
Kodi is a strong, free, and open-source media player with vast entertainment content. However, buffering is quick to ruin your live streaming. If you have been continuously experiencing buffering while using Kodi, here’s how to spot and possibly solve the problems causing buffering with Kodi. So, let’s get started!
1. Check Your Internet Connection
Buffering usually comes about with poor internet or unstable internet. This can be corrected in the following ways:Test Your Internet Speed: Log onto a website that provides an online speed test tool to ensure that your connection meets at least the minimum requirement to stream, which is 5 Mbps for HD or 25 Mbps for 4K.Try Ethernet: If allowed, try to use it with a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi.Restart Your Router: Power cycle your router and modem to refresh your connection.Limit other devices using the same network while streaming.
2. Kodi Settings Optimization
The default settings on Kodi may not be the best for your system. Tweaking these can cut down buffering to a great extent.
Adjust Cache Size:
Install the “Ares Wizard” add-on or any other maintenance tool.
Open the “Tweaks” or “Advanced Settings Wizard.”
Increase the video cache size but not more than the available memory of your device.
Enable Hardware Acceleration:
Go to Settings > Player > Videos.
Enable the option like “Allow hardware acceleration (DXVA2)” or whatever your device’s option says for the feature.
Playback Settings
Set Buffer mode to “2” -for internet streams, in the advancedsettings.xml
If you’re not really savvy with xml edit, check tutorials on this step.
3. Use a Reputable Add-on
Add-ons within Kodi can actually have low-end streaming servers sometimes causing it to buffer.
Choose Trusted Add-ons: Use official Kodi add-ons or reputable third-party add-ons with a good track record.
Check Server Load: If an add-on provides multiple streaming links, choose one with a lower server load.
Update Add-ons: Ensure your add-ons are up to date to benefit from the latest optimizations.
4. Clear Kodi Cache
Over time, Kodi’s cache can become full and lead to buffering issues.
Clear Cache with Add-ons:
Install a maintenance tool such as “Ares Wizard” or “EzzerMacs Wizard”.
Use the option “Clear Cache” in the application.
Manually Clear Cache:
Locate the Kodi folder from your device.
Delete all files and directories in the folder “temp”, or just “cache”.
5. Apply a VPN
Internet Service Providers sometimes throttle their bandwidth for streaming causing buffering. Select a good VPN that focuses on streaming use to bypass ISPs throttling on your internet, stream to the high-performance servers with it.
Set Up on Kodi: Install the VPN app on your device or configure it to work directly with Kodi.
6. Improve Hardware
Kodi can be quite demanding on old or underpowered hardware, and may fail to run with proper smooth high quality streams.
Upgrade Your Streaming Device: Upgrade to a more powerful streaming device, like NVIDIA Shield, or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, or even a Raspberry Pi 4.
Increase Storage: Ensure your device has enough storage to handle larger cache sizes.
7. Update Kodi
Running an outdated version of Kodi can lead to performance issues, including buffering.
Check for Updates:
Go to Kodi’s official website and download the latest version.
Update Kodi on your device, ensuring compatibility with add-ons and dependencies.
8. Switch to a Better Source
Sometimes, the source of the stream may be the issue.
Try a different link: if the add-on provides multiple links for the same content, use a different one.
Use Paid Streaming Services: there are various paid services providing better quality streams and reliability
Conclusion
Buffering on Kodi can be frustrating, but it’s not an insurmountable problem. Checking your internet connection, optimizing Kodi settings, and ensuring you’re using the right hardware and add-ons will help you enjoy a seamless streaming experience. Follow this guide, and say goodbye to buffering interruptions