OpenRouter Cloud Models Setup Guide

OpenRouter is a unified cloud gateway offering access to 200+ state-of-the-art AI models (DeepSeek V3, Gemini 2.5 Flash, Claude 3.5 Haiku, GPT-4o, and more).

It is the optimal choice for lightweight laptops without dedicated GPUs, or users seeking studio-quality cinematic translations.

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1. Obtain an API Key

1. Sign up at OpenRouter.ai.
2. Navigate to Keys and click Create Key.
3. Copy your newly generated key (sk-or-v1-...).
4. (Optional) Add a small credit balance (e.g. $5 is enough to translate dozens of full TV seasons).

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2. Recommended Model Pairings

Use Case	Translation Model	Supervisor Model	Highlights
Best Value (Recommended)	deepseek/deepseek-chat	google/gemini-2.0-flash-001	Highly idiomatic, ultra-affordable (~$0.005 per episode).
Ultra-Low Latency	google/gemini-2.0-flash-001	google/gemini-2.0-flash-001	Sub-second response time with near-instant lookahead.
Studio Quality	anthropic/claude-3.5-haiku	anthropic/claude-3.5-haiku	Nuanced dialogue, natural rhetoric, exceptional humor handling.

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3. Configuring CoWatcher

1. Open the CoWatcher popup panel.
2. Select OpenRouter in the AI Service Provider dropdown.
3. Paste your API key into the OpenRouter API Key input.
4. Click Connect:
   • CoWatcher validates the key and dynamically fetches the available model catalog.
   • The status indicator turns 🟢 Connected.
5. Select your Translation Model and Supervisor Model, then enjoy your shows!