Amazon Fire TV - KODI is TOPS, VLC is BROKEN (latest update)

Hi there

If you have the amazon fire stick or the TV box sideload KODI - simple to do it and can be done from your phone as the amazon devices are android.

An advantage also is that KODI can play DVD iso files from HDD iso images directly - the handset also handles menu's etc and nothing is mounted on the remote computer.

VLC was my favourite until the amazon update - it's BROKEN now - there's no method any more of browsing to choose external subtitles. Kodi works PERFECTLY and even plays things like .mts directly - stuff I've saved to HDD from a SKY Q box via video capture device) and also any sort of audio.

If you use VLC on your amazon device and you like subtitles DO NOT UPDATE !!!! or switch to Kodi.

If buying a new smart TV I'd suggest buying a model that uses Android so you can sideload apps without needing an amazon firestick -- SAMSUNG smart TV's have their own OS so it's not possible to install anything on those unfortunately.

SONY works fine as does any TV using Android.

The newer LG and Samsung models have their own OS unfortunately so you will have to use a device like Amazon fire TV / stick if you want to run Kodi.

Kodi BTW avoids all sorts of transcoding compared with say PLEX. Plex though is supported directly on a few Smart TV platforms.

Cheers
jimbo

Hi there
@CountMike

Install Kodi V17.1 (Krypton) on your PHONE first --then simply install to Amazon Fire TV / stick via Apps2Fire application on the phone -- it will install on the Firestick over the network.

I'm not sure what Kodi version you are running but mine works 100% beautifully on the Firestick. Picks up media from TWO remote servers I have with no probs whatsoever.

Cheers
jimbo

Hi there

@CountMike

I don't know anything about the PC app as I rarely watch multi-media on a PC but usually at a smart TV. So I was concerned only with the Android version.

For a PC VLC probably still is the best though.

A nice thing about the android app is that you don't need the remote PC's to start any servers so long as the file shares are available (I'm using SAMBA on the computers).

How to Sideload Android Apps onto Your Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick

Cheers
jimbo