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I have just upgraded my Television to the latest Samsung, via my laptop I watch a few hours of sky golf / cricket and rugby via cricfree tv.

I have been told to get a Stick and load it with Kodi to get sky when I ask for details its all a bit vague.

Do we have member who can point me in the right direction.
I have spent money on the tv so I'm not looking for the cheapest solution I want it to be right.

Thank you

Best guides are here:

https://seo-michael.co.uk/

You'll be disappointed though if you're trying to watch live sport by it - Kodi is now really popular and there are too many people online trying to watch the sport, so it buffers and stops.

A slight word of warning ....

Firesticks can overheat, because of this they have a temperature sensor inside which slows/stops the stick to avoid it getting far too hot. With the standard software this puts a message on the screen saying what is happening.

In a device like that I would be concerned about loading third party software that may have interfered with the temperature safety feature.

We have a firestick here which overheats, Amazon are currently refusing to replace it because it is outside of their warranty, I may get round to ramming the sales of goods act (consumer rights act) down their throat some day.

For Kodi this is one of the better boxes.
2016 MX Pro Quad Core Android 5.1 Smart TV Box
for sale on a well known site from about £25 comes pre-loaded.there are loads of videos on line about Kodi
Alan

You can also get a dedicated box something like an mx a little bit dearer than a fire stick, I have both and the mx is far better and comes loaded with most programmes, if you get the fire stick you must load it yourself,I only use the firestick as a secondary device, bedroom or other room in case there is a dispute over what to view, go online and look for MX8 box and you will get an idea of what they are about and the cost, I am sure you can purchase them locally if you don't wish to use the net, hope this helps

Another - and better idea - would be to give up watching the overhyped howlingly crap entertainment that constitutes televised sport entirely, resist your couch potato instincts and find something more interesting to do.

run kodi on your pc/laptop first see if you like it, once you download it watch this video on setting up step by step with the best repos [youtube]NyJxhNM7N9U[/youtube] hope this helps

Hahaha, you never fail to make me laugh Ex

Regarding firestick, MX boxes or whatever you decide to use for Kodi, live sports are the hardest to view so gibbo's post is very true. Also the link to seo.michael has the best guides around, bar none
For films and TV it is great but sport is very sketchy and unreliable at times (not always mind you) which can be very frustrating
Also it is illegal to view 'paid for, tv' Ah well

Each to his own, I don't watch sport either, but its entertainment for those that do, which is their choice, and I think it is a bit highhanded of you to dismiss an individuals choice of programme or the way they spend their leisure time.

Exoriator your opinion of my viewing habits was neither asked for or required, had you read the post correctly it states a "Few hours".

Thank you to everyone else for your help I think I will stick with cricfree tv, as I'm unsure why the price of the MX box varies between £40 to £80 for what looks like the same unit.
At the end of the day as I said I only need it for a few hours a week and the wife gets all her stuff on freeview.

My criticism was more of what televised sport has become than about your viewing habits, SaltyTom. My fury at the travesty it is now allowed me to lose sight of good manners, and I apologise.

At one time taking part in the Olympics was more important than winning. These days the Beeb is more concerned with the medal count than anything else and actually runs a medal tracker page!

Bah!

Ex agree re Olympics,accepted, I would like to think golf rugby and cricket have maintained honestly and integrity to a degree, sadly all lost from BBC.

Sportsmania subscription, £26 for 6 months, can use it across platforms (Kodi add on, web browser, iOS and Android apps), highly recommend it for sports.

I'm watching this thread with great interest because I've been thinking of buying a firestick for some time. I'm not a great sports fan but do love my music. So would appreciate any thoughts on wether it would be worth it to me, are there music channels available? Cheers folks.

Plenty of music add ons in Kodi Dilly yes. If you have an Amazon Prime account there is Amazon Music also.

Cheers Tedmus.

Sorry to butt in, but I am also thinking of getting a new box for viewing new shows. On the android box mentioned, what type of shows do you get on it? Do you get drama/boxsets/film/history etc loaded onto to the box? I am just starting my research into android boxes and know nothing about them. I can't find anything about the actual tv shows you get. And are the shows you get a mixture of previously shown ones (that may have been shown on freeview for eg), as well as more up to date shows/films?

Thanks.

On Exodus add on you can get pretty much anything. UK Turk has a lot of classic stuff on there as well. Don't bother buying pre loaded, they'll be full of rubbish and half the add ons wont work, just buy one with a fresh Kodi install and install whatever add ons you want yourself.

Right ok, thanks. I was looking at this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272333664115

THIS ONE IS THE BEAST
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beelink-GT1-TV-Box-Amlogic-Octa-Core-Android-Dual-WiFi-Bluetooth-2G-16G-UK-Plug-/282157184641?hash=item41b1e0f681:g:EXAAAOSwgmJXx~KH

Thanks! Will have a look at this one.

Slightly cheaper on Gearbest, I've bought from there myself, around 10 days total for delivery

http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_428523.html

I have this one which is great for the price

http://www.gearbest.com/tv-box-mini-pc/pp_366028.html?wid=21

Kodi itself is just an app and nothing to do with the box/stick you buy
People sell the boxes pre-loaded with kodi for a premium
I would do as eddtheduck suggested and try it on your PC/Laptop first to see if you like it first before buying anything
Personally, I started using it about 8 years ago on an Apple TV1 box and it has come on leaps and bounds since then (Kodi was previously called XBMC)
For music and TV it is the best thing since sliced bread and you can watch/listen to almost anything you want on it.....Yes, almost anything
Yes, sports-wise it can be frustrating at times but adequate (I watched Kell Brook and Everton on it recently)
https://kodi.tv/download/

Thanks for the advice and help. Sorry for hijacking this post. I will see if I like it first on the laptop.

Hey gep, you are not hijacking the post, you are adding to it which is always welcome

Thanks mikeeb!

I have some catching up to do to get acquainted with Kodi. I have downloaded it and I'm jsut exploring it atm. People much more experienced than me will just get on it and watch!

It takes a bit of getting used to gep
The best app is phoenix
Type install phoenix kodi into Google and follow the link to seo.michael
As I said it takes bit of getting used to but it is worth it

Seo Michael site is a great resource.

If you're using a PC with Windows then you can already try it and experiment before buying a stick or box:

https://kodi.tv/download/

The best addon for TVs and movies I've found is Exodus:

https://seo-michael.co.uk/how-to-install-exodus-for-kodi/

There's plenty of demos of what it looks like on Youtube:

https://youtu.be/byOaDg3yTQQ?t=1m47s

Thanks. It looks complicated though.

as I said it takes a bit of getting used to installing what apps you want but it is worth it in the end

If you get one just PM me with your email address & I can send you all the step by step guides or videos. I use the Paradox build myself which has all the addons collated together so you don't have to do it yourself & everything is easy to find. [Also has some great music addons].
I prefer the boxes to a Firestick & you want one with 2gb rom/16gb ram.
The Beelink ones are decent & I also bought mine off Gearbest.

If you get an android box you might want to look at installing SPMC instead of Kodi, exactly the same in all respects but optimised for android devices so runs better.

https://github.com/koying/SPMC/releases/tag/16.4.2-spmc

Thanks very much Raven61 - I'm doing my research at the moment, and getting to grips with it all.

Thanks very much also to mikeeb and tedmus - I will let the advice 'sink in' and have a good look at what's available.

All your advice is much appreciated. I am looking forward to getting a box, and having more tv to choose from!

Not a problem gep
Ravens generous offer is one you should take up if you get stuck
The interface is exactly the same across all platforms (android/windows/apple)
Stick with your PC for now because you already have it
When you are comfortable with the interface then decide if you want to fork out for a box or firestick
I watch full box sets at once
Person of interest is one of my favs
Happy viewing

Yes, a very generous offer made by Raven61. As always, the help and advice on here is generous and great.

Sorry again for butting in on this post - I had been looking at the boxes/firesticks when the I read the post and thought it was a strange coincidence that saltytom had posted about the subject.

I have downloaded kodi and I am now exploring it.

Thanks again for the help and advice offered.

Yep brilliant for box sets mikeeb, just started watching Narcos series 2, and am watching Ray Donovan series 4.

Real Debrid - £13 for 6 months. Get it configured with URL Resolver and Exodus and it will bump all the best quality links up in your searches. Works with SALTS too.