SPMC, the popular Kodi fork, has just released version 16.7.0 of the media player app. This update contains a patch for the subtitle security vulnerability that Kodi fixed last week. It’s recommended that all SPMC users update to this latest version. The easiest way to do so is to use my Downloader app from the Amazon appstore and enter
The guys behind MrMC, the media player app from the developers who originally brought Kodi to Android devices, have been quite busy since the last time I wrote about the app. They have released 4 recent updates to MrMC and are now at version 3.0.4 of the app. Those updates have brought support for the Emby media server, improved playback, new setting options, numerous bug fixes, and more. Read more ›
The Kodi team has just released version 17.2 of their great media player app. They’re still working on the next big release, “Leia” v18, but have release this new intermediate version because it contains an important patch to a security vulnerability that could allow malicious subtitle zip files to access your device. Read more ›
A new app for the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick has been released called OnBootKodi. As the name suggests, the app does just one thing, which is to automatically launch Kodi as soon as the Fire TV finishes booting. The app can also be configured to launch Kodi once a certain amount of time has passed after the device boots, however I was unable to get that feature to work. Read more ›
If your Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick has received the 5.2.4.1 software update, you may be experiencing poor video playback within MrMC, Kodi, and SPMC. The developer of MrMC has emailed me letting me know that the updated version of Fire OS does not handle switching the video output to a 24Hz refresh rate correctly. This is a feature videophiles use to achieve perfect 1-to-1 synchronization between the frames in a video and the rate at which the display updates, but with software version 5.2.4.1, it results in jerky stuttering video. Read more ›
The most common question I get asked for any new Fire TV hardware is: can you sideload 3rd-party apps like Kodi? The upcoming Fire TV Edition televisions, which run the Fire TV’s operating system without the need of a set-top box or Stick, are no exception. All indication so far is that these televisions will function very much like a Fire TV set-top box, but the question of whether you can sideload apps like Kodi remains. While we won’t know for certain until the televisions ship later this year, I have found evidence that indicates both sideloading and Kodi will work with Fire TV Edition televisions. Read more ›
Kodi just launched a completely redesigned website last night that is making things difficult for those trying to sideload Kodi onto an Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick using ES File Explorer. The new modern Kodi site is making it difficult to download the Kodi APK using ES File Explorer’s rudimentary web browsing capabilities. Nate from the Kodi team asked me to look into the issue and post a solution if I find one, so here’s an explanation of what’s happening, as well as a very simple workaround.
Kodi version 17.1 has just been released. An official announcement has not been made yet, so it’s not entirely clear what has changed since version 17, but the final v17.1 APK was just added to the official download page. This new version likely doesn’t add too many new features, but instead fixes bugs that have surfaced since v17 was released last month.
The easiest way to install or update to Kodi 17.1, on the Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, is to use my Downloader app and enter
MrMC has just released their version 3.0 update with several nice new features. For starters, now that Kodi 17 has finally been released, MrMC’s developers made sure to make this new version compatible with Kodi’s recent database changes. This means you can have both apps use the same database, if you need to switch from one app to the other, without having to maintain two databases. While MrMC does still uses a skin based on Kodi’s old interface, don’t let that detract you, because under the hood, it has long been incorporating Kodi 17 into its code base, even before Kodi 17 was officially released. Read more ›
After 7 beta versions and 4 release candidates, the final release version of Kodi 17, codenamed “Krypton,” is now available. You can download the Fire TV version here, but the easiest way to install the app is to use my Downloader app from the official Fire TV appstore and enter
