Unlock the Power of Kodi: Enjoy Live TV Anywhere You Go

Hey there! Are you ready to dive into the exciting world of live TV streaming on Kodi? Well, you’re in luck because I’m here to guide you through the process step by step. With Kodi as your trusty companion, you can unleash a whole new level of entertainment, right at your fingertips!

Now, you might be wondering, “What exactly is Kodi?” Good question! Kodi is a versatile media player that can transform any device into a powerful entertainment hub. From movies and TV shows to music and photos, Kodi has got you covered. But today, we’re focusing on something extra special – live TV!

With Kodi, you won’t miss a beat when it comes to your favorite live TV channels. Whether it’s sports, news, or your go-to sitcom, Kodi has a wide range of addons that will satisfy all your viewing cravings. And the best part? It’s all conveniently accessible in one place, making channel hopping a breeze!

Ready to embark on this streaming adventure? Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Set Up Kodi

The first thing you’ll want to do is download and install Kodi on your device. Don’t worry; it’s a straightforward process, and before you know it, you’ll be ready to take your TV experience to the next level. Simply go to the official Kodi website, choose the correct version for your device, and follow the instructions. Easy peasy!

Step 2: Get the Right Addons

Now that you have Kodi installed, it’s time to supercharge it with some addons. These addons are like little extras that enhance Kodi’s capabilities. To access live TV channels, you’ll need to find and install the right addons that offer the programming you desire.

There are plenty of addons to choose from, so you’re bound to find something that matches your taste. Whether you’re a sports fanatic or a reality TV junkie, there’s an addon out there just for you. Feel free to explore and experiment until you find the perfect combination!

Step 3: Find Your Favorite Channels

Alright, now that you have your addons, it’s time to dive into the world of live TV. Launch Kodi and head over to the addons section. Here, you’ll find a treasure trove of channels just waiting to be discovered. With a simple click, you can access live sports events, breaking news updates, or immerse yourself in the latest episodes of your favorite shows.

Step 4: Sit Back, Relax, and Enjoy the Show

Now that you’re all set up, it’s time to kick back, relax, and let the entertainment unfold. With Kodi as your trusty sidekick, you’ll never miss a moment. Enjoy the freedom of watching live TV wherever you go – whether it’s in the comfort of your living room or while on the go.

Remember, Kodi is your gateway to an endless world of live TV streaming. So gather your snacks, get comfy, and let the binge-watching begin!

I know without a doubt that cord cutting is now the norm. Technology is advancing quickly and internet speeds are increasing all across the country. This means that you can completely get rid of your cable or satellite provider and instead rely on the internet or a combination of on-demand internet access and an antenna to watch your local news and entertainment for free in high definition. It’s never been easier to leave your cable provider behind. For the same price as your cable bill, you can sign up for Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, and Amazon Prime to have access to all your favorite movies, original TV shows, and exclusive content to stream for free, without needing local channels.

However, there are a few things that a la carte television programming can’t replace, and one of the most important is live television events. While you can catch up on shows like ‘The Good Place’ or ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ on Hulu the next day, there are yearly or even weekly events that can only be watched live. Whether you want to watch the Superbowl, the Oscars, the Emmys, or simply see your favorite sports team play each week, you might find yourself missing your cable subscription. But at $60 or more per month, it may not be worth it to sign back up just for the content you’ll receive. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon can take care of most of your entertainment needs, but when it comes to watching shows live, it’s hard to find a good middle ground. While antennas are affordable and provide free over-the-air access, not everyone lives close enough to a city to get a strong signal—and bad weather can easily interrupt your service.

So what can you do as a cord cutter when cable TV is too expensive and using an antenna is too inconvenient? Luckily, one of our favorite media streaming platforms might be able to help. Kodi is a free, open-source program that lets you add different sources and repositories to your device, making it easy to stream your favorite TV shows and movies from both your local network and the internet. Kodi is a powerful program, so it’s no surprise that we can also use it to stream live television from various providers to your computer, Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, or almost any other device designed to run apps and stream content from the web. Setting up Kodi to stream television takes a few steps, and you have options for which live TV provider you want to use. Let’s get started with this guide on Kodi streaming and how to set up your own live television service.

Kodi: A Starter’s Guide

If you’re reading this guide, chances are you’re already somewhat familiar with Kodi. But if you’re new to it, let me fill you in. Kodi is one of the internet’s favorite open-source media players. It was originally launched over fifteen years ago as XBMC and now serves as both a media center and a home-theater PC client. With Kodi, you can stream and download your favorite content from anywhere in the world. The program has a fantastic, user-friendly interface with plenty of customizable options and appearances. And most importantly, for our purposes, it allows you to install and add applications from multiple external sources using software repositories.

If you’re still not sure if Kodi is the right platform for you, let me simplify it for you: Kodi lets you access all your favorite content, whether it’s from paid services like Netflix or other sources, all on one device. You can watch videos, listen to music, enjoy podcasts, and more, all directly from the internet. Plus, Kodi makes it easy to play media files from your personal storage and over your network, so you can stream content wirelessly that might not be approved by Amazon. With popular add-ons like Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube, you can easily replace your streaming box’s operating system with Kodi and stream content through it.

Now, let’s address the controversial topic: Yes, Kodi allows users to stream pirated content and TV shows. Although TechJunkie and I don’t support using Kodi for illegal content, it’s a feature that millions of people around the world use. However, it’s important to note that there are legal and illegal ways to stream television with Kodi, and you should be aware of the risks and only pay for feeds when necessary.

Moving on to streaming live TV with Kodi, there are a few things to consider. First, the legal aspect of it. While there are legal TV streams available online, streaming cable channels or other content behind paywalls can get you into legal trouble. Over-the-air channels fall into a gray area legally. These channels are free for anyone to watch, thanks to agreements with the government in exchange for broadcast licenses. Whether a streamed version of an OTA channel online is considered fair use or piracy is up for debate. In this guide, we’ll primarily focus on streaming over-the-air content from providers like NBC, CBS, and ABC. This will give you access to major events like the Superbowl or the Oscars, which is what most cord cutters want from online TV streaming. Here’s how you can do it.

One of our top recommendations for streaming live TV with Kodi is to download and install USTV Now. It’s a free and legal online TV streaming service originally designed for military personnel to watch content overseas. But anyone can use it, and it offers three different plans, including a free option for local channels. Here’s how it works: USTV Now is based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, so you won’t be able to access your local channels. If you want your city’s news, weather, and region-specific content, you’re out of luck unless you live in Harrisburg. Sports lineups on their channels also favor Pennsylvania-based teams. However, aside from those limitations, you can stream your favorite live events and TV shows with USTVNow Plus on Kodi.

Hey there! I’ve got the whole scoop on the free channels you can get with USTVNow:

With this free plan, you can enjoy high-definition streaming for 45 days. After that, it will switch to standard definition. You’ll also get a limited DVR function and access to movie rentals through USTVNow’s online store. If you want even more, USTVNow offers two paid options: one for $19 per month and another for $29 per month. The first paid plan gives you premium channels like Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Spike, and ESPN – a total of 28 channels – along with permanent HD streams. The second plan gives you unlimited DVR access. So if you’re willing to pay $20 a month for a taste of cable TV without all the local news and shows, USTVNow’s paid plans are a great middle ground between full cable and no service at all. Just keep in mind that you won’t have access to local channels from your area. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, USTVNow might not be the best fit.

If you want to install USTVNow with Kodi, you’ll need to start by heading over to their website and creating an account. Choose the plan that suits you from the three options mentioned earlier, and then enter your email in the signup field. You can also log in using Facebook or Google if you prefer. After entering your password, name, and location, hit continue. Check your email and click on the link that USTVNow sent you to verify your address – this will activate your account. USTVNow will let you know that their service is designed for people outside the United States who want to watch US-based TV. They specifically cater to people within the US who are either on active duty or traveling abroad. They’ll mention that as a viewer in the US, you won’t be able to use their site, but we’ll use Kodi to bypass that restriction.

The first thing we need to do is open Kodi on any of your devices: laptop, desktop, phone, or set-top box. It’s usually a simple process of using an executable file on your computer. However, if you want to install Kodi on your Amazon Fire TV or Apple TV, we have guides for that too. You can check them out here and here, respectively.

Once you have Kodi set up on your device, the next step is to install a new app repository. This will give you access to USTVNow. If you already have multiple repositories installed, take a look in your video add-ons folder. You might be surprised to find USTVNow in there.

For this task, we’ll be using the Fusion repo. It used to have a bad reputation due to piracy concerns and was shut down earlier in 2017. However, it has reopened along with its supported site, TVAddons. Now, Fusion offers legal and fairly standard add-ons for the platform. You can use them without worrying about getting into trouble. Despite its previous reputation, we believe Fusion is the best add-on for this job.

Next, let’s move on to installing the Fusion Repo.

Once you open Kodi, it’s time to make some changes. Grab your mouse, controller, or remote and head over to the left side of the menu. Look for the settings cog icon in the corner of your screen and click on it. This will bring up a list of settings for Kodi. Scroll down to the bottom of the list and select “File Browser.”

Inside the File Browser menu, you’ll find a few different options. One of them is “Add source.” This is what we need to choose in order to add a new URL source for Kodi. By doing this, we’ll give Kodi access to a whole new repository of content. But here’s the tricky part – we need to find the correct URL to add. There are many URLs for Fusion floating around on the internet, so it can be confusing to know which one to pick.

One thing to keep in mind is that Fusion has been shut down a few times, which means some URLs won’t work anymore. But don’t worry, I’ve got the correct URL for you. As of November 2017, the URL you need to enter is: “http://fusion.tvaddons.co”

When you’ve entered the URL into Kodi, click “OK” and scroll down to the bottom box to give the URL a name that you can remember easily. The Fusion Repo usually doesn’t provide a name, so type in whatever label you prefer (like “Fusion”) and click OK again. Once you’ve added the repo URL, you can go back to Kodi’s main menu by selecting or clicking on the menu names in the top-left corner to exit the current display.

Okay, here’s what you need to do next, depending on whether or not you’ve installed repositories from zip files before. If you have, you’ve probably already adjusted your Kodi settings to allow for installing content from “unknown sources,” so you’re good to go for the next step. If not, let’s dive into the Settings menu using the settings cog we pointed out earlier. Select “System Settings” and then choose “Add-ons” from the side menu. Now, move your cursor to the toggle that says “Unknown sources.” This will let you install content from sources like TVAddons and Fusion. Once you see a prompt on your screen, just confirm it and tap on the menu icon in the top-left corner to return to the main menu.

Alright, let’s get started. First, we need to go to the Add-ons menu on your display. You’ll find it on the left side of your screen, between Radio and Pictures. This is where you can install or uninstall add-ons and repos. We’re going to install a second repo called Smash onto your device. To do this, click on the box icon or choose “Add-on browser” in the middle of the page if you don’t have any add-ons yet.

Once you’re in the add-on browser, you’ll see five options. The fourth one says “Install from zip file.” Select that option to install Fusion from the URL you added earlier. Look for the name you gave Fusion on this list and select it.

Alright, you’re good to go. Fusion has been added to your list of add-ons, so now you can use it to easily install all sorts of repositories supplied by TVAddons. Plus, it comes with the convenient Indigo plugin that lets you customize and install add-ons on your device. Fusion has three main folders you can install from: Begin Here, Kodi Repos, and Kodi Scripts. Let’s start with “Begin Here” and get Indigo onto your platform. Once that’s done, move on to the Kodi Repos section, select “English,” and look for “repository.xbmchub-3.0.0.zip” to install the main Fusion repository. Once that’s all set up, you can exit the “Install from zip file” menu and click on “Install from repository.” Here, you’ll find the entire lineup of XBMC Hub content we just added in the last step. But guess what? You can also find more repositories in the “Zip file” menu. They’re all free to download and offer loads of exciting content for you to watch.

Setting up USTVNow

Once you’ve successfully installed the Fusion repository on your device, it’s time to get USTVNow from your add-on browser. Let’s start by going back to the main menu in Kodi. Use your cursor, arrow keys, or remote to select the Add-on menu from the list on the left side of the screen. Then, click on the open-box icon in the upper-left corner to access the Add-on browser. Here, you’ll find a range of options, including the ability to install add-ons from your repositories. Choose this option and scroll down to the video add-ons. The length of the list will depend on how many repositories you have installed on Kodi. At the bottom of the list, you’ll see the option for “USTVNow” as it is listed alphabetically. Click on the app and select the install option using your cursor or remote. USTVNow will now be downloaded onto your PC, console, or set-top box, and you’ll be able to open the app. You’ll also find the app in the Video category on your main display and within the Add-on category.

How to Use USTVNow in Kodi

When you open USTVNow on your computer, make sure you have your login information ready. You’ll need it to enter the prompts that Kodi provides. USTVNow will first ask if you’re using an Apple TV. Simply choose the option that applies to you, yes or no. Then, enter your email and password to join the website. Remember, even though you can skip this step, you won’t be able to access the live TV networks without logging in.

If you accidentally skip the login prompts, don’t worry. You can find the login option in the configuration menu located in your USTVNow settings. To access this, go to the Add-ons section of Kodi and right-click on the USTVNow icon. Here, you can also adjust the quality of your stream. It’s worth noting that after 45 days, the streaming settings automatically drop to low. By default, they’re set to “Medium.”

Once you’re in USTVNow, it’s pretty easy to use. They told us when we signed up that we needed to be outside the United States to watch, but that’s not the case when using the app in Kodi. You don’t need to use a VPN or any other tool to hide your IP address – we were able to watch all seven channels without any limits. You can find these channels in the Live folder, and you can even see what’s currently playing on each channel. When you choose a channel, it starts playing right away on your Kodi software. You can pause the stream if you want, and when you’re ready, you can skip ahead to the live stream. Just keep in mind that you can’t skip past the current live moment. We didn’t really notice a big difference between the actual time and the broadcast time of the stream, but your experience might be different. Some channels do seem to work better than others – for example, CBS had some issues with glitches and skipping, but we had no problems with ABC. If you want to stop the stream and go back to the regular video menu, just press the Stop button in the playback interface.

I’m going to talk to you about the TV Guide folder, which is the second option on the list. It’s really cool because it shows you what’s on every network at any given time. You can even hover over a program to get more info about it. You can also use it to set up recordings, but keep in mind that if you’re a free user, you’ll have limited DVR capabilities. Unfortunately, I couldn’t test the DVR and the USTVNow website didn’t give a lot of details about it. But hey, the Movies folder might interest you! You can rent movies just like you would with an On-Demand service from regular cable providers. And if you want to see your recordings, you can go to the DVR menu. Oh, and don’t forget about the Settings menu, where you can change the quality and recording settings of your streams. All in all, it’s a pretty easy service to learn, with not too many restrictions. However, if you don’t upgrade to the $20 per month plan, your quality will drop to low after 45 days. And keep in mind, streaming might work differently depending on your internet connection and service provider. Oh, and if you’re worried about your ISP tracking your usage, you might want to consider using a VPN, just to be safe.

Other Ways to Stream Live TV

USTVNow is a great option for live TV streaming, but it’s not the only option out there. If you’re looking for something simple and legal, USTVNow is your best bet. But if you’re open to exploring other options, there are a few ways to stream live television using Kodi. However, I have to warn you that some of these methods might not be completely legal. TechJunkie doesn’t support or promote piracy. Also, keep in mind that not all of these options work perfectly with Kodi yet, as they come from services that haven’t fully integrated with Kodi. So, your experience may vary.

• Hulu with Live TV: It’s not the cheapest option at $39.95 per month, but it offers a lot. You’ll get most of your local channels and premium channels like SyFy and Cartoon Network. Plus, there are tons of live sports options. If you’re a fan of recording shows, you can upgrade your cloud DVR to store up to 200 shows, including content that’s not usually available on Hulu the next day. Oh, and you also get access to regular Hulu content.
• Playstation Vue: Don’t let the name fool you, you don’t actually need a Playstation to use it. Sony’s streaming service starts at $39.99 per month and offers local channels based on where you live. They also have different tiers with even more premium channels. But it can get a bit pricey, with plans going all the way up to $75 per month. If you want a wide variety of channels and shows, Playstation Vue is a top choice.
• YouTube TV: This is a newer streaming service that’s been getting good reviews. For $35 per month, you’ll get your local and national channels, along with the ability to record and stream on up to six devices at the same time. Depending on where you live, you’ll have access to 40 or more channels. The only downside is that YouTube TV isn’t available in every market yet, so you might have to wait a bit.