Kodi’s apps and software work exactly as it is designed to. But Kodi has a problem. Despite the efforts of the XBMC Foundation, the people officially behind the media center, the program is still perceived as a tool for copyright pirates. Even more problematic is the bevy of Piracy advocates who make money by promoting piracy keep speaking for what they perceive as “The Kodi community”. This and the constant references to “Kodi boxes” by reporters when talking about piracy has severely tainted the name and branding of the software. People have pointed out that Plex is super similar in its functionality yet avoids the scorn of the media. What can be done about it?
Become Easier to Use
Kodi’s creators are proud of Kodi’s legacy as a system that allows users to organize their already burned media into an easy to use interface. But that functionality is still much more the area of the
techies who thought it up in the first place back when it started as XBMC on the Xbox. Kodi would do very well to have a more turnkey system for setting up a media center. It should provide the software needed to rip a DVD via its website. Or build something into the program itelf. It should have information about the kind of hardware needed to set up a server. While a techie can read something like the Kodi Wiki and jump in, a regular non-techie that just wants to clear up space taken up by DVD’s or Blu-rays cannot.
Kodi does not sell anything. But if the XBMC foundation were to develop a software that made it easy to catalog material and provide a parts list like Disk burner/ripper or NAS suggestion list or something of that nature it would be so much easier for new users to get started.
Build In More Cross-Platform Functionality
While Kodi was not originally built for Android, it has become an asset on Android devices. Originally built for Xbox and later ported for Windows the program can be used to make any device into a functional streaming device by allowing a user to access the media apps built into a given platform. But it seems that Android users have the most fun. Why? Kodi can easily be set up to access Android apps. This is true whether we are talking about Android TV or the phone and tablet-based system. An Android device with Kodi can be reimagined in any way a user chooses to depending on their ability to add and remove skins or even make their own.
But install Kodi on to a Windows or Mac computer or on to the Xbox and all there is no easy way to access the numerous video or audio apps. Yes it still allows users to access their media, provided they have set it all up correctly, which I already addressed earlier, but can you get to Netflix on a Windows 10 machine? Not easily. How about all of the apps and games on an Xbox? No. An Xbox user should be able to install Kodi and set up the ultimate video game and TV OS but instead, they are still saddled with the standard menus. What if a Kodi user could create a favorites list for games on their Kodi home screen, have a row of saved media from a storage system, access Hulu and do it all on a homepage that they get to theme themselves. Wouldn’t that be nice? What if you could build a Media Center PC and run it all through Kodi without it being complicated. Want a browser right click and add a shortcut. Users should be able to access all of the video apps from the
windows store.
Jump to more platforms
Kodi can be used on PC’s Mac, Android, and variations of Linux. Kodi should be on far more platforms. Blu-ray players would be the most obvious place for the media server. Kodi is available from Android TV devices via the Google Play Store. That includes TV’s with the Android TV OS built in. Kodi would do well to develop for other TV platforms like LG’s Web OS. In order for this to be worth the time there have to be agreements in place.
Create More Legit TV Apps
There are so many websites that could be converted into apps. Both video and music apps do very well on Kodi. Need any clues just look at the mainstream streaming devices out there. Kodi has always offered a number of apps. Even outside of the big names there are a lot of possibilities. There are tons of legit websites begging to be made into new apps. Plus there are a number of really great apps that could be ported. Kodi could be a bridge to apps that are not available on one platform or another as long as there is a Kodi app for what you own.
Invite people to enjoy it and it will shed its reputation
Kodi’s creators are talented. But I think that sometimes they, like many talented programmers get caught up in the syntax of programming language and certain functionality without thinking of how consumers use the product, but what it could be. Kodi could become a universal entertainment interface.
The pirates will play their games. Just like they do via browsers and bit torrents. The film industry is taking care of that. But while the argument that Kodi is no more responsible for piracy than Google Chrome is correct. It will stand up far better if millions of new users embrace the platform for reasons other than illicit content. Chrome allows you to check email, get maps and directions, utilize all of your social media and more. If Kodi becomes as consumer friendly as Chrome and other programs it will shed it reputation and be embraced in a new way.
