Access media on devices
Let’s connect some devices to your shiny new media server.
Now your Kodi media server is up and running, you’re in a position to start enjoying your content anywhere in your home. Now all you need to do is find out how to get all the various devices – your other computers and laptops, smartphones, smart TVs and set-top boxes – talking to Kodi. We’ve got all the major bases covered, so read on to find out how to watch Arrested Development episodes on any device.
Other desktops and laptops The obvious way to access your media server’s library on another desktop or laptop is to simply install Kodi on that computer. Once done, open it up and select Videos > Files > Add Videos and Click Browse and select UPnP Devices. Select the Kodi server entry and click OK to add the entire library as a single source. You can then browse and access your media as if you were sat at the server itself – simply select the server from the list of available folders. Kodi can also access your PlexMediaServer content too – we recommend installing the PleXBMC add-on for the best experience.
Raspberry Pi The popular tiny board is a versatile device at the best of times, so we’d suggest using one as a dedicated media centre underneath one of your TVs. Accessing your Kodi media collection is simple thanks to Raspbmc, which you can install to a SD card in Linux following the very helpful guides at www.raspmbc.org. Once done, pop the SD card into your Pi and boot from it to access and enjoy your media.
Android phones and tablets You’ll find a wide range of UPnP-compatible media players for Android, but if you want to access your media outside of your home network and need transcoding capabilities, you will need to have installed BubbleUPnP (see p36). Another option is to take your media with you – the VidOnPlayer app is free ( http://bit.ly/ VidOnPlayer), plays a wide range of media and even enables you to download content to your mobile for watching offline while you’re away.
Another alternative, if your phone or tablet has enough grunt, is to install the official XBMC forAndroid app – this isn’t the XBMCRemote you’ll find on the App Store, but a full port of XBMC itself, accessible via your Android mobile and practically identical in looks and functionality to the desktop version.
To get XBMCforAndroid, first verify Android is set to enable third-party installations – tap Settings followed by Security and scroll down to tick Unknown sources under Device Administrators. Then open your browser and go to http://kodi.tv/download before downloading the correct version for your device (which will be the ARM one in all but a handful of cases). It’s a hefty download, so be patient, then simply tap the downloaded file and follow the prompts to install it.
From here, simply follow the same instructions as for Kodi on the desktop to add your server as a media source. Note: it can be significantly slower for servers to appear than when using Kodi on a laptop or desktop, so be patient. Also be prepared for streaming issues when sending large files – such as high-definition movies – over your wireless network.
Apple iPhone and iPad There’s no XBMC/ Kodi port for Apple devices, which means you’re forced to look at a third-party media player for your needs. MediaLinkPlayerLite