Covenant/Other add-ons work on one device but not another

[rocheypoo29]

In the last 24 hours, Covenant and Ultimate Whitecream have stopped playing videos on my windows 10 laptop, but the exact same links/sources work perfectly fine on my brand new Galaxy s8 I received and setup yesterday. I'm on Kodi 17.3 for both devices and installed both addons yesterday, though whitecream was already on the laptop I just updated it through ares/colossus sources. I was watching a TV show on the laptop last night and after a few episodes it started buffering forever, then finally failing. After this, whenever i try to watch any link on the laptop, it does the whole load process fine, just basically stops right when its about to play the video. I believe that it has to do with my ISP blocking the connection of my laptop, since I can click the same link on my phone and it will play with no problems at all. On my laptop I am using TorGuard for my VPN, though I don't consistently use it when I probably should, when I launch the VPN and connect it does not change anything in regards to video playback, even though I'm on another IP address. This is a very frustrating issue and I fear that I may have to reset my laptop to factory settings and start fresh, but would like to avoid it if possible. Any help/advice would be appreciated, as I have been trying to wrap my head around this since about 8:30pm sunday night.

In summary:

• Kodi Version 17.3 on both devices
• Covenant/Ultimate Whitecream stopping just short of playing the videos on Windows 10 laptop
• Covenant/Whitecream plays exact same link perfectly on Galaxy S8
• Laptop has a VPN client that I don't use every time, but it's not changing anything when active
• Would prefer to not reset laptop to factory settings, but will if necessary
• Has my laptop been flagged to block all related data?

[kodidave]

I gave up on Win10 for Kodi just way to unstable when 17 came out.
Make your laptop a dual boot machine with Linux Xubuntu
and you can keep your current Windows install intact and delete Kodi from it forever.
The only setup I recomend for Windows users this way you get the best of bolth worlds.
So Linux  is just for running kodi and Windows10 is for everthing else.
Frankly I'm amazed anyone can get a stable Kodi on any version of Windows.

https://xubuntu.org/getxubuntu/

LTS is supported for the next 3 years.

Use the partion slider thingy and move it to the right give xubuntu about 20 Gig of space.
My setup takes less than 6 Gig so a 20 gig partion is more than enough.   

http://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Install_Kodi_for_Linux

Copy and paste each of the 4 command lines to the terminal.

On the xubuntu desktop make sure the volume is set to 100%.
And best of all use what I call appliance mode so it auto boots to Kodi, I'll add more info later reg this.

[flhthemi]

I gave up on Win10 for Kodi just way to unstable when 17 came out.
Make your laptop a dual boot machine with Linux Xubuntu
and you can keep your current Windows install intact and delete Kodi from it forever.
The only setup I recomend for Windows users this way you get the best of bolth worlds.
So Linux  is just for running kodi and Windows10 is for everthing else.
Frankly I'm amazed anyone can get a stable Kodi on any version of Windows.

I dunno how anyone CAN'T get Kodi to work on windows 10 and Ubuntu, that requires learning how to use a whole new OS and that can take some time. I've installed Kodi on at least 15 Windows PC's for friends and not had a single issue from Kodi.

Don't use "builds"
Don't use any "maintenance" addons

You'll probably succeed on ANY OS!
 

[TonyH]

I have multiple copies of kodi running on a win 10 machine and it works great. I had some issues when first installing krypton 17.3 but those weee related to my antivirus software. Make sure you have exceptions set for kodi in your antivirus and firewall. I would disable both of them and test run kodi to see if that is the issue. Good luck

[kodidave]

Don't use "builds"[/quote]

Say what don't use builds?
My build was developed and tweeked on a Linux box.
The current and ever changing build is (43) 3rd party
video addons including the new and awesome Bennu
Programs addons at 27,  Music addons at 7,
Video addons 'get more...' list is at 2,416
So my guess is you install each 3rd party video addon
one by one for one windows machine you setup for Kodi
and then you 'backup' the finished install and use 'restore'
for any other windows machine after that?
That's a build.   

[flhthemi]

Don't use "builds"

Say what don't use builds?
My build was developed and tweeked on a Linux box.
The current and ever changing build is (43) 3rd party
video addons including the new and awesome Bennu
Programs addons at 27,  Music addons at 7,
Video addons 'get more...' list is at 2,416
So my guess is you install each 3rd party video addon
one by one for one windows machine you setup for Kodi
and then you 'backup' the finished install and use 'restore'
for any other windows machine after that?
That's a build.

OK First a build (my opinion) is one done by anyone of these so called gurus on youtube. Like builds that come on Android boxes when you buy them. This is where I tend to lean with those on the Kodi forum about 3rd party software. There are a LOT of dev's out writing addons. There just aren't a lot of GREAT devs out here writing addons. And these days they're at a prime. The days of Lambda and tknorris et al are done. You better be very careful of what you install now as who knows anything about who is writing what we're using now and who knows if your device has become a pawn of a hacker in some nefarious network.

Understand that I was NOT making reference to a "Private" build, like your own personal build/backup.

I DO do each and every install of Kodi one by one. Oh I might reach over to one of my PCs and grab the repos but that's about it. Everyone seems to want something a little different. If you load up a box with a bunch addons that are installed and usable and no one uses them what's the point, you're asking for an issue to arise. A lot of clutter and a much better chance of a problem with one of them messing with a script someplace or Kodi itself. Since I can't make heads or tails from a log file I would never be able to figure out what addon is causing an issue. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) is my way of installing Kodi.

You also need to know that I don't do these installs for PAY. I do them for friends and family. They get the best job *I* can do. Same way when I installed Windows 10 for some of them too. I don't know everything, I learn new stuff everyday, but I know more than they do and I have more computer experience than most of them. So they naturally come to me for problems. Don't mean to sound conceited, that's just the way it is.

So you like what you like. If Ubuntu is your thing that's fine and dandy. I just happen to like Windows. I've been using PCs since MSDOS V3.XX maybe even earlier.

When I backup my installs, I back up each one to my NAS in it's own folder. If I need to restore that device, I just go the NAS and the folder it's in and copy it to the device that needs it after I delete the kodi folder in the roaming folder on that device. Couldn't be any simpler than that.

But we should stop at this point it's taking this thread off topic.

I really didn't mean to flame anyone and if you want to continue this discussion please start a new thread for it.

[Buzz Marshall]

I agree with Flhtemi as well...

Kodi can be made to work on pretty much everything these days (cept atv is kinda hurtin now)...

I've been compiling kodi pretty much since frodo and the original xbmp sources and i think what a lot of people over the years have lost site of in a effort to create a setup that lets you clone multiple devices via things like builds is that everyones platform whether linux/mac/windows or crappy android are unique other then the OS involved...

Kodi's coded in a manner that expects certain things to be in known spots which at times can be difficult for any program thats trying to support such a wide variety of operating systems and in a lot of times its easy for whatever the system is to have something either not there or in the wrong spot or even just having the wrong permissions structure to something...

Builds for the public seem to have become more of a social status thing and make the assumption that everyones system is the same which is just plain asking for trouble... Private Builds for someone doing their own scene i can see making sense as you've more control and knowledge over the platforms your running your builds on... but public builds i think are just plain bad and probably the source for a lot of peoples issues... as was alluded to earlier by flhthemi any youtube script kiddy can come out with something but thats doesn't mean it works on everything...

Besides times are a comming when having some build or wizzard or maintainance plug-in thats tied back to some one else's servers is gonna be just plain dumb... Not trying to say Ares is a bad thing but i have no idea who's got admin access to those servers and what their intentions are... Look at Exodus and what happened earlier in the year when it was used to ddos some servers, meaning basically anyone running a version of Exodus that had the code in it was used in those DDOS attacks...

I've been reverse engineering software and hardware for well over 20 years and use all of the major operating systems depending on what i am working on and see no reason why Kodi can't run reliabliy on any of them... tho i must admit that when it comes to security and permission stuff win10 sometimes baffles me with what they've changed when moving up off Win7... seriously tho in the end i think its just a matter of personal choice as once you know your way around you tend to migrate to what appeals to you the most...

[sarah]

When i started interesting myself in this Kodi and box stuff, I installed a build which immediately removed all my previous addons and the build took over kodi on its own with the addons it had in it !

Don't like builds -I prefer to install my own stuff.

[Buzz Marshall]

When i started interesting myself in this Kodi and box stuff, I installed a build which immediately removed all my previous addons and the build took over kodi on its own with the addons it had in it !

Don't like builds -I prefer to install my own stuff.

As someone thats pretty much been around since the beginning of XBMP which changed into XBMC and now KODI my personal feelings have always been it was a bout community and people interested in learning while getting the use of something that served a real purpose for them...

Over the years dealers and people interested in turning the whole scene into a revenue stream of some type have pretty much taken control as they all compete with each other... its not that i have anything against any of that but whats lost on a lot of the new users attracted to the scene in hopes of free media viewing is their lack of willingness to learn even the basics... blame for a lot of that lies with all the bogus advertising used to lure buyers in to make the initial sale and then pass the buck pissing off the new owner when things don't work as they were sold on which has lead to over the years a real need for places like here for people to try and get help... Dealers were the biggest winners with things like builds or sites like TVA as it was a easy way for them to pass the buck while trying to let the new owners not have to learn anything about the system... Generally speaking... Dealers are about making money without investing anymore time after the sale (unless theres a way for them to charge extra to fix something) , tho to be fare i will say there are some Dealers out there that spend a lot of time truly trying to take care of the people they sell boxes to, its just unfortunate that in most of those cases the boxes cost more and people are cheap and usually buy their box from the cheapest sources which are the route of the problem...

Kodi was and is designed for people to participate in which means at least learning the basics of how it works and what it takes to keep it up to date and working... Users such as yourself are obviously interested in learning and going about things as they were meant to be which is why in the end you will have things working when others don't because you actually understand whats going on...  Its like buying a car and not even wanting to learn how to put your own gas in...

Devices in general are not exactly the same as people personalize just about everything these days which makes each one unique so things like builds and wizards can NEVER be exactly right for every device which is why they are something that the normal public should even be exposed to... like all things theres a place for them such as a private developer that has more control and better knowledge of the hardware he's using but for open consumption by the public i think they are a bad idea thats going to take the current evolving scene and make things even messier as the laws change forcing source locations for things to move around and hide a lot more...

Back to the point of the original post topic tho... i think any of the current operating systems can be made to reliably work with Kodi but its going to require people to up their game in understanding of the overall way things work and less of the expectation of it works on one there fore it should work the same on something else...

[kodidave]

I'm very suspicious as to Microsoft's motive to offer Kodi download in the MS Store.
They must know it WILL be used by a VERY high percentage of people
as a copyright infringer by installing 3rd party addons?

[Buzz Marshall]

true...

but technically Kodi Foundation which is composed of the main Kodi developers has and continues to distance themselves from the plug-in creators that allow that to happen as they can't be held responsible for what other coders create that are not associated with them... not much different then Colt saying were not responsible for what someone does with one of the guns they make and sell... ya i know its a stupid comparison but one that easy to make...

Look at Amazon which in Europe has banned the sale of "pre-loaded" boxes yet who's behind the FireTV box... lol.. the worlds full of hypo-critical manufacturers and companies and as long as they see something they can get a free ride on they jump onboard...

[kodidave]

Yea it's the same when you punch in 'android tv' to any big box store search box.
I have to laugh at the tons of cheep made in China black boxes with 1/2/3 year old
versions of the Android OS and people wonder why it craps out on them.
Android is bad enough as a Kodi OS but gezz have they no shame.     
PT Barnum was right. Heh.....hhheeee......

[sarah]

I've got a couple of those 'cheep made in china black boxes' , and my latest has Android 7.1 and works perfectly!

Yea it's the same when you punch in 'android tv' to any big box store search box.
I have to laugh at the tons of cheep made in China black boxes with 1/2/3 year old
versions of the Android OS and people wonder why it craps out on them.
Android is bad enough as a Kodi OS but gezz have they no shame.     
PT Barnum was right. Heh.....hhheeee......

[Buzz Marshall]

I've got a couple of those 'cheep made in china black boxes' , and my latest has Android 7.1 and works perfectly!

Yea it's the same when you punch in 'android tv' to any big box store search box.
I have to laugh at the tons of cheep made in China black boxes with 1/2/3 year old
versions of the Android OS and people wonder why it craps out on them.
Android is bad enough as a Kodi OS but gezz have they no shame.     
PT Barnum was right. Heh.....hhheeee......

Ya but just from observing you around this place its obvious you have spent a lot time investing in asking and learning because you probably approach the whole thing from a different place... but for every person such as yourself theres easily a couple of hundred or maybe even thousands that were sold on the whole box idea based on promises of free Tv and we are talking about premium stuff and ppv's not the normal official plugin supported media...

In the beginning there were only a couple of real manufacturers as most thought Android box was a useless toy with little to no real expectations going into it in the 1st place... then over time as other hardware makers in china watched they seen the flood of wanna be distributors looking to create pyramid dealer chains under neath them and started adding Android boxes to their production offerings to the point theres now basically a very small group of manufacturers specializing in just Android boxes using Amlogic or Rockchip SoC's...

that was the main growth... now tho its got to the point that mainstream retail chains are into them using oem boxes branded to the retailer by one of those small group of chinese manufacturers...

all of this has now got us to the point that because most of all this growth was built on the idea of anyone could get the same kind of quality and reliability of what the money gouging legal providers in our countries provide they the providers are now trying to turn it all against us and have laws changed/enforced to prevent us from watching all this great free programming... lol... all started and based on a bunch of twisted and bullshit marketing created by all the competing dealers selling boxes...

[sarah]

Agree Buzz. You are right.