Adding an External Player to Kodi: A Beginner's Guide

As a user who is familiar with tinkering and customizing systems, you may have encountered situations where you want to add an external player to your Kodi setup. Perhaps you're looking for more control over the playback of specific media types or streams. In this article, we'll explore how to add an external player to Kodi and provide a step-by-step guide on how to use it.

Why Add an External Player?

Before we dive into the process, let's briefly discuss why adding an external player might be beneficial for you. Internal players can sometimes lack features or have limitations when playing certain media types or streams. By using an external player, you can tap into a wider range of playback options and customize your Kodi experience to better suit your needs.

Setting Up an External Player

To add an external player to Kodi, you'll need to create a file called `playercorefactory.xml`. This file is used by Kodi to determine which player to use for specific media types or streams. Here's a basic template you can use as a starting point:

```

In this example, we're using VLC to play H.265 encoded videos with corresponding names. The default internal player is used for everything else. You can customize this template to fit your specific needs by modifying the `path` and `operator` values.

Using Multiple External Players

One of the benefits of using an external player is that you can use multiple players for different media types or streams. For example, you might want to use VLC for H.265 videos but stick with the default internal player for MP3 files. To achieve this, simply add additional `rule` elements to your `playercorefactory.xml` file, each specifying a different external player and playback conditions.

Tips and Tricks

When setting up an external player, keep the following tips in mind:

* Make sure to save your `playercorefactory.xml` file as a plain text document.

* Verify that the contents of your desired player definitions match the actual deployment on your Android device.

* Be mindful of the filename and args parameters when specifying your external player.

Adding an external player to Kodi can be a great way to customize your media playback experience. By following this guide, you should now have a basic understanding of how to set up an external player using `playercorefactory.xml`. Whether you're looking for more control over H.265 video playback or simply want to experiment with different players, this feature has plenty to offer. So go ahead, get tinkering, and take your Kodi experience to the next level!

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