Kodi “Matrix” 19.x Alpha 2 Release

You may have noticed that we've adopted a RERO approach to Kodi – release early, release often. Our aim is to fix problems more quickly, and then get those fixes out into the wild equally as quickly. This might mean some issues escape alongside the bug fixes, but, overall, it should mean better software, sooner, and without the disruption of a major version bump.

So, with no further fanfare: another release in the Kodi 18.x “Matrix” cycle. The usual rules apply: bug fixes, not new features or functionality; most will be invisible, but will be much-appreciated if you're been suffering from a problem we've managed to address.

Latest changes:

Playback

• Music: Display album duration in info dialog. Album duration can be used in smart playlists in the same way as for songs
• Music: Read tags and and album art from music files served from an http(s) server
• Music: Fix list view of files containing multiple streams
• Feature: Audio decoder addons can now pass more information on Kodi (album, year, notes …)
• Audio decoder addons can now pass more information to Kodi (album, year, notes …)

Subtitles

• ASS: Fixed timestamp overlapping overlays

Skin/Look-and-Feel

• Improvements to both music and video library artwork
  • Better “out the box” behaviour, optionally use all image files found in media folders
  • Artwork levels – max, basic, custom, none
  • GUI settings for custom configuration of whitelists (replacing awkward editing of advancedsettings.xml)
• Redesigned SeekBar that will auto-hide when video playback is paused

Platform Specifics

• Apple TV
  • Fix Kodi crash on start after a manual install with dpkg -i command (jailbroken devices only)
  • Fix TopShelf feature after a manual install with dpkg -i command (jailbroken devices only except Unc0verTV devices, needs investigation)
  • Fix missing thumbs on TopShelf items

Python/Addons

• Fix scripts/plugins not being notified of abortRequest intents on app close
• Deprecate xbmc.translatepath in favour of xbmcvfs.translatepath towards convergence with the binary addon API
• Broken/deprecated add-ons are now highlighted in the add-on list, and you're now prompted when you try to activate one
• Fix: Prevent VFS addon changes (update, disable and uninstall) if in use
• Fix: VFS addon problem, where Kodi needed a restart before showing a newly-installed version
• Binary addon system revised to ensure higher security in data exchange between addon and Kodi (only inputstream missing)
• Revised binary add-on system documentation for outside developers (only inputstream missing)
• Internal binary add-on settings dialogs cleaned up, plus updated help text (audioencoder.kodi.builtin.aac, audioencoder.kodi.builtin.wma, screensaver.xbmc.builtin.dim)

Download KODI 19.x Alpha 2

You can download Kodi 18 ‘Matrix' from here by clicking here or type https://www.husham.com/kodi19dl. Let me know what you think of it in the comments below.