I have been using Kodi for 3 years now on a HTPC laptop and like it for all the Video on Demand type of stuff. And if you use the tvaddsons customization, installing addons is a breeze. But recently got into the live tv need and started using the Stalker Client built into Kodi 16 with a service. Then tried the same service on an Android phone (temporarily as I do not have an Android box yet) using the STB Emulator App. I will say that for live TV the Emulator route is lot more better. You can flip between channels lot easier and they flip faster in the Emulator. And the service I use does not have VOD if using it via Kodi, but you get it if using it via STB Emulator.
I could not find an Emulator for use on my Windows HTPC. You can go Bluestacks or Memu route, but that would slow down my barebones HTPC. And in the end, you still cannot get the close to dumb remote experience of a cable tv box. I have a compact bluetooth keyboard with trackpad that I use with the HTPC. I tried the Yatse remote for channel flipping. That works, but then going back from a full screen live fee to the Windowed feed on the right and channel listing on the left was not easy to get into.
In the end, I gave up and have ordered a cheap $50 bucks Android box. Will use Kodi for rest of the VOD stuff and the Android box for live tv. I will install Kodi on the Android box as well and maybe entirely get rid of the HTPC Laptop and use it for something else.