Kodi users are getting some new features and an updated look to their TVs, but it’s not all good news as some addons may be affected by the changes. The popular player just announced the release of its new 19.0 “Matrix” upgrade, which offers improved playback for music fans and better video quality on platforms like Windows 10 and Android. Kodi also introduced a new look and feel with some subtle changes that aim to improve the overall user experience a bit.
Security has also been improved as Kodi tries to protect its users from “intentional or unintentional” problems.
About the update, Kodi said, “Yes, it’s here! After several iterations of Alpha, Beta, and RC, Team Kodi is pleased to announce that Kodi 19.0” Matrix “has just officially released on all supported platforms.”
A full list of the new features can be found on the Kodi website. However, the team behind the update has determined that some addons may stop working when users upgrade to Matrix 19.0.
In a message on his blog post, Kodi warned: “We have finally made the switch to Python 3 and ported our addons. Much of the community has come with us, so hopefully your favorite addons will continue to work, but we are at the mercy of third parties. to update their work. “
Using players like Kodi remains a gray area. It is perfectly legal to download this software in the UK, however there are clear warnings regarding the use of this player in homes.
Via the open source platform and the ability to install addons, users can easily find and stream premium content like sports and movies without paying for it, which is clearly illegal.
Late last year, UK authorities warned consumers who had illegally accessed shows.
The warning came from the Cyber Crime Unit at the Lancashire Constabulary. Around 7,000 people were believed to have been on the list to have received notifications from the police. The warning letters alerted households to the possibility of up to five years in prison if anything inconvenient is found while monitoring their streaming activity.
“These notices are a direct and alarming wake-up call for people using illegal streams,” warned Kieron Sharp, CEO of Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT). “If you use illegal streaming services, you are responsible for your actions and will be prosecuted. This is not a gray area and not worth the risk.”
For the past few years, Kodi has tried to distance itself from this online activity.
In a post on his blog titled “In Defense of Our Good Name”, the TV player said: “We do not support media piracy, we support the best possible media player for everyone and offer a media center, not” Free TV and films. “
“One of the key points is that while Team Kodi makes media center software, we don’t actually provide media,” Kodi added.
“We don’t make films, TV channels, or programs, and we don’t make them available directly as part of the software package we sell.
“Likewise, we don’t produce hardware – there isn’t a ‘Kodi Box’ that comes with us. This is an important fact as there are many third party hardware vendors that supply such boxes that are either pre-installed on them or on the Kodi it can be loaded by the end user. “
