The very first release candidate of Kodi’s most recent version 17.0 Krypton, named after Superman’s home planet, has just been released as part of the celebrations for the new year. It includes a tonne of exciting updates that users have been waiting for. Unlike previous iterations, Krypton includes a revamped user interface in addition to other improvements for the widely used open-source media centre software. Although Kodi v17’s official release isn’t expected until early 2017, it should be nearly identical to this RC release. Therefore, we have everything you need to know about Kodi v17 Krypton’s new features. Here are all the modifications and attributes that Krypton brings:
1. New Default Skin: Estuary and Estouchy
We have always known that Confluence is the default skin that comes with Kodi, and although it does provide a usable interface, it is unattractive and appears to be out of date. That all changes with Krypton, though, since it introduces a brand-new theme called Estuary and Estouchy (for touch-enabled devices).
The new skin makes the UI look much more streamlined and contemporary. The home screen now has a sidebar on the right with several options including Favorites, Add-ons, Radio, TV Shows, Music, Music Videos, TV, Videos, Pictures, and Music. On top, there are icons for power, settings, and search. Additionally, all of the sites have much more contemporary-looking, flat icons.
The new interface and the fact that there are now several options for TV Shows & TV, Videos & Music Videos, etc. are really appealing to me. In general, it’s far superior to Confluence, but if you still prefer that theme, you can get it from the Kodi repository.
2. Improved Settings Page
You’ll be relieved to discover a whole new Settings page in Kodi Krypton if the Settings page in earlier Kodi versions often left you feeling perplexed or overpowered. Yes, there are some wonderful changes, but the settings and the default design remain the same. The new version groups the various options better and makes it much easier to grasp the help text that describes each option’s function. When you first open settings, you will notice that various settings categories are presented much better than in earlier Kodi iterations.
Although the layout and choice description are better, the System Settings page essentially stays the same. In conclusion, the new Settings page is very appreciated because it makes it much simpler to find various functions.
3. Add-on Manager Changes
The numerous official and third-party add-ons that are available for Kodi give it its true strength. The media centre platform’s usefulness is greatly enhanced by these extensions. Even while Add-on Manager has been a part of Kodi since version 10, it has just recently undergone a significant makeover. The new Estuary skin makes everything look fantastic, and the new Add-on Manager makes updating add-ons a breeze.
Due to privacy concerns, Kodi does not allow you to install third-party add-ons or repositories by default. However, you can enableUnknown sourceson the Add-on Settings page. The inclusion of the Recently updated option to the Add-on Browser page is another modification I enjoyed. If you want to know when your favourite add-ons are updated, this will be useful.
4. Better PVR
Kodi has excellent PVR (live TV and video recording) capabilities, but its setup is somewhat challenging. As you could have anticipated, Kodi 17.0 Krypton has simplified its setup. With the new version, you are ready to use a PVR add-on as soon as you have configured and enabled it. There are no longer any difficult settings, but you must first set up the PVR server or backend. Additionally, a number of PVR features, including channel switching, recording timings, EPG, etc., have been stabilised and enhanced.
5. Updates to Music Library
Although Kodi’s music library has evolved over time, it is still far from what we would like it to be. Thankfully, Krypton makes some respectable upgrades to Kodi’s music collection. With the new update, tag reading and scraping are improved, and owing to the addition of artist role handling, handling of albums and artists is also improved. Additionally, Kodi supports mood-based playing, allowing you to play music based on the mood if you have music files that include moods.
6. New Video Player
A respectable video player has always been a part of Kodi, but it has always been referred to as the DVDPlayer, and despite being excellent, it may occasionally be clumsy due to outdated code. However, the creators have since removed DVDPlayer and introduced the brand-new Video Player, which essentially looks and feels the same but has undergone a number of changes. In terms of user-friendly features, there is sVideo stream selection, which enables easy selection of a different video stream, whether for greater quality or simply a different language.
Then there are the newInput Stream add-ons, which enable natively developed add-ons to provide Kodi control over the quality of the video stream. Now, this ought to compensate for a better Kodi video streaming experience.
7. New Default Web Interface
The Krypton upgrade also adds a brand-new web interface called Chorus2 in addition to the updated Kodi app UI. Not many people are aware of Kodi’s online interface, which is not unexpected given that you must first enable it in order to access it. However, given that it features a brand-new UI, you might want to use it right away.
8. Android App Updates
Even though the Kodi app for Android hasn’t seen much development, many people still adore it, and the most recent upgrade is going to make it even better. Including the brand-new Estouchy skin for touch-screen devices. The updated version of the app has better audio compatibility, with passthrough for DTS, DTS-HD, DTS-X, Dolby TrueHD, and Dolby ATMOS working perfectly. Additionally, the Android version of Kodi has updated to Android MediaCodec standards, and the new version is only compatible with Android versions 5.0 and higher.
9. Windows Store Update
Kodi just updated to version 17.0 Krypton and was made available to Windows 10 users in the Windows Store as a desktop bridge UWP app. Although it is the same as the version you can download from Kodi’s website, it has some advantages, such as automatic upgrades. So, if the Krypton version of the programme is not available on Kodi’s website, you may easily get it from the Windows Store.
10. Other Changes
Kodi now supports game controller add-ons, which means you no longer have to configure add-ons through XML files, which was definitely a nuisance. This is in addition to the aforementioned upgrades and adjustments. Additionally, the media centre now supports 3dlut and straightforward ICC linking for colour correction.
The latest update also has an updated privacy policy that explains how Kodi collects user data and what it does with it. Kodi asserts that it is committed to maintaining its openness and transparency.
SEE ALSO: A Complete Guide to Kodi Installation on Mac or PC
Like the new changes in Kodi v17.0 Krypton?
While these are the only significant adjustments made in Kodi v17.0 Krypton, further features could be included in the final version. Don’t worry; we’ll make sure to keep this page updated with the most recent alterations. Also, Krypton’s nightly builds, which include the most recent bug fixes, can be downloaded if you have encountered any bugs and need a speedy repair. That’s all there is to say about the most recent Kodi update. Please share your thoughts in the comments box below.
