Kodi users are being urged to upgrade to the latest version of the popular TV player with the “very last” update bringing a swathe of bug fixes.
This release will bring an end to v17 with Kodi now working on its next v18 “Leia” launch.
In a post on their blog Kodi said: “We are happy and sad at same time to announce that this will be the last v17.6 release.
“When we say very last this of course only means for the v17 “Krypton” series as we are steadily heading towards the new v18 series called “Leia”.
It’s unclear when “Leia” will officially launch but users are being urged not to wait and to download this latest Krypton update.
“We are certainly excited about our upcoming v18 on which we will start reporting at regular basis quite soon but until that time here’s the v17.6 “Krypton” version for daily use,” said Kodi.
“We recommend every one to upgrade to this version once it’s available for their platform to have the best experience possible. If you want to know what has changed you can browse the list below.”
Here’s some of the fixes released in this Kodi update.
• Fix possible crash in controller dialog
• Update standard scrapers to lastest version available on release
• Fix possible connection issues with internal webserver
• Fix crash when peripheral joystick add-on is disabled
What else is new?
In the bugfix releases we never include any new features. They are as feature complete as the initial version with the difference is they contain stability and usability fixes. If you are curious you can read up on all the v17 changes here: Kodi v17.0 “Krypton”
The news of this update comes as new stats reveal just how popular Kodi has become.
According to a report from Torrentfreak, a recent meeting by the Motion Picture Association of America, revealed that there are around 38 million Kodi customers around the world.
However, a more shocking stat is that a massive 70 per cent of all users still stream content illegally.
If the MPAA calculations are correct it would mean around 26 million people are still streaming content without permission – whilst only 11 million are playing by the rules.
This shocking statistic may prove that users have not been put off by the recent crackdown or new threats of legal action.
Earlier this year the Digital Economy Act became law in the UK.
This raised the maximum possible sentence for online copyright infringement offences from two to 10 years.
It currently appears that officials are only targeting those selling so called “fully loaded” Kodi boxes but this could change in the future.
It’s worth noting that Kodi is not illegal but add-ons to the player allow it to be used to find premium content online without paying which is illegal.
In a recent warning, FACT said: “We have seen an increasing number of unofficial apps and add-ons emerging that allow illegal access to copyrighted content such as live sport, films and premium pay-to view TV via mobile phones, tablets and TV set-top boxes.
“Consumers need to be aware that streaming paid content for free is absolutely illegal.
“Whilst our priority remains to crackdown on the individuals behind this criminality, end users may find themselves getting swept up in one of our operations and becoming part of the whole criminal investigation.”