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Clones

Configured under Settings → Advanced → Tools → Create EasyTV copy...

Create multiple EasyTV instances with completely independent settings. Each clone is a separate addon that shares the core code but maintains its own configuration.

Why Clone?

Use Case Main EasyTV Clone
Different content All shows Only comedies
Different modes Browse mode Random playlist
Different users Adult content Kids-only content
Different rooms Living room setup Bedroom setup

Creating a Clone

  1. Go to Settings → Advanced → Tools
  2. Click Create EasyTV copy...
  3. Enter a name for the clone (e.g., "Kids TV", "Comedies")
  4. A progress dialog shows the creation steps
  5. A prompt offers to restart Kodi (recommended)

What Gets Created

A new addon appears in Add-ons → Program add-ons:

  • Named "EasyTV - [Your Name]" (e.g., "EasyTV - Kids TV")
  • Completely separate settings
  • Uses the same background service data
  • Can be added to your home screen independently

Clone Settings

Each clone has its own:

  • Launch behavior (Browse vs Random vs Ask)
  • Show filter (which shows to include)
  • Smart playlist selection
  • Random-order shows list
  • Browse mode appearance
  • Random playlist configuration
  • All playback settings

The show filter and random-order shows list are each clone's own. They are configured in the clone's settings and do not inherit from the main addon or from other clones. A clone's show filter controls which shows the clone includes; its random-order shows list controls which of those shows use random episode selection. Both must be configured separately in the clone's own settings.

Performance note: In Browse Mode, a clone with random-order shows performs a brief per-show metadata lookup on window open for each random-order show whose selected episode differs from the main addon's cached pick (approximately 85 ms per such show). Very large random-order lists make a clone's Browse Mode open slower. Random Playlist mode is not affected.

Custom Icons for Clones

Each clone can have its own custom icon, making them visually distinct in Kodi menus:

  1. Open the clone's settings
  2. Go to EasyTV > Appearance
  3. Click Set custom icon
  4. Choose an image file

This makes it easy to identify different clones at a glance (e.g., a kids icon for a kids-only clone).

Clone Limitations

Clones share:

  • The core EasyTV code
  • The background service's show/episode data
  • Duration cache
  • Auto-created smart playlists (managed by main addon only)

Clones do NOT:

  • Affect each other's settings or the main addon's settings
  • Participate in multi-instance sync. Clones use the main addon's local data only.
  • Run their own background service. The main EasyTV addon handles all background work for every clone.

Clone Random-Order Limitations

These are architectural, not tuning issues: a clone runs the addon code but has no background service of its own and cannot own the shared per-show display state (that belongs to the main addon's service). So a clone resolves its picks locally and, in Browse Mode, fetches their metadata on demand rather than from the shared cache.

Browse Mode performance. Opening Browse Mode triggers a brief per-show metadata lookup for each random-order show whose clone pick differs from the main addon's cached episode (approximately 85 ms per show). Very large random-order lists will slow the clone's Browse Mode open noticeably. Random Playlist mode is not affected.

"Both" mode with "Allow multiple episodes" (lazy queue). When a clone's Episode Selection is set to "Both" and "Allow multiple episodes of same TV show" is also enabled, playlist replenishment runs through a lazy queue managed by the background service. On this path the clone's random-order selection is not applied; random-order shows follow the service's shared episode tracking instead. All other mode combinations apply the clone's random-order selection correctly.

Premiere filter with random-order shows. When premiere filtering is active (Skip or Only premieres), the premiere check uses the main addon's cached episode for each random-order show rather than the clone's random pick. A show could be included or excluded based on the wrong episode. This is a non-default setting and affects only random-order shows that are also subject to premiere filtering.

"Allow multiple episodes" with random-order shows (Unwatched mode). When "Allow multiple episodes of same TV show" is enabled and Episode Selection is Unwatched, subsequent episode picks for a random-order show are anchored to the service's cached episode rather than the clone's actual first pick. Rarely, the same episode may appear more than once within a single playlist build.

Browse episode changes on refresh. A random-order show in a clone's Browse list may display a different episode after a manual refresh or an in-list update. The episode is re-selected randomly each time the row is rendered. This is expected behavior and consistent with how random-order shows work throughout EasyTV.

Updating Clones

When you update EasyTV (install a new version), clones need to be updated too:

  1. Launch a clone after updating the main addon
  2. EasyTV detects the version mismatch
  3. A dialog appears: "EasyTV has updated and this clone is now out of date"
  4. Click Yes to update
  5. A progress dialog shows the update steps
  6. Restart Kodi when prompted

The update process:

  • Preserves all clone settings
  • Updates only the code files
  • Takes just a few seconds

Removing a Clone

  1. Go to Settings → Add-ons → My add-ons → Program add-ons
  2. Find the clone (e.g., "EasyTV - Kids TV")
  3. Click Uninstall

This removes only the clone, not the main EasyTV addon.

Power User Pattern: Main as Service, Clones as Entry Points

For advanced setups, you can use the main EasyTV addon purely as a background service manager while using clones as your actual entry points. This pattern is useful when you want different "channels" for different types of content.

Example setup:

Addon Purpose Configuration
Main EasyTV Background service only Filters to master playlist, generates smart playlists, never launched directly
EasyTV - In Progress Continue watching Launches to Browse Mode, sorted by last watched
EasyTV - Season Premiere New seasons Filters to Season Premieres playlist
EasyTV - Show Premiere New shows to start Filters to Show Premieres playlist

Benefits:

  • Each clone can be added to your home screen as a separate menu item
  • Different filters for different viewing moods
  • Main addon handles all background work and smart playlist generation
  • Smart playlists inherit the main addon's show filter (if enabled)

Setup steps:

  1. Configure the main addon's show filter to your master playlist
  2. Enable smart playlist export and "Apply show filter to smart playlists" on the main addon
  3. Create clones for each "channel" you want
  4. Configure each clone with its own filter or launch behavior
  5. Add clones to your skin's home menu