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It can be done without root. Follow this - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3227812
Kodi doesn't by default have launcher intent, so you either need a modified version of the apk or an app like this to use Kodi as a launcher. XBMC Launcher - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.blunden.xbmclauncher
Using this app to allow setting Kodi as a Launcher:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.blunden.xbmclauncher&hl=en_US
Then, you will need to disable the default home screen launcher in order to use another one.
using ADB (or a terminal app on the shield itself) you can run this command to disable the default launcher:
adb shell pm hide com.google.android.leanbacklauncher
I think the latest version of Android available for the shield requires a different app to be disabled but I cannot recall it off the top of my head.
I had to Root with this guide http://nvidiashieldzone.com/shield-android-tv/android-7-nougat/tutorial-root-shield-android-tv-2017-16gb-nougat/ it was a little difficult as it was my first time rooting an android product.
I then disabled the leanback launcher and and replaced it with an app called XBMC Launcher https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.blunden.xbmclauncher&hl=en. Now everything works great you can press the home button and bam right to SPMC. You can turn off the device, reboot, sleep, and it will still launch SPMC. GL!
PS make sure you read the prep and have all the required items.
Root with this guide http://nvidiashieldzone.com/shield-android-tv/android-7-nougat/tutorial-root-shield-android-tv-2017-16gb-nougat/ it was a little difficult as it was my first time rooting an android product.
I then disabled the leanback launcher and and replaced it with an app called XBMC Launcher https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.blunden.xbmclauncher&hl=en. Now everything works great you can press the home button and bam right to SPMC. You can turn off the device, reboot, sleep, and it will still launch SPMC. GL!
PS make sure you read the prep and have all the required items.
There's a Launcher that does what you are asking for.
Also, it might be better to head on over to /r/Addons4Kodi when discussing addons such as Exodus.
You can still make use of the Shields playback capability while avoiding the ads if you use Kodi as your home screen (by using an app like XMBC Launcher) and then you can use the Jellyfin Kodi add on.
It actually is superior to the native android tv client because it makes use of Kodis support for Dolby Vision, etc which the native app does not.
You can also get add ons for Netflix, Disney+, etc to stream through Kodi.
Using this app to allow setting Kodi as a Launcher:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.blunden.xbmclauncher&hl=en_US
Then, you will need to disable the default home screen launcher in order to use another one.
using ADB (or a terminal app on the shield itself) you can run this command to disable the default launcher:
adb shell pm hide com.google.android.leanbacklauncher
I think the latest version of Android available for the shield requires a different app to be disabled but I cannot recall it off the top of my head.
I usd this guide for the Shield 2017.Root with this guide http://nvidiashieldzone.com/shield-android-tv/android-7-nougat/tutorial-root-shield-android-tv-2017-16gb-nougat/ it was a little difficult as it was my first time rooting an android product.
I then disabled the leanback launcher and and replaced it with an app called XBMC Launcher https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.blunden.xbmclauncher&hl=en. Now everything works great you can press the home button and bam right to SPMC. You can turn off the device, reboot, sleep, and it will still launch SPMC. GL!
PS make sure you read the prep and have all the required items.
Getting Kodi and the XBMC Launcher and a skin like Aestyr: Saphyr could help. I wasn't able to get the Bluetooth to enable on start-up by changing the launcher though.
I would advise you not to use the RPi2, people are not being aware of your needs. The pi only has 100 megabit connection (12MB/s). Assuming that 10GB file is for a 2 hour movie, it means you have a 8MB/s encode for video, I'm not sure how much DTS 5.1 audio will take, but I would guess 1-2 MB/s. Including networking overhead you will be on the very limit of the RPi2 bandwidth limit.
Before deciding on the Pi I would advise you downgrade you current connection to 100Mbit and see if your movies play without stuttering before purchasing. Or consider investing in a gigabit adapter. Just be aware it won't perform at full gigabit speeds^[1]. .
The Amazon Fire TV suffers the same issue. No GB port. Although you could buy an OTG cable and USB gigabit adapter.
If you want to future proof your HTPC I would probably buy an Nvidia Shield TV, the Android TV interface looks good and is big, and you can just install Kodi from the play store. My only worries is that it stops getting supported in 1-2 years when the next version comes around (like most devices in the android world). You can get an app that make kodi act as the launcher. ^[2]
Personally I have a Nexus Player with Emby Server (Like Plex, but open source) it doesn't have ethernet at all but Emby just transcodes to lower bitrates if needed. I usually encode at 4MB/s tops so that's not usually a problem for me.
nexus tv is probably your best bet.
then use something like: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.blunden.xbmclauncher&hl=en
You'll have to set Kodi as the default launcher. Since it's not built in, you'll need this app.
Walmart ONN Android TV box + Usb-C Ethernet adapter with power passthrough + Launcher for XBMC should do the trick.
Which according to one guy is just a rip off of https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.blunden.xbmclauncher
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.blunden.xbmclauncher
Does this not work on the shield?
I can't speak if these work but you could give these two apps a try:
- Launcher for XBMC - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.blunden.xbmclauncher
- Launch on Boot - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=news.androidtv.launchonboot
A long time back I had an android box and used an app (I think it was XBMC Launcher.) It worked great, but it wasn't Android TV compatible. Ever since I moved on to Android TV, I haven't found a need for a launcher, which is why I can't speak to if those apps work or not.
The other thing you could look at is SPMC. It has an autoboot option - https://github.com/koying/SPMC/wiki/How-to-autostart-SPMC-on-boot