Kodi took the world by storm when it first came into existence. However, the service is still growing in popularity. More and more people are switching to Kodi for watching their favorite movies and TV shows.
However, itâs Kodiâs functionality to stream live TV that really sets it apart from most other streaming services and media players. The ease of using it adds to the overall user experience. We will now take a look at the best IPTV Kodi Addons.
How Does IPTV Kodi Differ From Live TV?
IPTV and Live TV are terms that are used interchangeably. The reason for that is that they are essentially one and the same thing.
The only point of difference between these two services is that IPTV was designed to be used on set-top boxes.
Live TV streaming, on the other hand, has no such intention and is suitable for computer screens.
This is the reason why itâs easier to use streaming services for free from anywhere in the world, while the regulations for IPTV are much stricter. IPTV services have proper regulations to prevent outside access to the service, as in the case of BBC iPlayer.
Speaking of quality of service, youâll definitely find it better with IPTV. For starters, itâs not uncommon to see streaming services that donât fit the content to the entire screen. But more importantly, thereâs always the issue of bandwidth with streaming services.
Since they are free and can be accessed by people from anywhere, the large amount of traffic reduces the quality of streaming considerably.
Users often get the buffering screen repeatedly as a result. This happens relatively less on IPTV. The quality of streaming is actually a good indication of which addon was designed for IPTV and which one is just a TV stream.
Before You Start Using IPTV Kodi
Before we give you the best Kodi IPTV Addons, there is something you need to know. Itâs the fact that it is of utmost importance that you setup a VPN for Kodi before you use Kodi for IPTV streaming.
VPNs have a lot of functionalities and use for the common internet user. Businesses have used them for decades because they allow remote employees to connect to the workplace. However, everyday internet users have taken a liking to VPNs recently because they help them tackle modern day problems. These are:
- Geo-restriction
- Internet filtering
- Internet Censorship
- Government surveillance
While these are useful features nonetheless, we focus our attention on something else. It is the VPNsâ ability to hide your internet activity. VPNs do this by hiding your IP address with that of their server and encrypting your traffic. This makes you anonymous and hides your online activity.
Why is this important for IPTV streaming through Kodi TV? Yup, you guessed it. It is to hide the fact that you are streaming live TV or watching on-demand movies and TV shows.
Using Kodi is perfectly legal, but using it to watch copyrighted content is not.
There are Kodi TVÂ addons that do not follow the rules and regulations. Itâs not entirely the userâs fault for using them because you canât know which ones are legitimate.
Using a VPN, therefore, is a good way to make sure you never receive a notice from your ISP.
To watch Kodi TV safely you need a VPN, first of all highly trustworthy. Moreover, the VPN must provide a super-fast connection otherwise you will have to deal with buffering and annoying interruption which would make Kodi IPTV entirely useless.
Some of the provider that guarantee a great combination of security and speed are:
- NordVPN
- CyberGhost
- ExpressVPN
- IPVanish
- HMA VPN
Read our guide on how to use Kodi safely.
Top Kodi IPTV Addons
We will now provide you with a list of the top IPTV Kodi addons. The list focuses on Addons that have good repositories, cover content from major or multiple regions, have reliable streams, offer a variety of TV channels, and are simple to use and navigate through.
Goodfellas 2.0
The reasons why Goodfellas 2.0 is so popular are many. It is one of the few addons that ticks all the boxes in your requirements from a Kodi IPTV Addon. Whether it is good streaming quality, a large number of options, ease of access, or the reliability of its streams; Goodfellas 2.0 has it all.
The name Goodfellas has been popular among Kodi users for many years now, and this new update tops the original version. If you are looking for the ideal Kodi TV addon for US and UK channels, Goodfellas 2.0 can be your starting and ending point.
In addition to the qualities mentioned above, Goodfellas 2.0 is always up to date. All Kodi users know how important it is that the Addon is updated as often as possible to prevent untrustworthy streams from making their way into it. Also, Goodfellas 2.0 provides options like live streams from webcams or random streets from around the world, and live streams from NASA.
To install it on your Kodi TV, follow these steps:
- Launch Kodi Krypton and look for Settings icon on the top left
- After this, navigate through System Settings -> Expert Mode -> Addons
- Donât forget to turn on âUnknown Sourcesâ, for it is crucial to install third-party addons.
- Click âYesâ when the warning dialog box appears
- Go back to Settings from the Kodi Home Screen
- Now, navigate through File Manager -> Add Source
- After selecting âNoneâ, enter www.goodfellasteam.com/Repository
- You can name it âGoodfellasâ to keep things simple, before clicking on OK
- Go to the Kodi Home Screen once more and select Addons from there
- Click on the icon for Package Installer located on the top left corner
- Follow Install from Zip file -> Goodfellas -> repository.goodfellas.zip
- Once you see the addon Enabled notification, follow Install from Repo -> Program Addons -> Goodfellas 2.0 -> Install
- Wait for the download and installation process to complete
- Follow My addons -> Program Addons
- Here, youâll need to select âGoodfellas 2.0â
- Finally, follow Browse Addons -> Video Addons -> Goodfellas 2.0 -> Install
cCloud TV
For those looking for TV channels from almost all corners of the world, thereâs no better option than cCloud TV. It offers everything that Goodfellas 2.0 offers, but there are some areas where it is better. For instance, cCloud TV offers content from networks from UK, Germany, Japan, and Korea to name a few.
The layout of the menu is reason enough to prompt one into using it. You can search by language or category, like Movies, Sports, Documentaries, News, etc. The live TV service offered by cCloud can be matched by few, what with its flawless working and provision of channels like CBS, HBO, ESPN, etc.
To install it on your Kodi device, follow these steps:
1-6. Same as the instruction set for installing Goodfellas
- After selecting None, enter the following: https://github.com/kodil/kodil/tree/master/repo/plugin.video.ccloudtv
- You can name it âcCloudâ before clicking OK
- cCloud can be seen under Video -> Addons
BBC iPlayer
The popularity of BBC iPlayer warrants a mention here. BBC shows have a large fan following. Thereâs just something about them that makes them stand apart from a general lot of TV content. Moreover, the quality of streaming on BBC iPlayerâs addon is unparalleled. Thereâs no better place to catch all the live TV from UKâs channels. However, there is a catch.
Itâs common knowledge that the BBC iPlayer only has UK content, but it also restricts people from outside the UK to access it. This is an inconvenience to people all over the world, and even to British expats who travel abroad frequently. Luckily, this inconvenience is a minor one.
All you need to access BBC iPlayer is a UK IP address. This is something that your VPN can easily provide. Choose a UK server from your VPN, and gain access to one of the best collections of UK content in the kind of picture quality youâll seldom find anywhere else.
To install it, follow these steps:
- Navigate through Video -> Addons -> Get More
- Look for iPlayer WWW
- Click on it to install
- It can be found under Video -> Addon
USTVNow Plus
Live TV on Kodi for US TV channels is handled as well as it can be by USTVNow. With this IPTV Kodi addon, you can access seven major networks for zero cost on your Kodi TV. The networks that are available for free are:
- Fox
- CBS
- NBC
- CW
- ABC
- My TV
If you wish to access all 29 channels that are up for offer, you will have to pay a monthly subscription fee of $24. Since this isnât something most Kodi users do or are looking for, we have placed USTVNow Plus lower on our list.
However, if you use this addon, you never have to worry about facing legal action from the authorities. USTVNow follows all laws when it comes to streaming.
Made In Canada IPTV
Thereâs more to this IPTV addon for Kodi than your first impression upon reading the name. Made in Canada IPTV offers a good chunk of US and Canada channels as well as a fair selected proportion of UK channels. There is a preference towards Canadian networks, but itâs hardly a crime. The selection of US and UK TV channels makes up for that little travesty.
Made in Canada will definitely not be your top IPTV Kodi addon, but it is good enough to have in your inventory. If you watch TV channels from regions not covered by this addon, then itâs obviously of no use to you. Moreover, the way its Kodi TV menu is organized is nowhere near the best. But they have made some effort to help their users by categorizing the channels by country, so thatâs something.
To install it, follow these steps:
1-6. Same as the instruction set for installing Goodfellas
- After selecting None, enter the following: http://archive.org/download/repository.mic
- You can name it âMicâ before clicking OK
9-10. Same as above
- Follow Install from Zip file -> Mic
- Here, you can select ârepository.koditips-x-x-x.zipâ so that it is installed
- After the installation completes, follow Install from repository -> Koditips.com repository -> Video Add-ons -> Made in Canada IPTV
- Youâll see a notification after the add-on is enabled
Fixing Streaming Issues
Streaming live TV isnât only limited to knowing which the best Kodi IPTV addons are. You need to know how to tackle the issues you will face while streaming live TV. The most common of these issues is buffering.
Now we mentioned that buffering is a problem frequently encountered with free streaming, but IPTV live streaming has this problem as well. However, you can try a few things to fix this, like deleting or expanding your cache size.
A cache is basically a storage space for frequent requests. This makes it easier for them to load in the future since you already have them stored and donât need to look them up.
Your Kodi has a cache as well, and it gets filled as you go about using it. The reason why you face buffering problem might be your cache getting full. Although this usually happens with on-demand streaming, IPTV live streaming, too, can suffer if your cache is full.
To solve this problem, simply clear your cache, or expand it. To clear the cache, follow these steps:
- Navigate through Settings -> File Manager -> Add Source
- Click on âNoneâ
- Type: mwiz.co.uk/repo and click OK
- Name the source as âMerlinâ
- Follow Menu -> Add-ons -> Package Installer -> Install from ZIP file -> repository.merlin.zip
- After the installation completes, follow Install from Repository -> Merlin Repository -> Program Add-ons -> Merlin Auto Cleaner -> Install
- Wait for the Add-on enabled prompt before navigating through Main Menu -> Add-ons -> Program Add-ons
- Right-click on Merlin Auto Cleaner and choose Settings
- Select Turn ON Clear Cache on Startup and Clear Packages on Startup
- Click OK
Legal Issues For Kodi
In the past few months, Kodi has received a lot of stick from many countries, especially the UK. There are a few reasons for it.
Preloaded Kodi Boxes
There is a variety of Kodi set-top boxes that come preloaded with some third-party addons. These are called preloaded boxes. While it is legal to buy these boxes, users should be warned. The addons that are found in preloaded Kodi boxes are usually no good.
They will either not work at all, or they might pose a threat to your security. There have been instances of criminals using these boxes to infect user devices with malicious software and steal their personal data.
The issue has gone so far that Amazon and eBay have delisted this variety completely. However, it must be noted that other kinds of Kodi boxes are still up for sale on these websites and can be purchased with no worries.
Ukâs Stand Against Kodi
The UK has its own campaign against Kodi. It has to do with many things. Most notable of these are the Premier League and BBC iPlayer.
The UK has strict laws against live streaming of Premier League games for free. The Premier League is working steadfastly to shut down all streaming services that broadcast its games, while the UK authorities are arresting everyone with fully-loaded Kodi boxes.
The issue regarding the BBC iPlayer has been a long standing one. For many years, it has been a widely known fact that people from all over the world use the BBC iPlayer to stream UK TV for free. The BBC iPlayer has received some stick itself for allowing this to happen.
While it does restrict access to UK nationals, itâs quite simple to circumvent this issue using a VPN. UK law requires such services to ensure that the user has a valid TV license, but this check is not done properly by the BBC iPlayer. It merely asks the user to confirm whether he or she has that license. You need only click on a button to get past that. Â Â Â Â Â Â
While a lot of news has been circulating about Kodi, users can rest assured that buying and using Kodi is perfectly legal. But the action was taken against Kodi users by some governments, and the strict copyright laws that are in place make it important that you use a VPN. VPNs will hide the fact that you are streaming live TV using Kodi, so you never have to worry about facing legal backlash for Kodi IPTV live streaming.
