Kodi Buddy is undoubtedly one of the popular and well-known streaming sites. It acts as a platform that bridges the gap between the thousands of streaming sources and millions of users that stream online content. But the continuous and smooth experience of entertainment is what every user wants. And so today we are going to talk about an uncommon issue faced by the Kodi streamers. The Kodi buffering issues are very annoying that can bar you from the joy of streaming your favorite shows.
Kodi buffering problem is experienced by users using Kodi add-ons to watch live videos. And so to prevent you guys, from this unpleasant experience here are the best solutions to fix Kodi buffering issues.
Reasons behind Kodi Buffering?
We are providing you the best five fixes for the Kodi buffering issues but before that let us know some of the major reasons that could be leading to the problem.
- Slow internet connection speed
- Limited bandwidth
- Network connection problems
- Internet congestion
- ISP throttling
- Excessive Kodi cache
Due to these causes, you might be facing a buffering issue, however, make sure that when you install the third-party add-ons for Kodi keep your activity hidden. Use a strong VPN to hide it from your ISP.
How to Fix Kodi Buffering Issue?
Buffering issues on Kodi is not limited to a specific stream of Kodi add-on. And so here are the five effective ways with which you can fix the issue.
Method 1- Using Ares Wizard fix Kodi Buffering Issue
One of the most widely used diagnostic tools for maintenance of Kodi is Ares Wizard. Cache is saved on the hard drive or RAM of your device on a temporary basis. The cache file is usually small, as Kodi uses low memory and so it runs smoothly even on a device with small RAM. And so one of the effective fix to decrease buffering on Kodi is to increase the cache size. One of the easiest and safest methods to do it, is using the Ares Wizard add-on.
Step 1: Launch Kodi Krypton, and then click on the Settings icon. Now click on System Settings.
Step 2: In the new window, click on Expert Mode> Add-ons. Now enable the Unknown sources option. This will allow you to install third-party add-ons on your device.
Step 3: Click on Yes option, and again go to the Settings from the home screen of Kodi.
Step 4: Now follow the given path- File Manager> Add source. Then select the None option and paste the following sequence in the space given- http://ares-repo.eu/
Step 5: Name it as Ares and then click on Ok. Now go back to the back screen and then click on Add-ons.
Step 6: At the top left corner you will find the Package Installer Icon. Click on it.
Step 7: Now follow the given path- Install from Zip File> Ares> repository aresproject.zip. Wait for the notification box of Ares wizard Enabled.
Step 8: Then click on Install from Repo, followed by Program Add-ons> Ares Wizard> Install.
The process of installation will soon begin. Now you will have to adjust the cache size using the Ares Wizard. Follow the given step-by-step instructions.
How to Adjust Cache Size Using Ares Wizard on Kodi
Step 1: Click on My addons option. Then go to Program Add-ons.
Step 2: Now choose Ares Wizard. After launching the Wizard, click on Tweaks option.
Step 3: Select the Advanced Settings Wizard option. A word of caution will be displayed, read it and then click on the Next button that will be displayed on the bottom right corner of your screen.
Step 4: On the bottom right corner click on Generate Settings. Now in the next window, optimize the cache size by dragging the left and right slider.
You can also choose between the given four modes, by tweaking. Here are the four modes that are available-
- Mode 1: In this mode, Kodi buffers all streams on Internet. It also includes FTP.
- Mode 2: It’s the default mode. And so Kodi buffers everything.
- Mode 3: Kodi buffers is restricted to streams from sites.
- Mode 4: Choose Mode 4 if you want to disable buffering all together.
Method 2- Fix Kodi Buffering Issue by Adjusting the HQ Scaler
In case you are facing buffering issues on Kodi or frame dropping or video stuttering which are somewhat similar to the buffering issue, then you can try this method as well. One of the reasons behind this is that Kodi automatically scales up the lower quality streams into a high-quality video. And so by adjusting the HQ scale, you can prevent the effects of video scaling process.
Step 1: Launch Kodi and then open Settings. Now click on Player Settings.
Step 2: Now check if the Settings option is set to Expert beside the Settings gear icon.
Step 3: Now on the right-hand side, under the Processing section locate Enable HQ scalers for scaling above.
This option will be set to 10%. You need to decrease the amount of scaling to about 10%. Now check if the issue still persists, and if it still persists, then try reducing it more. Upscaling of HQ is suitable for lower video streams as it improves the video quality. And so you can increase it, by keeping the optimal setting to 20%.
Also, you can turn off the Hardware Acceleration option present within the HQ scalers option. This will push the video decoding process by Direct X accelerator from CPU to GPU. Turning this option on and off will help you resolve the frame dropping and video stuttering like issues.
Method 3- Prevent ISP Throttling using a Strong VPN
Many of the Internet service providers throttle the speed of your Internet, even though they do not admit it. The Internet speed will suddenly drop when you try to download a movie or stream it online. And so if you are facing issue during this time, then your ISP is at fault and is throttling the speed. And so it is important that you hide your activities from ISP and escape from its throttling. To bypass it, here are the steps-
Step 1: Firstly begin by signing up with a reliable and strong VPN. And then download the app of the VPN service on your Android Mac or Windows device.
Step 2: Now launch the given app and connect the same with the server of your choice. And like the regular setting, the more close you are to the server, the higher will be the speed of the Internet.
Step 3: After establishing the VPN connection all your activities will be secured. Your private data and Internet traffic will be encrypted securely.
Now as your ISP won’t be able to see your activities online and thus won’t be able to throttle the speed. There are a lot of VPNs available that work best with Kodi and its add-ons. ExpressVPN is one of the best services that have optimized their serves to work with Kodi add-ons. Or you can also try IPVanish or NordVPN.
Method 4- Fix Kodi Buffering Issues using Code
There is another troubleshooting process by which you can fix buffering issues on Kodi. It is a little technical way where we will plant in the userdata folder a file with a specific name and specific codes. You will find this folder in the installation folder of Kodi application on your system.
Step 1: Open Notepad on your system. And then copy the following codes-
<advancedsettings>
<network>
<buffermode> 1 </buffermode>
<readbufferfactor> 1.5 </readbufferfactor>
<cachemembuffersize> 104857600 </cachemembuffersize>
</network>
</advancedsettings>
Step 2: Save this file containing the codes in any desired folder. Save the file with the name advancedsettings.xml. Make sure you do not change the name.
Step 3: Now press the Windows icon key+ R simultaneously. And paste the following code in the Run dialog box. In case you have updated your Operating system, you can also use Cortana to copy the given code.
%APPDATA%\kodi\userdata
Step 4: A folder will open. Now copy the advancedsettings.xml file that we previously created into this folder.
That’s it. Now try playing a video using Kodi and you will observe a considerable difference in buffering issues.
Method 5- Try New Hardware to Resolve Buffering On Kodi
This last one is definitely not the required fix, but it might be actually required. Though the Kodi application and the various third-party add-ons, it is true that some devices are much more suitable. The top-end streaming laptops and devices like Nvidia Shield are preferable for running the app without any problem. But, the cheaply manufactured Kodi boxes and low-end Android devices might struggle to stream videos on Kodi without buffering.
There are a wide variety of Kodi boxes available from which you can choose and understand its scope. This is a probable fix for you, in case you have tried running a different and strong VPN, and have even tried altering the advancedsettings.xml file.
Additional Tips and Tricks to Fix Kodi Buffering Issue
- In case you have got several source servers for a particular video, then you can test all the servers and know which source will work best for you.
- If you are using Kodi on PC or Mac device then try to connect the router to your device with the help of an Ethernet cable, rather than Wi-Fi.
- Move closer to the Wi-Fi device in case your device is connected tothe Internet through Wi-Fi.
Wrapping Up…
These five simple fixes would solve the buffering issues on Kodi for sure, but there are chances that you are still stuck withthe issue. We have tried to cover all possible fixes that will help you with the Kodi cache and buffering problems. We hope that this article was useful and you can fix buffering issues on Kodi. In case none of the methods work for you, then you can try reconfiguring Kodi setup. Also feel free to share some other solution in the comment section.