Kodi 19 Matrix comes with support for AV1, Python 3 and these other novelties, but the launch is not official yet

After two years of development, and although can be tested since last summer, Kodi 19 ya it can be downloaded. The codename they have used is Matrix, that of the famous trilogy (which will soon be joined by a fourth film) starring Keanu Reeves and where, I imagine this is no longer a spoiler, humans live in a kind of a nice dream so that machines can use us as batteries.

This is the first version of this series, and it will be in development approximately two more years until the launch of Kodi 20, whose code name should start with N. As a major update, they have not only focused on fixing bugs, but have introduced news like support for AV1 codec and that now only Python 3 is used. Python 2 is no longer supported, which can cause problems with addons until their developers update them.

Kodi 19 Matrix highlights

Before continuing, we have to advise that what we have written at the beginning of this article, that is, that Kodi 19 can now be downloaded does not mean that the release is 100% official. The developer team has already uploaded some versions to its server, such as the installable for Windows, but it will not be until a few hours (or some day) that they will announce the launch on their website and on social networks.

This explained, Kodi 19 Matrix arrives with these news:

• Support for AV1.
• Python 3, and abandoned the previous version.
• New Matrix-based image for music.
• New setting for music display to automatically open to full screen when playback starts.
• Improvements in the management of multi-disc CD packages and box sets, as well as disc release dates.
• Support has been added to change the opacity of the subtitles and a new dark gray color has been added for the subtitles.
• Added support for file tags over HTTPS.
• Improved view quality for Pixel Art games.
• Added support for more bicubic OpenGL climbers.
• The default theme, Estuary, has been improved, for example, with the new "Now Playing" view for music, where details are shown. The theme also supports displaying information about chapters for music videos.
• The PVR module has been improved with support for reminders, groups of TV and radio channels, widgets for the main screen and dynamic PVR categories for the main theme, that is, in Estuary. The management of groups and channels has also been improved, the start of EPG inputs as live is now supported and several other improvements.
• Linux users will no longer have to choose a different binary depending on the environment, since a general one is now used for X11, Wayland and GBM.
• On Android, support for static HDR10 has been added for all types of sources and Dynamic Dolby Vision HDR is also supported for streaming services, as long as the device supports it.
• On iOS, where almost no one uses it because it is necessary to jailbreak, use unreliable sources or sign the IPA with a developer account, it now supports video game controllers for Xbox, PlayStation and other consoles.

Soon on your PC ...

… so so. Right now and as we have explained, it can already be downloaded for Windows, but the Linux version will take a little longer to arrive. The first thing we can install, except for surprise, will be the Flatpak version, and also if we have added the official repository of the project, as explained in its Wiki, available here. Those of you who decide to use the version of the official repositories will have to wait longer, since, for example, what is available in the Ubuntu repositories, which is what I have been able to verify, is Kodi 18.8, v18.9 is already available. .XNUMX of the software for a while.

In any case, there is already a new version of Kodi, and the upgrade is worth it… if you don't depend on Python 2.