# plugin.video.netflix: Netflix add-on for Kodi with suspended video playback > Plugin.video.netflix is an InputStream-based Kodi add-on that gives access to Netflix content, library export, and watched-status sync. Development is currently suspended due to Netflix website changes, and video quality is limited to SD on most devices. **CastagnaIT/plugin.video.netflix** — InputStream based Netflix plugin for Kodi - Repository: https://github.com/CastagnaIT/plugin.video.netflix - Stars: 2,036 · Forks: 277 - Language: Python - License: MIT - Published: 2026-10-11 · Updated: 2026-10-11 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/castagnait-plugin-video-netflix ## Development suspended: what the README warning means before you install The most important fact about plugin.video.netflix appears as a warning at the top of its README. Development of the add-on has been suspended due to changes to the Netflix website that prevent proper video playback. When the plugin does work, quality is limited to SD, and only on some Linux and Android devices. Anyone evaluating this plugin for general Netflix viewing should read that warning before proceeding. This is not a minor limitation. The SD-only restriction means 1080P and 4K playback, both listed in the feature section, are not currently functional for most users. Issue #1627 in the project repository is referenced for those who want to help find a solution to the playback problem, which the README links directly. The plugin is not archived, and the last push was on 2026-07-10. Version v1.23.5 was published on 2025-08-24, with v1.23.4 on 2025-05-15 before it. These signal that the codebase is still receiving attention, but the functional state is what the README warning describes: SD quality, limited device support, development on hold. ## Installing via the CastagnaIT repository for automatic updates Two installation paths are documented in the README. For automatic updates, the recommended approach is to install the plugin through the CastagnaIT repository by first adding the repository itself to Kodi using the following zip file: https://github.com/castagnait/repository.castagnait/raw/kodi/repository.castagnait-2.0.1.zip Once that repository is installed, plugin.video.netflix can be installed and updated from Kodi's add-on manager without returning to a browser. For manual installation without the repository, add https://castagnait.github.io/repository.castagnait/ as a file source in the Kodi file manager. Release files under the "kodi19" folder in that location are documented as compatible with Kodi v19, v20, v21, and v22. Kodi v18 is not supported, as stated explicitly in the README. No command-line installation steps are documented for end users. The requirements.txt at the repository root lists development and testing dependencies (codecov, kodi-addon-checker, pylint, tox, and others including Kodistubs==19.0.3) rather than runtime prerequisites for viewers. ## Resolution limits: 4K requires Widevine L1, HDCP 2.2 and Netflix certification A high resolution table in the README documents what quality level is achievable across platforms. Linux distributions and OSMC, CoreELEC, and LibreELEC systems can potentially reach 1080P, but software decoding does not guarantee it. Windows and macOS cannot reliably deliver 1080P for the same reason, and 4K is unavailable on both due to Widevine limitations as noted in the table footnotes. iOS and tvOS are not supported. Android is the only platform category where 4K is marked as available. The requirements are exact: hardware decoding, a Netflix-certified device, Widevine Security Level L1, and HDCP 2.2 hardware all on the same machine. The README adds that some Android devices fail even so, due to Netflix restrictions on devices with non-genuine certifications, with Chinese boxes cited as a common failure case. Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Digital Atmos require a premium Netflix account. HDR, HDR10, and Dolby Vision output are available only on capable Android devices and also require a premium account. A list of tested Android devices for 1080P and 4K is maintained on the project wiki, linked from the README. ## InputStream delivery and the Widevine layer that controls stream quality Plugin.video.netflix is described as an InputStream-based plugin, meaning it uses Kodi's InputStream component to receive and hand off video streams from Netflix. The plugin handles authentication, content navigation, and stream requests; InputStream takes the resulting stream and passes the decryption work to the Widevine DRM layer. This architecture is why the resolution limits in the table are not adjustable through plugin settings. Widevine controls what quality Netflix will license to a given device, based on the security level the hardware supports. The table footnotes describe 4K as "currently not available due to widevine limitations," confirming that this is an external constraint rather than a plugin feature gap. For the same reason, changes Netflix makes to its website authentication or stream delivery can break the plugin entirely, which is what the suspended development warning reports. The plugin cannot work around changes at Netflix's end by releasing a new version quickly if the Netflix API itself has changed in ways that block InputStream access. Issue #1627 is where the current investigation into that problem is tracked. ## Authentication key login when the standard password flow returns an error Login to the plugin follows two paths: standard login with a Netflix account email and password, or an authentication key for cases where the standard flow fails. When standard login returns an "incorrect password" error, the README documents the authentication key as an alternative. A dedicated wiki page covers the authentication key process, linked from the README. This second login path exists specifically to handle the case where standard credentials are rejected by Netflix's login system even though the password is correct. How to obtain the authentication key and what format the plugin expects is in the wiki rather than the README itself. The plugin is not officially commissioned or supported by Netflix, as the README's disclaimer states. Authentication works against Netflix directly, so any change in Netflix's login flow affects whether either method continues to function. No offline or cached authentication mode is described in the README, and whether a logged-in session persists between Kodi restarts without re-entering credentials is not documented in the README. ## Kodi library export, watched status sync, and MySQL-backed multi-device sharing Beyond stream playback, plugin.video.netflix supports exporting Netflix content into the Kodi library, so TV shows and movies appear alongside locally owned media. Auto-sync keeps that export current. Watched status can be synchronised back to Netflix, allowing a viewer who pauses in Kodi to resume from the same point in the Netflix app. A dedicated wiki page documents how that sync works and its limitations. Multi-device library sharing requires a MySQL server. When multiple Kodi installations share a MySQL database, the exported Netflix library is accessible on all of them. This is a documented requirement rather than a default capability. Integration with the Up Next add-on, which proposes playing the next episode automatically, is listed as a supported feature. Up Next is a separate Kodi add-on, not bundled with plugin.video.netflix. The README also lists support for My List management, trailers accessible via context menu, and display of curated lists such as New releases and Netflix originals. ## MIT licence, Kodi 19 to 22, and three releases between 2024 and 2025 Plugin.video.netflix is released under the MIT licence. Supported Kodi versions are 19, 20, 21, and 22, as documented in the README badges. Kodi v18 is not supported. Three releases are listed: v1.23.3 on 2024-04-16, v1.23.4 on 2025-05-15, and v1.23.5 on 2025-08-24. Release activity continued at roughly one or two tagged versions per year between 2024 and 2025. A changelog.txt file exists at the repository root. The Makefile in the repository root defines a build process that packages the add-on into a zip file for distribution, using xmllint to read the add-on ID and version from addon.xml. Tests are run via tox and pylint, with unit tests, service tests, and run tests called separately. This development infrastructure is for contributors modifying the plugin, not for end users installing it through the Kodi repository. The MIT licence permits modification and redistribution. Since this add-on connects to a third-party service not affiliated with the project, any modification that changes authentication behaviour carries its own legal and terms-of-service implications independent of the MIT terms. ## Conclusion Plugin.video.netflix is worth installing only if you can test it on a Linux or Android device and accept that the README explicitly reports development is suspended and video is limited to SD quality. Skip it if you need reliable 1080P or 4K streaming, if your Kodi runs on Windows or macOS, or if you expect ongoing bug fixes. Before installing, read issue #1627 in the repository to understand the current playback state and whether any partial workaround has been identified since the warning was added. ## FAQ ### What is plugin.video.netflix? It is an InputStream-based Kodi add-on that lets you browse and watch Netflix content through the Kodi media player. It supports profile management, My List, library export, watched-status sync with Netflix, and multi-device library sharing via MySQL. ### Does plugin.video.netflix still work? According to the README, development has been suspended due to Netflix website changes that prevent proper video playback. When the plugin functions, video is limited to SD quality and works only on some Linux and Android devices. Issue #1627 in the repository tracks the problem. ### How do I install plugin.video.netflix? Install it through the CastagnaIT repository by first adding repository.castagnait-2.0.1.zip to Kodi, after which the add-on can be installed and updated from Kodi's add-on manager. Kodi v18 is not supported; supported versions are 19, 20, 21, and 22. ### Does plugin.video.netflix support 4K? 4K is available only on Android devices that have Netflix certification, Widevine Security Level L1, and HDCP 2.2 hardware. On Windows, macOS and Linux distributions, 4K is unavailable due to Widevine limitations as stated in the README resolution table. ### Does plugin.video.netflix work on Windows? Windows is listed in the resolution table, but 1080P is not guaranteed because Windows uses software decoding, and 4K is not available due to Widevine limitations. The README does not document a supported configuration for reliable high-resolution playback on Windows. ## Sources - [CastagnaIT/plugin.video.netflix on GitHub](https://github.com/CastagnaIT/plugin.video.netflix) - [Issues](https://github.com/CastagnaIT/plugin.video.netflix/issues) - [License: MIT](https://github.com/CastagnaIT/plugin.video.netflix/blob/master/LICENSE) - [README](https://github.com/CastagnaIT/plugin.video.netflix/blob/master/README.md) - [Releases](https://github.com/CastagnaIT/plugin.video.netflix/releases) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/castagnait-plugin-video-netflix