What happened to the Elysium add-on for Kodi 17.6? Tips on how to solve this issue

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You may be aware that Elysium Kodi add-on has recently stopped functioning properly. In addition to this, it is no longer available from the NoobsandNerds (NaN) repo source. This is a major inconvenience as Elysium is by far one of the best add-ons available for Kodi 17.6. Luckily for you we can explain to you what has happened and what measures to take to fix this issue.

Elysium was one of the most popular 3rd-party add-ons for the Kodi platform. Its function was to essentially link together sources of streaming content that were hosted from a variety of locations online. Unfortunately what seems to have happened is that the NaN repo, which hosted the source for Elysium went offline on the 14th of February. There are contradicting accounts of what really happened but here is what we’ve been able to surmise.

It must be noted that the NaN repository was well known for hosting and providing add-ons that used unofficial sources, which is normally a red flag. It is highly recommended that you use official sources when downloading or streaming content for the Kodi platform whenever possible.

A quick message about VPNs for Kodi

You may have heard this warning before but many Kodi users swear by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) – which helps conceal internet histories from your ISP or your government, ensuring your practices stay anonymous. VPNs are a great backup plan in case you accidentally stumble upon any content or software that would be considered a violation of copyright laws or other similar rules.

VPNs essentially obscure and encrypt your network’s personal traffic. This is how it makes your activities anonymous and it no longer gives them a reason to accuse you of accessing forbidden material or to dampen your internet connection speeds and rates.

While there is an innumerable amount of VPNs to select from, it makes the most sense to choose one that is most compatible with streaming high definition content, as well as one that has a small and minimized effect on overall browsing speeds and the available catalog of streaming sources.

IPVanish is one of the better VPNs for these purposes. What it does better than other VPNs is that they own their own servers, which allows them to resolve any connection issues much faster than other companies. Their app is available on Android, iOS and Amazon Fire TV platforms.

So – What did happen to the Elysium add-on?

As mentioned previously, the first indication was that the NoobsandNerds repository and website suddenly went offline. It appears that instead of being voluntarily taken down NaN was shut down by a web hosting company.

It was confirmed by OpenELEQ, one of the developers of NoobsandNerds, that a legal issue was the case. They claimed that the team decided to cease development rather than participate in a long and arduous legal case battle that surely would have cost them a lot of time and money.

An article later came out released by TorrentFreak confirming that the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, also known as ACE, was behind both the letter and the shutdown.

NoobsandNerds’ Twitter account was also deactivated. This has happened before and is not an unusual chain of events. Third party Kodi developers have been previously threatened by either ACE or the MPAA (the Motion Picture Association of America) accusing them of committing copyright infringement.

Then a Reddit account that was suspected of belonging to TVAddons’ developers made the suggestion that the NoobsandNerds developers had given away user databases, which was a charge that was previously attributed to Adam Lackman of TVAddons.

Still to this day, there is no indication or verification whether the NaN team have a lawsuit pending still or if it has been avoided entirely by the shutdown of their site and hosting capabilities. Regardless it seems that NoobsandNerds is gone for good and it is highly unlikely that it will ever come back.

Tips on how to keep your own set-up secure

What we recommend is that when repositories go offline, especially when the causes are of a legal nature, disable automatic updates to your streaming services in case you have not already. The reason for this is because it sometimes happens that a fraudulent version of the add-on claims to be back online. This is a hijacking stunt, and their automatic updates could be just an excuse to spread malware or even spread legal issues your way. Or even worse, you could grant a hacker access to your own computer or hardware.

If you want to turn off automatic updates in Kodi, follow these simple instructions.

Step 1. Click on the Settings icon in the home screen. It looks like a gear or a cog.

Step 1

Step 2.  After that go to the right hand side of the new page and select System Settings.

Step 2

Step 3. Then click on add-ons in the newly spawned list on the left, and then move over to the right hand side.

Step 3

Step 4. Click on the Updates option and then click on “Notify, but don’t install updates.”

Step 4

Step 5

This is the option that will allow you to know whenever a new add-on has a pending update so that you can research it yourself. This will protect you and prevent you from downloading and installing potentially harmful data.

Replacements for Elysium

Don’t even think about throwing Kodi away just because Elysium is no more. Sure, it was arguably the best add-on for the platform but believe me when I tell you that there are many excellent replacements that provide a high quality experience that is just as good as Elysium. Not to mention that many of these alternatives are legal and are therefore at a very low risk of being taken down.

Tubi TV

Tubi TV is a lesser known but still reputable streaming add-on that provides an astonishingly large catalog of online content. It is almost as big as Netflix’s. However the big difference is that Tubi TV is totally free and requires no subscription fees unlike Netflix. Its content is available in nearly every country in the world.

Unlike many other streaming services Tubi TV has many popular and well-known titles. Categories are neatly organized as well which is an invaluable benefit considering how much content is available here.

Tubi TV is available in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Different regions will have access to different programs as Tubi TV uses geographic domain-based content locking and blocking. If you want the full access to everything they have to offer then you will need to use a Virtual Private Network to bypass the region locking feature. Fortunately for us, Tubi TV does not negate proxies so a VPN will work just fine.

Big Star Movies

Big Star Movies is another streaming platform that is comparable to Tubi TV. Its biggest difference is that the main website allows you to rent movies that are not available for free. However the add-on which is compatible with Kodi allows you to watch all of Big Star’s content for free and immediately.

Big Star Movies and TV doesn’t have content as well known as Tubi TV or Netflix, especially in the film department. But it is still a great source for being exposed to serial televised programing.

Crackle

Crackle is a name you may have heard before. Here is why: they are owned by Sony. This means that with big funds backing them up they have secured access to more well-known and popular titles if that is your cup of tea. The database isn’t the largest and some of the material is a little old but it’s a free service and many people have only had good things to say about the quality of the library and the streaming itself.

SnagFilms

This is the last and lesser known service on our list. Over 5000 free to view, independent films are to be found on SnagFilms. And the best part is that most of them are available in high definition. It’s probably because the database is smaller than average but SnagFilms has a very good categorization and search function that is much more in-depth than what we’re normally used to.

The UI itself is very simple as well meaning that navigation is easy and intuitive. You can find SnagFilms from the official Kodi addon repository.

Our Final Thoughts

When in doubt, you could easily just download all four of the streams we have just recommended. They all have their strengths and weakness but we believe that all four combined together will not only enhance your Kodi experience but could perhaps even surpass the original experience of using Elysium as your primary add-on.

You should note that the number of third-party add-ons receiving cease and desist requests has been gradually increasing lately. We tell you this so that you can keep an eye out for any third party services you are currently still using, and prepare yourself for the chance that they are taken down.

*Disclaimer: MobileYouth does not endorse illegally acquiring copy-righted content. Streaming content that is copyrighted is considered unlawful and is not advised under any circumstances. This guide is a set of instructions, not an endorsement or a call to action.