:'''


;Exit
= On Screen Keyboard =
:Exits Kodi to your operating system.
[[File:OnScreenKeyboard.jpg|right|500px]]
;Power off system
When required, Kodi will display an on-screen keyboard to facilitate data entry. No special selection is required by the user as the keyboard will appear where required.
:Powers down your system
;Custom Shutdown Timer
:Kodi will shutdown your computer after you enter the countdown time.
;Suspend
:Suspends your computer.
;Hibernate
:Hibernates your computer.
;Reboot
:Restarts your computer.


The on-screen keyboard can be used in the following ways:
*Remote control
*Mouse presses
*Using a physical keyboard.
{{-}}
{{-}}


== File manager ==
{{main|File manager}}
{{#lst:File manager|intro}}


== On screen keyboard ==
{{helix note|This section already needs to be expanded in general, but Helix will bring some very significant chances to the on screen keyboard. Probably enough to even justify making a seperate page for the OSK. This includes basic usage, the different layout options, etc. If anyone wants to help add this information, please do.}}


* Kodi can use USB keyboards or you can use the remote control-friendly on-screen-keyboard.
= Remote Controls =
Kodi is best used with a Remote Control. Many types of Remote Controls can be used as listed on the following page.
{{see|Remote_controls}}
 
 
 
= Keyboard Controls =
If you are using a physical keyboard, the following page lists available keystrokes to control Kodi.
{{see|Keyboard_controls}}
 
 
 
= See also =
=== Favourites ===
{{main|Favourites}}
{{#lst:Favourites|intro}}
 
 


* Kodi for iOS will use the native iOS on-screen-keyboard. This also allows iOS to have clipboard paste support.
=== File Manager ===
{{main|File manager}}
{{#lst:File manager|intro}}


* Windows, Mac OS X, and iOS have clipboard paste support for text entry.


== System information screen ==
{{editor note|There's really not much to say about this, as the system info screen is pretty self explanatory. This section just needs a screen shot and a basic description of what information is summarized there.}}


== Profiles ==
=== Profiles ===
{{main|Profiles}}
{{main|Profiles}}
{{#lst:Profiles|intro}}
{{#lst:Profiles|intro}}


== Weather ==
{{main|Weather}}
{{#lst:Weather|intro}}


== See also ==
* [[Keyboard controls]]
* [[Remote controls]]


{{Isengard updated}}
{{top}}
 
<div style="{{linear-gradient|left|#ffdddd, #ddffdd 50%, #ddddff}}">{{next|[[Video_library|Video Library Main Menu]]}} </div>
<br />
<div style="{{linear-gradient|left|#f5d3ff, #12b2e7}}">{{next|[[Music_library|Music Library Main Menu]]}} </div>


{{updated|18}}
[[Category:FAQ]]
[[Category:Index]]
[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Manual]]
[[Category:Manual]]
[[Category:General topics]]
[[Category:Karellen]]
[[Category:Video library]]
[[Category:Music library]]
[[Category:First time user]]
[[Category:Advanced topics]]
[[Category:First time user]]
[[Category:First time user]]
[[Category:Quick Start Guide]]
[[Category:Music library]]

Revision as of 23:30, 18 April 2019

Home icon grey.png   ▶ First time user ▶ Basic controls


Introduction

Welcome new user!! You have finally installed Kodi on your equipment, launched it, and then probably sat there for a few minutes scratching your head thinking what is this?? This page will describe the commonly used screens and basic navigation around Kodi. Its aim is to allow you to become familiar with Kodi and prepare you for the upcoming setup pages.

This page will not describe how to load your media. That task is covered in the following pages. As with most pages of the wiki, this page assumes you are using the default skin Estuary. If you are using another skin, then you have run before learning to walk, so you should change back until you have at least set up Kodi.

Kodi has been designed around the 10 foot interface principle. This means that Kodi is best used with a remote control while sitting on your couch looking at your TV. It was not designed for use on a computer sitting at a desk with keyboard and mouse. If you choose to use it this way, then be aware that the navigatione experience won't be as smooth as a remote control.

Although this guide applies to all parts of Kodi, some portions have been based on the Video/Movies/TV Shows section of Kodi. To see the specific Basic Controls for Music, see Music Navigation & Playback


The following image is a screenshot of the Home Screen when Kodi launches. In this case there is media in the library, but you may not have media in your library yet.



Power Options

Estuary-power-menu.jpg

Pressing S on the keyboard, or by selecting the Power icon in the top left corner of the home screen calls up the Power Options menu. Depending on your hardware, your Power Options may have more or less options to that shown in the image.

The options on this menu are from top to bottom:

Exit
Exits Kodi to your operating system.
Power off system
Powers down your computer
Custom Shutdown Timer
Kodi will shutdown your computer after you enter the countdown time. Enter the time interval in minutes.
Suspend
Suspends your computer.
Hibernate
Hibernates your computer.
Reboot
Restarts your computer.
Log off <ProfileName> user
If using Profiles, the option to log out the current user and login as a new user is this option. <ProfileName> will display the name of the currently logged in Profile/User.


Settings

The Settings Icon in the top left of the screen provides access to the Kodi Settings pages. Most general use settings are contained in these pages. During your travels with Kodi, you will come across mention of the advancedsettings.xml file. This holds advanced Settings for Kodi and can be modified by the user.

For more information on the Settings pages,

See: Settings

For more information on the advancedsettings.xml file,

See: AdvancedSettings.xml


Search & Filter

GlobalSearch.jpg

The Global Search function allows you to search your library, add-ons or some on-line sources for information.

Some of the pictured options will require installation of an add-on. Simply confirm the installation of the add-on when prompted.

See: Add-on:Global Search
See: Add-on:YouTube
See: Add-on:ExtendedInfo Script


There are also Search functions inside each of the Main Menu options which are accessible from the Sideblade Menu. These are called Filters. The function "filters" the currently displayed list to match your query. When using the Filter function, be aware of the following:

  • The Filter will only filter that class of media, so performing the Filter in Movies will only return Movie results.
  • The Filter only works when you have a listing of media displayed. If you do not have a listing of the media to Filter, then the filter will return a Not Found result.
See: Advanced library filtering



Main Menu

All classes of media are separated into their own menu options. The default classes are listed below. Other skins allow you to add additional menu items for, say, Home Movies, Cartoons, Disney etc.

It is possible to remove unwanted menu options and to re-add them at a later date. Very useful for those options that remain unused in your setup such as Live TV, Radio etc. See: Hiding Menu items

As each Main Menu option is selected, the Home Page will dynamically update with information relevant for the selected menu option. The full list of available menu options are as follows:

  • Movies - This is a short cut to the "All movies, by title" node in the video library.
  • TV shows - This is a short cut to the "All TV shows, by title" node in the video library.
  • Music - This is a shortcut to a file manager view, which when viewed, can show your music files either by genre, Artist, Album, Song, or by year.
  • Music Videos - This is a shortcut to a file manager view, which when viewed can show your music video files either by Genre, Title, Artist, Albums, Directors, Studio or Tags
  • Live TV - With a PVR add-on, this can give you Free To Air Television channels with an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) with Pause/Rewind/Fast Forward and Record facilities
  • Radio - With a PVR add-on, this can give you Free To Air Radio Channels with an EPG (Electronic Program Guide)
  • Games (not available before Kodi v18 Leia) - This is a shortcut to a file manager view, which when viewed, can show your games.
  • Add-ons - This shortcut takes you to a secondary menu that lists your installed add-ons by type, such as 'Video-addons', Music add-ons, Program add-ons. In this menu you can install add-ons from the official Kodi repository. See: Add-ons
  • Pictures - Shows a basic file-based image viewer, as well as picture-related add-ons.
  • Vidoes - Allows you to access the file system of your Sources. It includes file views, movie library, TV show library, music video library, playlists, and video related add-ons. Users can also use this to navigate to more nodes in the library, showing movies or TV shows by year, genre, actor, or even custom created nodes for specific people, moods, etc.
  • Favourites - Shows all your meda that has been tagged as a Favourite in one easily accessible location.
  • Weather - Once set up, this will show the weather forecast in your local area

Home Screen

The term Home Screen can be used to mean the entire screen as depicted in the image in Section 1 above. If it is prefixed by a menu item, say Movies Home Screen or TV Show Home Screen, then it refers to the section to the right of the Main Menu. The following information refers to the latter.

The Home Screen contains a dynamic list of media relevant for the selected main menu item. The image above displays the following items:

Categories- also known as Nodes
A quick link to the available Movie Nodes. It allows you to navigate your Movie library via Genres, Title, Year, Country Actors, Directors, Studios, Sets, Tags and Recently added
Poster views
Displays movie titles that fit into the following criteria:
  • In-progress
  • Recently added
  • Unwatched movies
  • Random selection
  • Movie Sets
Genres
Quck icon selection of available Genre's in the library.
Studios
Quick icon selection of available Studios in the library.


The other classes in the main menu have a similar selection but designed and named to be most relevant for their class of media.


Sideblade Menu

EstuarySideBarMenu small.gif
Estuary-player-sidebar-video.jpg

The Sideblade Menu is a critical menu that holds numerous options. It is available in most locations.

The Sideblade Menu is accessible from most screens in Kodi.

The menu options shown below are for the Movies section. The options will vary for the other media classes

You can invoke the sideblade using one of the following methods:

  • pressing the key on your remote control
  • pressing the key on a keyboard
  • bringing the mouse cursor to the left border of the screen.


The options in the Sideblade Menu vary. The following is the menu in the Movies listing.


Available Options

ViewType
Change current library view.
Sort by
Select how the list of Movies/TV Shows/Episodes are sorted- eg Title, PlayCount etc
Order
Once the Sort by is selected, do you want the order Ascending or Descending
Filter
Allows you to filter your list on certain criteria- eg Director, Actor, Ratings, Tags etc See: Advanced library filtering
All Videos / Watched / Unwatched
Global toggle that allows you to select what is shown in the list - All Videos, Watched or Unwatched videos only
Update library
Scans the library for newly added Movies, TV Shows, Episodes and Music Videos in the Video Library.
Go to playlists
Will open the currently playing Party Mode playlist
Bottom Icons- From Left to right
  • Pause
  • Stop
  • Skip to next video
  • Open Play Mode screen. Displays Fanart and video information. aka Now Playing screen.


To see the Sidebar Menu for Music see Music Sideblade Menu


Context Menu

The Context Menu is a critical menu that holds numerous options. It is available in most locations.

The Context Menu allows quick access to a limited set of functions relevant for the currently selected item.

After highlighting an item (eg a movie) the Context Menu can be invoked by:

  • long press the OK key
  • Press letter C on a keyboard
  • right-clicking with the mouse

References to Context Menus are scattered throughout the wiki on relevant pages and can be found easily enough in Kodi. As there are many, many types of context menus, it would be uneconomical to list them all here.

The following are a few examples of the context menu.


Information Page

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For each title in the Movies, TV Shows and Music Videos library, an Information Page is available as displayed in the image.

This screen will display the metadata for the title. A number of options are available along the bottom of the page. What is displayed will depend on the skin in use and which class of media is displayed (Movie, TV Show, Music Video)

This is a Library only feature and will not work on titles not in the library. Attempting to perform this in the File Browser using Videos>Files will commence the scrape process for that individual title. See: Update Video Library


To access the Information Page, navigate to, and highlight the required Movie, TV Show or Music Video title. Once highlighted use one of the following methods to view the Information Page:

  • Press i on a remote control, or Press i on a keyboard
  • Using the Context Menu, select Information


Available option buttons (not all are displayed in the image)

Actors image
Clicking on the image of an actor will bring up a listing of other titles, in your library, the actor appears in
Installing the ExtendedInfo add-on will provide extended actor information from online sources
Play
Commence playback of the title
Your Rating
Use this option to apply your personal rating to your media. The display of the User Rating depends upon the library view in use. It is displayed at the top of the Poster as a blue star containing the rating in Poster View. Each type of view displays it differently.
Trailer
Commence playback of the Trailer. If no trailer is available, either the button will not be displayed or you will be offered to install the YouTube add-on to view online trailers.
Show Fanart
Full screen display of the fanart attached to the title
Same director
Displays a listing of other titles in the library from the same director
Movie Set
Open the Movie Set that the current movie belongs to. Only visible when the movie is part of a set.
Choose art
Settings page that allows the manual selection of Artwork
Refresh
Allows you to rescan or rescrape the title. Useful if you have modified information in the NFO File, or you would like to re-scrape updated information from the site of the Information provider. See: Update Video Library
Highlighting this button will also display the path to the playable file that Kodi has recorded in the library database. Useful to track down duplicate entries.


Now Playing Controls

The Now Playing Controls are covered in more detail in the following two sections...

Music Player Controls
See: Music Navigation & Playback
Video Player Controls
See: Video Playback


On Screen Keyboard

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When required, Kodi will display an on-screen keyboard to facilitate data entry. No special selection is required by the user as the keyboard will appear where required.

The on-screen keyboard can be used in the following ways:

  • Remote control
  • Mouse presses
  • Using a physical keyboard.



Remote Controls

Kodi is best used with a Remote Control. Many types of Remote Controls can be used as listed on the following page.

See: Remote_controls


Keyboard Controls

If you are using a physical keyboard, the following page lists available keystrokes to control Kodi.

See: Keyboard_controls


See also

Favourites

Favourites is a simple but useful feature that allows you to gather a selection of different items into one easily accessible location on the Main Menu. It allows quick access to commonly used items.


File Manager

The File Manager allows the maintenace of files from within Kodi on platforms that have no underlying and easily accessible operating system. It will allow you to perform functions such as Move, Copy and Delete to name a few.


Profiles

Profiles allow users to save all of settings as a profile and change them at the touch of a button. It also allows you to grant access to specific folders and network shares based on the profile being used. This is ideal for systems that have multiple users. It works much the same as setting up individual users on your home computer.


Return to top


Next step: Video Library Main Menu


Next step: Music Library Main Menu