If you’re a fan of streaming media, then you’re either using Kodi or, at the very least, you’ve heard of it! It is the gold standard for accessing online content, and it really does deserve that title!
Kodi by itself is a very good and powerful media center. It gives you a simple and easy way of accessing files on your network and accessing content online via tools like Netflix and YouTube. But this isn’t even Kodi’s main strength.
You see, Kodi is extremely customizable. It’s these customizations (known as Kodi Add-Ons) that make it such a powerful tool.
The Legal Question of Kodi
Now it must be stated that Kodi by itself is 100% legal. All of the Add-Ons available through the Kodi search function are similarly fully above board. Some of the other Kodi Add-Ons though … well this is where we get into a bit of a grey area.
A 2014 ruling in UK courts stated that it was illegal to keep copyrighted content, but it is legal to create temporary or cached copies of works copyright online. These rules are always subject to adjustment and change. They vary greatly by jurisdiction. So the only really safe way to protect yourself regardless of the rules in place is to get a VPN.
VPNs Protection & Access
VPNs actually serve two purposes when we talk about Kodi and Streaming Media.
Firstly, there is the protection and anonymity that they offer. VPNs create a virtual tunnel between your device and the destination server and, as the tunnel is encrypted, nothing you do is viewable by outside parties.
This works to give you protection from the question of legality, as no one even knows that you are using Kodi, let alone what you are using it to access!
The second use is probably the most important in terms of streaming content. This use is beating geoblocking restrictions!
You see, regardless of what tool you are using to stream your content, many shows are restricted to certain areas of the world.
You will often experience this when you try to access a show you know is on Netflix, only to get an error message saying that it is unavailable.
Fortunately, VPNs can help you bypass that issue. VPN servers are located in countries all over the world (Shellfire VPN, for example, has multiple servers located in 33 different countries globally).
All you need to do is connect to one of the servers in the location your content is in (for example, the USA for US Netflix). When you do this, your real location gets masked and hidden and the system thinks you are in the correct location!
Simple, right?
Hardware VPN or Software VPN?
Now that you know how useful a VPN can be, the next question you need to consider is whether you go the hardware or software route.
Shellfire VPN is one that I’m personally extremely fond of, as it always works for me and does not slow down my streams at all.
If the device that you are using to access streaming content online uses Android, Windows, Mac or the iOS operating system, you can also download and install it on those devices easily.
Some of these platforms are not fully supported on Kodi, so your best bet is the hardware VPN – the Shellfire Box.
You can purchase this on Amazon & it includes a 1 or 2-year premium subscription so it’s well worth the cost. In fact, if you’re in the UK and have a prime subscription, you can get next day delivery!
