Kodi on Fire TV

The TVheadend server needs a client to capture over-the-air TV and send that to your TV via an HDMI cable.

Note: TVheadend allows multiple streams and provides Personal Video Recording (PVR) or Digital Video Recording (DVR) capability and is only limited by the size of you rhard drive. It is free. There are no monthly fees.

Roku has a propreitary solution that does not work with TVheadend. Some of the proprietary solutions require monthly fees. So, I was using Roku with a separate Raspberry Pi as the TVheadend client. My family had to be trained to switch back and forth between the two devices. Roku was a good choice for the time, but now it is a poor choice.

Kodi has two open solutions that work with TVheadend: Kodi and Dream Player. With Fire TV, there is no need to have Raspberry Pi running Kodi. Fire TV can run Kodi or it can run Dream Player. I am not sure which is best. Dream Player is very cool and very easy to install.

Fire TV only requires only one HDMI connection. A Roku solution requires a TV to have two HDMI connections.

This page provides directions for adding Kodi to Fire TV. It assumes the TVheadend server is up and running

Step 1. Enable ability to install unknown apps

• • Turn on Fire TV

  • Go to Home

  • Go to Settings

  • Scroll over and select My Fire TV

  • Click on Developer Options

  • Select Install unknown apps

  • Click OK

Step 2. Install Downloader

• • Go to Home

  • Select Search Icon

  • Type in Downloader

  • Get the app and wait for download to finish

Step 3. Install Kodi

• • Downloader app

  • Click Allow

  • Click OK

  • Enter http://www.kodi.tv/download

  • Click OK

  • Scroll down to android, use circle to select android

  • And then select 32-bit

    • • Note: As of 09FEB2020, Fire TV has a 64-bit CPU, but the OS is 32-bit. So, the 32-bit version of Kodi must be used

  • Install

Step 4. Add TVheadend PVR Client to Kodi

• • Home, then go to Your Apps

  • Open Kodi

  • Click on settings icon (the gear)

  • Select Add-ons

  • Install from repository

  • PVR Clients

  • Tvheadend HTSP Client

  • Install

  • Back

Step 5. Configure TVheadend PVR Client to connect to TVheadend Server

• • Go to Add-ons

  • My add-ons

  • PVR and Live TV (or PVR Clients)

  • Select Tvheadend HTSP Client

  • Configure

  • Enter hostname, user name and password for tvheadend server

  • OK

  • OK to restart

Step 6. Restart Fire TV

• • Settings

  • My Fire TV

  • Restart

  • Restart

Step 7. [Optional] Change Kodi Skin

• • Home

  • Kodi

  • Setttings

  • Interface

  • Xperience1080

  • Yes

  • back a few times

  • Yes, you would like to use this skin

  • Down and install XKCD