[zingzing]

Hi!

KODI is way to complicated for me, all I need is a media player that can bypass 5.1 audoio, can manually adjust aspect ratio and has YouTube that doesn't need registration. 

I don't stream anything from KODI becasue I have no idea how to do it and it's just way to complicated, and while media player works great YouTube add-on just doesn't work anymore.  At one point it said max users limit reached, then it stopped all together.  I had to look up how to fix it and there is a TON of stuff to go through. 

All kinds of API registration secret codes and stuff that I have absolutely no clue about, and frankly I just don't care to know since all I want do to is watch YouTube without having to program all kinds of permissions and secret codes.  I did try to create all those API codes, tried to enter them into API setting boxes but then the YouTube add-on error message changed to wrong API.   Resetting does absolutely nothing.  Deleting API keys does nothing.  Creating new user does nothing since all API key settings just reset back to original so I can't get back to the blank windows.  Uninstalling the YouTube add-on and reinstalling it does nothing as all the settings just pop back up. 

For now I switched back to my laptop but would like to know if there is a simple and RELIABLE media player out there that has manual aspect ratio change ability, that plays media files with 5.1 bypass and plays YouTube without having to register anywhere and without the need for all kinds of secret codes and keys and stuff.  I just want to watch media files and YouTube, I don't want to program anything, I'm a simple end user that needs a simple app

Please help me out, thanks!

[fritsch]

Try plex - it is more beginner user centric with a lower entry hurdle.

[Video Titles]

Firstly you do not say what device you want this media player for.

Secondly, are you asking for people to help you or have you just given up because you have no patience?

Thirdly if you want an honest list of other programs. I can give you an honest review

Mediaportal is the most similar thing to Kodi. However, if you cannot set up Kodi, then you will have no chance with mediaportal. 

Fritsch has recommended Plex, I would normally have agreed with him, as I have used Plex for years. However I found a similar program called Emby which as far as I am concerned is 100 times better than Plex.

However, I run Kodi, Plex and Emby on my HTPC but I only use Kodi for media playback.

My tip for you, would be to ask questions on how to set up Kodi, and then once you have set it up once, then it becomes a lot easier. Any program requires a learning curve, however yes Kodi has a bit steeper learning curve than maybe Plex but their ultimate goal is for you to spend $115 or whatever they charge now for you to buy a plex subscription, where Kodi is free.

You have made four posts in the forum, this being your fourth and yet you have given up. Maybe ask for help more and your set up will be complete and you will be wondering why you was asking for recommendations on other programs.

[zingzing]

Try plex - it is more beginner user centric with a lower entry hurdle.

Thanks I'll give ti a try!

[FXB78]

A combination of VLC and the YouTube app would probably work if you want a basic interface. Whether or not these will use 5.1 pass-through idk. Google would have the answer.

[zingzing]

Firstly you do not say what device you want this media player for.

Secondly, are you asking for people to help you or have you just given up because you have no patience?

Thirdly if you want an honest list of other programs. I can give you an honest review

Mediaportal is the most similar thing to Kodi. However, if you cannot set up Kodi, then you will have no chance with mediaportal. 

Fritsch has recommended Plex, I would normally have agreed with him, as I have used Plex for years. However I found a similar program called Emby which as far as I am concerned is 100 times better than Plex.

However, I run Kodi, Plex and Emby on my HTPC but I only use Kodi for media playback.

My tip for you, would be to ask questions on how to set up Kodi, and then once you have set it up once, then it becomes a lot easier. Any program requires a learning curve, however yes Kodi has a bit steeper learning curve than maybe Plex but their ultimate goal is for you to spend $115 or whatever they charge now for you to buy a plex subscription, where Kodi is free.

You have made four posts in the forum, this being your fourth and yet you have given up. Maybe ask for help more and your set up will be complete and you will be wondering why you was asking for recommendations on other programs.

Thank you I'll try Emby as well!

As to patience, I'm very busy with other stuff that requires my full attention, so I just don't have the luxury of the extra effort to configure enthusiast level soft, I need an end user app that's already configured for end users.

Yeah, the post thing, I made a double post in another thread and there is no option to delete

Oh, the device is some X92 type of Android box and the only reason I put it into use is because it's small and silent, but if Plex and Emby is anything like Kodi, I'll be ditching buggy Android platform entirely and will just get another laptop to run linux .  Google sucks anyway. 

Thanks again!

[zingzing]

A combination of VLC and the YouTube app would probably work if you want a basic interface. Whether or not these will use 5.1 pass-through idk. Google would have the answer.

Thanks I tried VLC but it doesn't have the manual video aspect ratio adjustment or 5.1 pass-through.

[Video Titles]

Ok, so now we know what you are running. Android boxes are hit and miss, some are better than others.

I can now understand your frustration as I had a shield a few years back, I had set up Kodi before using SMB share on 17, it went to a new version when I got the shield I think it was 18 and it would not work.

However, your media is supposed to be on SMB file share if your media is on a PC. 

I can say myself that I gave up trying Kodi on my shield as it would not work the way that it had before, so I did turn to Plex.

I was very late finding Emby as in I found it 2020, but I would use that other Plex. My only word of warning is that Emby I think wants to charge you using different devices on your network, where Plex allows you free access over your network.

However, before you give up on Kodi 100% ask for more help, and people will give it. Plex and Emby want you to spend money so unless you are prepared to pay $100 or more for a lifetime license, you might want to carrying on trying to get Kodi to work.

[zingzing]

Ok, so now we know what you are running. Android boxes are hit and miss, some are better than others.

I can now understand your frustration as I had a shield a few years back, I had set up Kodi before using SMB share on 17, it went to a new version when I got the shield I think it was 18 and it would not work.

However, your media is supposed to be on SMB file share if your media is on a PC. 

I can say myself that I gave up trying Kodi on my shield as it would not work the way that it had before, so I did turn to Plex.

I was very late finding Emby as in I found it 2020, but I would use that other Plex. My only word of warning is that Emby I think wants to charge you using different devices on your network, where Plex allows you free access over your network.

However, before you give up on Kodi 100% ask for more help, and people will give it. Plex and Emby want you to spend money so unless you are prepared to pay $100 or more for a lifetime license, you might want to carrying on trying to get Kodi to work.

Yeah I just don't have the time for all that hit and miss stuff anymore. I don't run file sharing either, actually ever since Win 7 came out with all that permissions nonsense that ruined easy and reliable home networking. In fact I'm ready to ditch wi-fi entirely and just go back to cat 5 cables. Wi-fi routers got too complicated to run and configure. Recently I needed to put in a wi-fi repeater to extend the range and none of that crap would work. In half the time wasted on configuration attempts I could have run a cat 5 cable through the ceiling and be done with it. One time a router froze up after a remote firmware update that was needed for NAS that kept falling out, and then router bricked itself on a restart. I ditched all that silly crap. Another time a forced Windows update nuked a friends laptop OS because he thought it froze up so he turned it off in mid update. So I'm just not into any of that fancy stuff that requires all kinds of special attention. I like simple, simple is good, simple is reliable, and reliable is a hassle free, happy life

That $100 license you mentioned is a no go for me.  I just don't need any licensing. I think I'll just set up a linux thing with VLC for media and a basic browser for YouTube, that would be simple.

Thanks again!

[Video Titles]

I would suggest looking for a youtube channel called eta prime as he does a lot of android boxes and stuff like that, his channel will give you some ideas about what you can use on android. I did used to like his channel but he now seems to flex a lot, where he has spent money and more money just buying useless gadgets.

However, from what I have seen from watching some of his videos, android is reasonably dodgy when it comes to simple stuff such as video playback. The Rasperbery pi 4 has a lot of issues from what I have seen and because people are assuming that it will work out of the box and be brilliant, a lot of people are finding that they have problems. 

So your problems may not be Kodi related, but really your android device.

[gquiring]

VLC supports pass-through and aspect ratio adjustments.   

A combination of VLC and the YouTube app would probably work if you want a basic interface. Whether or not these will use 5.1 pass-through idk. Google would have the answer.

Thanks I tried VLC but it doesn't have the manual video aspect ratio adjustment or 5.1 pass-through.