Jailbreak Roku, Kodi on Roku And Other Internet Fairy Tales
Roku is a pretty cool media streamer and it does a lot of things really well. But if you bought it thinking you can easily jailbreak Roku to put Kodi on Roku and watch all kinds of content for free like your Android media streamer owning buddies. Sadly it's not really possible. At least not like you think.
Because Roku uses a really well locked down OS and only channels approved by Roku are allowed in their walled garden. But there are some ways to get over the wall and do some pretty cool things on Roku that even your Fire TV buddies can't do.
First Let's look at these Internet Myths about Roku One by One
There Is No Jailbreak for Roku That Will Install Kodi on Roku
You can't really jailbreak a Roku. The term jailbreak came about early in the Apple TV and iPhone days. Because they also live in a very restricted and walled in garden.
But some clever geniuses figured out that they could get through their security and install an alternate OS or different apps on these devices that allowed you to play files and use apps not approved by Apple. This quickly opened these devices up to popular apps like Kodi, which through the use of 3rd party add-ons allowed all kinds of Free and mostly illegal content to be streamed.
With Roku, their OS has not been yet jailbroken and you can't install Kodi directly on Roku like you can on an Android media player, or Nvidia Shield. It's not going to happen until someone figures out how to break through their security on the device itself. And even if they could run Kodi, Roku media players are not the fastest media streamers out there.
Other media streamers like a Nvidia SHIELD TV box which would run Kodi many times faster and better. Plus this media streamer also gives you access to many other Android TV apps which are even nicer than Kodi that can be side loaded to work on a SHIELD TV box as well.
Instead of using it on Roku you would be far better off putting Kodi on a Nvidia Shield or Apple TV which can be done without Jailbreaking your device. And possibly risk bricking it in the process.
Bricking is term used where in the process of Jailbreaking, something goes wrong and your device becomes a brick. Who's only useful purpose may be that of a doorstop.
Mirroring Kodi To Roku
But if you insist, there is a way to watch Kodi on Roku using something called mirroring. But mirroring while technically it will work, tends to be glitchy and it may not be worth the trouble. Mirroring is where Kodi or other content that is running on another device like a PC or Android Phone, and then the picture which is a mirror image of the device screen is also played on your TV with your Roku. Your other mirrored device must remain on and running while watching Kodi on your TV. And while it's in use it can't be used for anything else while the movie or show is being watched on Roku.
Again, it would be a lot better to attach a device that can run Kodi natively to your TV like a laptop that has a HDMI out port. Rather than trying to fiddle with it through Roku using Mirroring.
Casting to Roku is another term often used and we like using casting much better than mirroring. This is where you click on a compatible video link on another device in a web browser and the video will then play on your TV through your Roku. Your device can be then used to surf or do other things while the video continues to play on your television. It can even be paused or resumed using your Roku remote.
One of the coolest ways to cast to Roku is with the Free RokuKast extension for Chrome. No other channels or paid apps are needed to make this work. The full step-by-step instructions for installing RokuKast are here.
So please don't get fooled by misleading headlines on some websites claiming to show you how to install Kodi on Roku or how to perform a Roku jailbreak. Some sites love using clickbait titles to try and sell you stuff or click their ads. And they won't show you anything different from what you have already learned here.
3 Things Roku Offers That Other Media Streamers Don't
1. Roku Offers Platform Independent Search
Roku is the only media streamer that will let you search for content without directing you towards their own paid content like the Amazon Fire TV. Instead they list their search results by all the channel sources available on their platform. Including those that even have a movie or TV show for Free. And they also list from the lowest rental cost to the most expensive.
2. Roku is Responsive and Easy to Use
Compared to any Android TV or Fire TV media streamer, Roku is much easier to use. And its interface is smooth, fast and fluid. You won't need to deal with cumbersome menus, a phone like interface or slow and sluggish performance. Of all the media streamers out there, besides the Apple TV Roku is one of the easiest to learn how to use for new cord cutters.
3. Private Roku Channels Including 18+ Adult TV Channels
One thing you will also find on Roku and not any of the others is a long list of Private Roku Channels. These private uncertified-Roku channels are not available in their public store and some private channels contain full adult content. We have put together a long list of codes for private channels which can be added to your Roku.
