Kodi / XMBC setup - what works?

[bino]

I looked at XMBC some time ago, and even though I am no slouch with technology, I gave up on it for being too complicated and geeky.

A few nights ago I was at a friend's house for dinner, and he has an Android Box connected to his TV with Kodi, and it worked brilliantly. After seeing this, I've decided to have another crack at it.

I've got it going now, on a PC and on an Android box of my own. However, I get constant buffering issues when trying to stream television channels.

It happens on both devices, android and PC. The PC has 16 GB of RAM, with ample available, and lots of disk space. I'm using a True 15 Mbps internet connection, which strams everything else just fine.

Does anyone know a way to resolve the buffering issue? Is any one PVR client better than another? Is there any way to change the cache / buffering settings that will work or alleviate this problem?

Of course, google is my friend. In fact, google is my wife. She knows everything. But in this case, google is even more like my Ms... too much information. So many results that I am not sure which to try or follow, and am interested to know if anyone here has any advice that will work in Thailand.

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!

[RichCor]

Your location and network in relation to the service will determine how well it works for you.

I've been getting pretty good results with Dexter, FilmOn.tv, Phoenix, Robin-Hood Project, SportsDevil, UK Turks, Vdubt25

Yes, some channels are broken, or buffer.

Otherwise, you may want to pay someone to be a more reliable crack dealer:

Subscribing to NFPS for use with IPTV Stalker.

Alternatively, Hushman just put up an interesting Pay to Play alternative...

(Watch the video for a demo of live stream feeds available. He also arranged a Free 24-hour live test drive)

Edited September 26, 2015 by RichCor

[JHolmesJr]

Subscribed.

[ignis]

Did you do a Speed test ?

Same as me a True 15 Mbps internet connection, but it has been bad this week, often testing it, sometimes is down to just under 3 Mbps on bad moments = Buffeting all the time..

Watched F1 Practice 3 this morning and just now Qualifying perfect with NO Buffeting at all........ Speed test is 13.2 Mbps

[bino]

Speedtest- even though my connection is 15, I always get better when test against a domestic server. Right now, getting 30. Testing against an international server is adifferent story of course. I just tried a server in Dallas Texas and got 8.62.

I have the Phoenix installed, and it works fine. Streaming a movie is a bit slow to get started, but no buffering.

Live TV streaming is the biggest problem I want to solve - be able to watch basic channels like CNN would be good, but the buffering is every few seconds. How to get a reliable live TV stream?

[DogNo1]

You could subscribe to ilikehd. Check out their site.

[worgeordie]

Do you have your box connected to router with RJ45 cable or are you

using WiFi ,as you will get less buffering with a cable connection.

regards Worgeordie

[mikebell]

Is there a box/package that would allow me to download stuff, save & watch it at my leisure? I rarely sit down to watch till 7.30pm; I pay CTH so I can watch EPL at weekends but would like to store programmes/movies to be watched later.

[ignis]

Does anyone know a way to resolve the buffering issue,

​Can be where the program is coming from........ Just been watching the F1 Race, have many options so start early to find the best... last couple of months a good picture has been on Fox Sports 5 from Australia, today not good.... So today BBC 1 was fine picture but sound kept vanishing, so watched on Sky Sports.. No Buffeting at all for all the race

Edit: Watched F1 Practice 3 and Qualifying from Australia yesterday, was perfect..!!

Edited September 27, 2015 by ignis

[bino]

Do you have your box connected to router with RJ45 cable

Yup. Connected to the router with a Cat 6 cable.

​Can be where the program is coming from........

Yup. This is what I managed to figure out. The buffering isn't so much about the speed that I can receive the stream, but about how fast it is served to me. The initial channel list that I used was from one of the first websites I found. It was all HD channels, and probably highly oversubscribed. I've figured out how to create my own channel list, and tracking down other sources of streaming to add to it with better results.

It is a tedious process however- lots of streams are slow or just dead and gone.

You could subscribe to ilikehd. Check out their site.

Yup. ILikeHD is a good option, and reasonably priced. However, I am bound and determined to come up with a Kodi solution.

Does anyone know a best of both worlds solution? A paid service for Kodi that would allow lots of channels and fast streaming?

Does anyone here "donate" / subscribe to the Stalker service? How does it work for you?

[JHolmesJr]

Do you have your box connected to router with RJ45 cable

Yup. Connected to the router with a Cat 6 cable.

​Can be where the program is coming from........

Yup. This is what I managed to figure out. The buffering isn't so much about the speed that I can receive the stream, but about how fast it is served to me. The initial channel list that I used was from one of the first websites I found. It was all HD channels, and probably highly oversubscribed. I've figured out how to create my own channel list, and tracking down other sources of streaming to add to it with better results.

It is a tedious process however- lots of streams are slow or just dead and gone.

You could subscribe to ilikehd. Check out their site.

Yup. ILikeHD is a good option, and reasonably priced. However, I am bound and determined to come up with a Kodi solution.

Does anyone know a best of both worlds solution? A paid service for Kodi that would allow lots of channels and fast streaming?

Does anyone here "donate" / subscribe to the Stalker service? How does it work for you?

Its worth looking at cloudtv.bz.......cheap as chips and pretty good streaming...nice mix of news entertainment and some sports

[Chicog]

If your build has a program called XUnity Maintenance, open it, go to "System Tweaks" and select either Tuxens or Mikeys advanced XML.

This will install a configuration file that will increase the default buffer size and a couple of other settings that will improve streaming.

It seems to be horses for courses, they are both similar but some swear by the former, while others prefer the latter.

In my experience it doesn't make a lot of difference. For the record, I installed Tuxens.

[tlcwaterfall]

I am new to Kodi.

Have some channels working and they seem to work well.

I would like to know if anyone here can access Australian channels particularly the Abc channel and Iview.

Any help much appreciated.

[ignis]

I am new to Kodi.

Have some channels working and they seem to work well.

I would like to know if anyone here can access Australian channels particularly the Abc channel and Iview.

Any help much appreciated.

How to do/view is here http://www.openmediacentre.com.au/tutorials/xbmckodi/installing-catchup-tv-au-repo-and-add-ons/

https://superrepo.org/kodi/addon/plugin.video.abc-iview2/

[tlcwaterfall]

I am new to Kodi.

Have some channels working and they seem to work well.

I would like to know if anyone here can access Australian channels particularly the Abc channel and Iview.

Any help much appreciated.

How to do/view is here http://www.openmediacentre.com.au/tutorials/xbmckodi/installing-catchup-tv-au-repo-and-add-ons/

https://superrepo.org/kodi/addon/plugin.video.abc-iview2/

Thank you for your help. I am not great at adding zip files etc. to Kodi but I will have a go.

[ignis]

I am new to Kodi.

Have some channels working and they seem to work well.

I would like to know if anyone here can access Australian channels particularly the Abc channel and Iview.

Any help much appreciated.

How to do/view is here http://www.openmediacentre.com.au/tutorials/xbmckodi/installing-catchup-tv-au-repo-and-add-ons/

https://superrepo.org/kodi/addon/plugin.video.abc-iview2/

Thank you for your help. I am not great at adding zip files etc. to Kodi but I will have a go.

As I said in another Topic about Kodi, I find it easier to download on PC into a folder [now have lots of Addon Zip files in that folder] and then pop it on a USB drive and plug it into the box

[Digitalbanana]

As I said in another Topic about Kodi, I find it easier to download on PC into a folder [now have lots of Addon Zip files in that folder] and then pop it on a USB drive and plug it into the box

We just use Dropbox for our saved addons/repositories zip files to dispense need to use USB drives. Keep our m3u playlists there as well.