The new version of Kodi (formerly XBMC), Helix 14.0, is out of beta and has been released. As always, the new release is packed full of new features, but here’s what’s most relevant to the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick.
Kodi 14.0 has been updated to use FFmpeg 2.4.4 video codecs. This means Kodi is now capable of playing back h.265 and VP9 videos, but the decoding is entirely software based so Fire TV devices may struggle with this newer codec. Rest assured that hardware accelerated decoding, like h.264, is not affected by this change. Library scanning has received a big speed boost, so those slow initial setup scans should go much quicker on Fire TV devices. Additional, Android support all around has been improved with better fast forward and rewind functionality.
If you currently have XBMC installed on your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, you need to be aware of the caveats involved with installing Kodi. Once you sideload Kodi and launch it for the first time, it will move your library and settings from XBMC to Kodi. You will still have XBMC installed on your Fire TV, but it will be an empty shell. Once you’ve verified Kodi is up and running correctly, you should go back and uninstall XBMC.
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Will this replace spmc if I install it?
I’m pretty sure you can run SPMC and Kodi side by side as they are completely different packages
No, it will not touch SPMC. If you have SPMC and then install Kodi, both will function independently.
Yea I tried to restore my backup from spmc onto this new kodi helix and it just took up space but nothing worked not even the addons. I thought these programs were for the most part compatible.
You can
I installed TVMC on my Fire TV Stick and seems to be working just fine.
It runs 13.2 and automatically configures XBMC with most of the addons and repositories needed. I am running SPMC on my Fire TV and KODI on my Nexus Player. All working fine.
“you need to be aware of the caveats involved with installing Kodi.”
what are the caveats?
You can run both side by side.
Many skins are not compatible with Helix.
Sorry, I realize now it wasn’t very clear. The caveat being that Kodi will take XBMC’s configuration. This will make it complicated to downgrade back to XBMC and will leave a useless XBMC installed that should be uninstalled.
Anyone know if TVMC will be updated with Kodi v14? Aren’t the TVMC devs associated with Kodi/XBMC somehow?
BTW installing Kodi didn’t mess with my TVMC install. Would like to try Kodi out but too lazy to go through the set up process again which is why I ask re TVMC/Kodi build.
Is there a launcher version like SBMC has that will boot directly into Kodi and be sent back to Kodi when pressing home?
No
I’ve been using TVMC 13.2 and just installed Kodi 14. They both work fine and don’t touch each other. Completely different installations.
But I have a problem with both about Video Sources. I add a source and suddenly TVMC and Kodi 14 crash. I say update the library again and crashes again. My sources from a NAS. I can see the NAS from the Fire TV and run everything on it manually via File Manager.
Any suggestions?
Found the solution.
It only happens for Movie database (TV Shows Library is fine somehow) when you use SMB server to load the library.
If it’s possible you can use NFS. In my case my NAS doesn’t have NFS so I used FTP then it worked fine.
i want to try kodi but dont know if all the addons will still work
I have aftv to boot up into xbmc, will installing this remove that functionality?
For some reason my Fire TV storage got extremely low and started to act crazy it was asking me to delete apps but the only extra app I had was kodi the only thing I could do is reset the fire TV and reinstall kodi
Some heavy skins like aeon will fill up 5GB with orphaned thumbs in a heartbeat. Stick to Confluence or Amber or if you’re lucky and have root connect a harddrive/ssd and expand the firetv storage or use it to hold the thumbs with a modified advancedsettings.xml.
I’d recommend taking the first route and give the firetv all the storage it will ever need, as it should be. :P
Will this send the fire tv into standby like spmc?
Does SBMC do it automatically or have a special setting for it?
I would also like to know how to make fire TV to sleep when SPMC on.
If all I do is stream content from the internet, will I see an improvement with the 14 code over the 13.2 code? Is it worth doing the upgrade on my FireTv box, and FireTv stick?
No.
I have some problems with the Gotham 13.0. When I play something, the XMBC was crashed and it kicks me out to the Application setting on the Fire TV OS. I can relaunch the XBMC or to be safe, Clear cache and relaunch it. The XBMC works well after that but then it kicks me again. It just happen randomly and unexpectedly, with any source, any add-on. It only kicks me when I start playing something, not when I browse over the menu/list.
Have you heard anyone have the same issue with me?
Upgrade to 13.2. 13.0 had a ton of issues and was probably a premature release.
CAN I use SPMC 13.3.2 FOREVER?
I have version 13.3 do you simply install over it? will I have to do the addons again? and my shhortcut to Kodi again?
I’m getting ready to install the latest Helix release on my Fire TV. But, just to be sure, under the Android download icon do I choose ARM or x86?
ARM
As always, thanks for replying.
I bought a preconfigured rooted fire tv which launches into xbmc directly, considering kodi 14.0 will import gotham 13.2 settings but leave an empty shell xbmc 13.2. Am I correct in assuming I will need to configure my fire tv to launch into kodi? Also I haven’t read guides on how to set this, but the configuration I have has xbmc set as the home hub (i.e. When I press the home button on the remote it goes to xbmc, not the fire tv os). Does that need to be set separately to the auto launch of xbmc?
I have the same set up. How did you upgrade it? Does it still work as before? Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Joe
I’ve using XBMC 13.2 on amazon fire tv with a shared mysql library on my networked windows fileserver.
When I attempt to install Kodi, it seems to migrate my old install’s settings. When I launch Kodi, I get the Kodi splash for a moment and then I’m occurred back out to the launcher. I did a clean install of Kodi and was able to get it to start just fine, but when I close it and move my advancedsettings.xml file in and try to start again, it kicks me back out. The advancedsettings.xml has nothing special in it.
It’s exactly as shown in the xbmc wiki page on setting up a shared library except with my servers IP. Help?
My FireTV Stick is running 54.1.0.0 and I have XBMC 13.2 on it. Is it safe to update to the newest Amazon firmware? Can I install Kodi without any probems?
Yes, it’s safe. Amazon has not blocked sideloading or XBMC/Kodi on any software versions.
I woke up this morning, started my amazon fire tv and noticed that all my side loaded apps were removed. The box started over by to stock as if they zapped my box, dunno how to put everything back, wondering if there was a new update, anyone please help me?
David it sounds like you may have been rooted and did not have updates blocked? You might have to reinstall and you most likely lost root whene the FTV updated.
I installed the Total Commander Android version and the LAN App. When Loaded, It can connect to your windows PC using file sharing. It has built-in editor. The most useful feature is a list of installed applications. When You click on an app in the list, it displays the same window that the FireTV settings displays. So, the Total Commander makes a great app launcher.
I can connect to my device and adb is working fine but it keeps resarting the download process once I install apk please help how do I fix I also have blue cards installed so it keeps going to that app
Can you have the firetv stick direct boot to kodi 14.1?
Thanks
any need to backup settings or library?
I bought a preconfigured fire tv which launches into xbmc directly, considering kodi 14.0 will import gotham 13.2 settings but leave an empty shell xbmc 13.2. Am I correct in assuming I will need to configure my fire tv to launch into kodi? Also I haven’t read guides on how to set this, but the configuration I have has xbmc set When I press the home button on the remote it goes to xbmc after about 15 sec on the fire TV screen. Does that need to be set separately to the auto launch of xbmc?
Thanks Joe
For those who have upgraded from TVMC (13.2) to Kodi (especially on a Fire TV Stick), have you noticed any significant improvements — like speed, x265 playback, bug fixes & other cool new features ??
Was it worth the hassle….?