A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

The latest Kodi 14 Helix (was XBMC) is a great media center software. However, like many other open source projects, it is driven by a very technical community, and it is not necessarily user-friendly enough for the average person to use and customize. I have spent countless hours crawling all the forums and websites, trying to get the live TV setup, premium online content, automatic light control, and all the other settings right. In this eBook guide, I will walk you through the relevant customization tips and tricks I have used with my own HTPC system to take the new Kodi 14 Helix installation to the next level. If you are not sure how to get started with your Kodi installation, you can follow these steps to make your Kodi Entertainment Center more stunning looking and user-friendly. Good luck with your HTPC project, Tuukka Komssi (Author at mymediaexperience.com)

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Table of Contents Configure Basic Kodi Settings • Disable RSS Feed • Change Language and Timezone • Configure Weather Settings • Enable Audio If It Is Not Working

Configure Media Sharing Options • Set Up a Media Library • Enable AirPlay • Change Media Library Views • Create Custom Playlists And Filters • Show Movies as Collections

Install Must Have Music, Video and Photo Add-ons • Install YouTube Add-on • Install Spotimc (Spotify Music) Add-on • Install PseudoTV Live Add-on • Install Multi Slideshow Screensaver Add-on • Install XBMC Hue Ambilight Add-on

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Enable PVR Support and Premium Online Channels • Enable PVR Support (Watch Live TV) • Add PlayOn Media Server as an UPnP Share

Make Kodi Look More Beautiful • Install Mimic Skin • Customize Mimic Skin Main Menu

Stream Content from Media Servers • Install Plexbmc (Plex Media Server) Add-on • Install MediaBrowser Add-on

Play Games • Install Steam Launcher Add-on

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Disable RSS Feed

In the Kodi main menu, go to System > Settings. Select the Appearance tab to configure appearance settings. In the skin tab, scroll down and disable show RSS news feed. Now, go back to the main menu by pressing the back key on the remote control or ESC-key on the keyboard. 5

A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Change Language and Timezone

Go to System > Settings > Appearance. Select the second tab called International. Select Language to change it and then select Region. Select the suitable region from the list. Now, your system clock will show the correct time.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Configure Weather Settings

Go to System > Settings > Weather. Select “Service for Weather Information”. Select “Get More…” Select “Yahoo! Weather” add-on.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Select “Install”. After installation is completed, go back to System > Settings > General > Service for weather information and select “Yahoo! Weather” from the list. Next, in the General tab, select “Settings”. In the location setup, choose the Location 1 and enter the name of the nearest town. Press “OK”, once you have located your city.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Enable Audio If It Is Not Working

Go to System > Settings > System > Audio output. Set the Audio output device to the output you are using.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Set Up a Media Library

Go to videos in the home screen menu and select “Files”. Select “Add Videos” and “Browse” in the add video source. Browse to the folder where your media files are stored. Rename the media source, if needed, and select “OK”.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

In the set content window, you can set the type of media. Kodi will automatically scrape the movie, TV show, or music information after you have set up the media content. If your movies are located in separate folders, enable “Movies are in separate folders that match the movie title”. Confirm Yes in the Change content question. Now, you can go back to main menu where you will find a new “Movies” menu with your recently added movies.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Enable AirPlay

First, go to the “Services” tab under the “System” menu. Then, navigate to the “Zeroconf” settings menu and enable “Announce these services to other systems” via zeroconf. Next, go to Airplay and enable the “Allow Kodi to receive AirPlay content”.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Change Media Library Views

Go to movie, music, or photo library. Open the panel by pressing the left key to view options. Click “View” to change the view to thumbnail, poster, fanart, and many other ways your media will be presented. You can also change the way media is sorted by changing the “Sort by” option.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Create Custom Playlists and Filters

Select videos and go back to root folder by clicking the “..”. Select “Playlists”. Select “New smart playlist…” Select the type of the media, for example movie, and enter a title for the smart playlist, such as, “Kids Videos”.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Click “New rule…” and set the criteria for the filter. For example, I selected all movies where genre is equal to animation. Select “OK” to save your new smart playlist. Now you can see your new playlist in the file browser. Here is an example of how my Kids Videos playlist looks like.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Show Movies as Collections

Go to System > Settings > Video > Library. Enable “Group movies in sets”. Go back to your movie library, and you will find that all sequels have been grouped as collections.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Install YouTube Add-on

Go to “System > Add-ons. Go to “Get Add-ons > Kodi Add-on repository > Video Addons” to, for example, add YouTube add-ons. Click on the add-on and select install to download it. You can go back to videos menu, and you will find the new YouTube add-on under the Video Add-ons folder.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Install Spotimc (Spotify Music) Add-on

Go to “System > Add-ons. Select “Install from zip file”. Browse the folder where you have stored the downloaded file. Select the zip file, and Kodi will automatically install Spotimc. You can go back to music menu, and you will find the new Spotimc add-on under the Music Add-ons folder.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Install PseudoTV Live Add-on

Go to “System > Add-ons and select “Install from zip file”. Select zip file, and Kodi will automatically install PseudoTV. Go back to Programs menu and launch the PseudoTV. PseudoTV for to first time will prepopulate the EPG. Customize the settings and categories by pressing the C-key on in the Programs menu and selecting Add-on settings.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Install Multi Slideshow Screensaver

Go to System > Appearance > Screensaver > Screensaver mode. Select “Get more…” and Multi Slideshow Screensaver. Go back to System > Appearance > Screensaver and select Screensaver mode. Enable Multi Slideshow Screensaver. Below the Screensaver mode, select “Settings”. Change mode to AppleTVLike and set the Image Source. Now, you can test the screensaver by selecting the Preview. 20

A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Install XBMC Hue Ambilight Add-on

Download the XBMC add-on script.module.requests add-on. In Kodi, go to System > Add-ons > Install from zip file. Download XBMC Hue Ambilight add-on. Go to System > Add-ons > Install from zip file. Restart Kodi and go to System > Add-ons > Enabled add-ons -> Services -> XBMC Philips Hue. Select “Click me for automatic configuration”. Save configuration by selecting the OK button.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Enable PVR Support (Watch Live TV)

Go to the System from the main menu. Select “Live TV” and click “Enabled” on the right-hand side of the screen. You will be prompted with a list of PVR clients. Choose Tvheadend HTSP client, if you have a Linux-based back-end or DVBLink PVR Client if you are using Windows back-end. Select “Configure” and change the IP address according to your back-end’s IP address. Now, Kodi should start importing the EPG from the client.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Add PlayOn Media Server as an UPnP Share

In Kodi, go to Videos menu and Add new Video source. In the Video source settings, browse for the media locations. Select UPnP Devices and then “PlayOn” (your computer name) and then select “OK”. Go to “Videos > Files > PlayOn (your computer name)” and start browsing through the list of media services.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Install Mimic Skin

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Go to System > Appearance. In the Skin tab, click “Skin” which shows Confluence. Click “Get More…” to show the list of all available skins. Select “Mimic” skin from the list. Select “Install” to start downloading the skin. Click “Yes” to change to the new skin once prompted.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Customize Mimic Skin Main Menu

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

First, let’s add Spotimc add-on as a favourite. Go to Music > Music Add-ons and press the C-key to show the context menu. Select “Add to favourites”. Go to System > Appearance > Skin – Settings > Setup the main menu and select the “Custom1″ menu item. Select “Default selection action” and choose “Spotimc” add-on from the favourite section. You can then edit the label e.g. to Spotify if you want. Next, let’s modify the background for the Spotify menu item. Select “Set item background” and then “Set single image background”. Now, locate the preferred image from your computer. Go back to main menu, and the new Spotify menu item has been added with a custom background.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Install Plexbmc (Plex Media Server) Add-on (does not work on Kodi 14 Helix, but works on XBMC 13 Gotham)

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Go to Settings > XBMC > Add-ons. Select “Install from zip file” and locate the file “repository.plexbmc.addons-3.0.0.zip”. Now, select Get Add-ons > Plexbmc add-ons for XBMC > Video Add-ons > Plexbmc. Select “Install” to download and install Plexbmc. To change the Plexbmc settings, go to Settings > XBMC > Plexbmc settings. You can change the settings such as selecting server or changing playback quality settings. Remember to add the myplex user name and password. Now, you can go to Plex from the main menu under the Settings.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Install XBMB3C (MediaBrowser 3) Add-on

Download the MediaBrowser add-on. To install this add-on select “Install from zip file” and locate “MediaBrowser.Kodimaster.zip”. Select “Install”. Once installation is completed, you can go to Videos > Video Add-ons > MediaBrowser to browse your movies.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Install Steam Launcher Add-on

In Kodi, go to System > Add-ons > Install from ZIP file and install script.steam.launcher-3.1.1.zip Go back to home menu and select the Programs (Apps in Mimic skin) menu. Press the C-key over Steam to enter addon settings in the context menu. Set the Kodi and Steam location under Windows. Save Steam Launcher settings. Now, you are ready to launch Steam for the first time.

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A GUIDE TO CUSTOMIZING KODI 14 HELIX

Can You Help Me? I created this eBook because I saw many HTPC builders and technology enthusiasts wanting to know how they could enhance their Kodi (XBMC) experience, and I wanted to provide them with examples on how I have set up my Kodi system. I’m giving away this digital eBook for free. I just want to get this content out to the people who need it. So I’m asking for a small favor: can you help me spread the word? You could tell your friends about this eBook or you could use the links below to tweet, like and share the eBook to your networks. I know I can count on you. Thank you in advance for your help, and being part of My Media Experience.

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