App Central ends support for KODI (what we can do)

[father.mande]

Hi,

Dear ASUSTOR users:
The ASUSTOR team will end maintenance and support for KODI in App Central as of March 20, 2018. Support for AiCast in Google Play will also end on the same date.
Please see below for some alternative apps:
Plex Home Theater: Please install OpenPHT app from App Central, and then run OpenPHT in ASUSTOR Portal to play video content.
Plex: Please open Plex Media Server via Chromium in ASUSTOR Portal to play video content.
Search online for 3rd party multimedia apps for ASUSTOR Portal.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this issue has caused.
Thank you for your understanding.
ASUSTOR Technical Support Department

Seems as other NAS brand ... Dolby Inc. not able to create new software ... just now have law action to any Hardware provider when it's associated to Software able to play Dolby licensed (and very costly) inside.

So multiple NAS provider are oblige (or increase drastically the cost of the box) to stop providing software ... It's true for Kodi but not only Serviio for ex.
I don't know if Asustor is in this case (but I imagine).

What we can do :
1 use alternative ... but Asustor only present player in App. Central in this case OpenPHT can be considered BUT with a lot of precaution ... some times it lost the ability to see the Plex server ... and OpenPHT is abandoned at 1.8.0 from a long time (I integrate OpenPHT)
... I suggest users to use Plex, the Plex Web client provide with it and a Chromecast for ex. or use official Player Plex Media Player 2.4.1 open to all users.
2 if Kodi is require by lot of users and Asustor stop it ... it's always possible to generate an alternate APKG without ANY relationship with Asustor ... based on Linux and Kodi source (all open and free) and NOT attached to a specific hardware ...
I do the same for another NAS Brand (mykdoi17(.6) and mykodi18) ... it's some job ... but not difficult ... the test phase and support is more time consuming ... (and in my personal case ... I don't have a lot of free time)
3 you can also as it's write in other topic use an external client ... but please don't dream ... power of a low AndroidTV box or RaspberryPI are not comparable to NAS or PC ... and for some the connection is low (LAN (USB) or WiFi)
... lot of people that never do the job said you ... go go it's easy ... but clearly ... (and I own multiples TVBox and RaspBerryPI (up to v. 3)) installing is not complex ... obtaining good performance when media are on a NAS or a Server is not so easy ... BUT this stay a solution (out of Cast hardware) ... essentially when your NAS is not near your TV (even this is solvable for few penny ... )

Philippe.

[sksbir]

third solution works well for me. So I did since 4 months, because I was interested in using a plugin which controls Yeelights bulbs ( yeemee )
My NAS is already since a long time in my entrance, near LAN, and far away from my ears when I'm in my living room.
using internal TV reader + Upnp was quite well, but was not able to control bulbs.

[itdaboyz]

an another solution is to buy a cheap android tv box, and install Kodi on it. So I did since 4 months, because I was interested in using a plugin which controls Yeelights bulbs ( yeemee )
My NAS is already since a long time in my entrance, near LAN, and far away from my ears when I'm in my living room, but using internal TV reader + Upnp was quite well, but was not able to control bulbs.

Same for me : Emby Server + Kodi on a Rasberry Pi and the NAS far away. It's way more reliable than before.

[RMerlin]

This frankly sucks, to be blunt. I bought this Asustor a few years ago to use as a replacement for my Zotac HTPC in addition to serving as a NAS. Kodi support as a major deciding factor for me. Now it makes me regret not going with one of the major brands (Synology or QNAP) instead of Asustor.

I've been using Kodi for years, and absolutely love it as a media center. I can't imagine switching to a different software - none of them satisfied me when I tried them. I will have to consider my alternatives - either selling this Asustor and getting a different brand with Kodi support, or building a new miniature HTPC.

A third party build of Kodi could be a possibility, however I already got my hands full with my own software projects - building and maintaining a Kodi package is definitely off the table for me.

[RMerlin]

I recommend making your feedback heard by Asustor:

https://www.asustor.com/about/contact_form

I don't buy it that the reasons are legal. Kodi is 100% legitimate open-source software. As long Asustor does supply plugins that access illegal content, then there's nothing illegal. You can't accuse Kodi of facilitating piracy anymore than you could accuse Asustor's NAS from allowing people to store pirated video files on their products. This is completely different from manufacturers selling those cheap Kodi boxes with preinstalled plugins allowing access to pirated content.

[Patrick]

Kodi is open-source, yes, it don't have any problem about Dolby/DTS license issue. (Maybe this is the major problem of this event).
But Asustor or other NAS vendor are HW company which they cannot directly to prompt or release this kind of open-source software in their official App Central, that will be a kind of "Profit-making behavior".
And that's true for some body to choose Asustor NAS, since they have Kodi.
But this is not allowed by this kind of patent issue.

Before 3/20, I think we can get the APKG from the followings path to backup current kodi version first.
We can manually install the APKG after 3/20 while kodi is removed from App Central.

https://www.asustor.com/app_central/app ... =284&type=

I really appreciate Philippe's solution 2, if he can provide another kodi version after 18.0 which can install and run in Asustor NAS.
If Philippe have not enough time to testing it, maybe can provide beta version first, and we can help to test if any critical problem or not.

[RMerlin]

I wouldn't rely too much on the existing PKG to always work in the future. A future Portal or kernel change might eventually break it.

Ideally, the community would have to take over development of a Kodi app, so they could readjust whenever ADM or Portal changes are introducing compatibility issues.

Personally, I ended up ordering an nVidia Shield TV to replace the Asustor for media streaming duties. Don't want to sit down on the couch one night, ready for some video watching only to find out that last night's NAS update just broke Kodi.

[charliehoople]

Responce I got from Asustor, cant argue with their frustration...

"We are indeed aware that Kodi is a legal open source player. However, Kodi is also able to play Dolby and DTS content as well. We have received a cease and desist letter from an organization that we aren't allowed to mention to not promote or host players capable of playing Dolby and DTS content in any format. This is the main reason that we have to stop supporting Kodi. All other NAS manufacturers are ending support for Kodi due to this reason. A NAS is able to host all kind of contents even like BitTorrent files content, but we can't be doing anything that might promote a possibility of acquiring illegal content as a feature. We appreciate your support for us in the past and hope to continue fulfilling your NAS needs in the future. We aren't happy about removing features from our products either."

guess the minix box will be used for a lot longer

[Hyena]

You can find my solution this below if you wants to get back our belowed Kodi to your asustor nas if you updated your app, or uninstalled kodi....
First of all you must uninstall the following apps from that:
x.org (if you uninstall this it will also remove almost everything necessary)
ffmpeg
asustor portal
remote center
web browser

After this you should download the following apps from the asustors website. ( http://appdownload.asustor.com/ )

0010_999_1504679933_ffmpeg_3.3.2.r11_x86-64.apk
0010_999_1507799424_web-browser_1.0.0.R4_x86-64.apk
0010_999_1508989612_remote-center_1.0.0.r157_x86-64.apk
0010_999_1512560310_kodi_17.6.0.R1_x86-64.apk
0010_999_1512708048_xorg_10.14.7.R33_x86-64.apk
0010_999_1513305050_asportal_2.2.4.r1213_x86-64.apk

0010_999_1518494437_soundsgood_2.1.0.r830_x86-64.apk (its opcional but if you wants to use the soundsgood you must download this one also)

If you have everything, you must install them manually one by one , its important to manually install because if you try to install them from the app central it will update the x.org to the latest which will have no sound on the KODI.

Here are the install sequence:

ffmpeg
x.org
web browser
remote center
as portal
kodi

and soundgood if you want it.

If you done everything well you can see 3 available updates in the app central (x.org, ffmpeg, soundsgood) BUT DON'T UPDATE THEM because if you do it you'll have no sound on your ac3/dts movies!

This solution works well for me, but as i can see don't have so many time since maybe a future update will cause more complications...

As to myself i will buy a separated movie player for example a Zidoo X9s, or an Amlogic S905X device (its bloody cheap and works pretty well with libreelec) .
Until now i had a plan to upgrade my AS5104T nas to a new one which capable for 4K video play but without KODI its absolutely meaningless.

[bimbo]

iam also very frustrated about this step from Asustor I buy the 6204 because Qnap (have an 453Mini ) also ends support for Kodi, and now the same sh** by Asustor.
My hope is now Philippe I also used his great work on the Qnap back then.