It won't cache
#1
Hi,

I can't get XBMC to cache or buffer.

Firstly I tried the Xutilities tweak - which set the cachemembuffersize to 0. This should send the cache to HDD not Ram.

But when I press 'o' on playback and the data comes up, the cache doesn't move as it should if it was buffering. I checked Activity monitor and no movement in either disk or network as it should if it was buffering.

And no movement in Ram as it would if it was caching to ram.

Then I tried changing the advancedsettings.xml manually to:

<network>
<buffermode>0</buffermode>
<cachemembuffersize>0</cachemembuffersize>
<readbufferfactor>10</readbufferfactor>
<curlclienttimeout>45</curlclienttimeout>
</network>

Again, no change.

I also tried buffermode 1.

So I thought, ok just use Ram. I have over 10 gig free. So I changed cachemembuffersize to 1000000000 (1gig). It says you need 3 times the setting free, and as I say I have 10+gig so 3 gig would be no problem.

Again, press 'o' during playback and no cache rising, no buffer line growing above the pause button.

I also can't find the cache folder on my HDD. Anyone know where it should be?

Looked in the same place as the advancedsettings.xml - Library/Application support/xbmc/......

looked in all folders and subfolders. Nada.

I've currently got 20meg download speed so it's not that, and over 1tb free on the HDD.

Any ideas or help much appreciated.

Why isn't it caching? Where should the folder be? Why hasn't it made one?

ftr here's my whole advanced settings.xml

<!-- zerocache -->
<advancedsettings>
<network>
<buffermode>0</buffermode>
<cachemembuffersize>0</cachemembuffersize>
<readbufferfactor>10</readbufferfactor>
<curlclienttimeout>45</curlclienttimeout>
</network>
<gui>
<algorithmdirtyregions>3</algorithmdirtyregions>
<nofliptimeout>0</nofliptimeout>
</gui>
<videoscanner>
<ignoreerrors>true</ignoreerrors>
</videoscanner>
</advancedsettings>

iMac quadcore i7 3.4ghz 16gig Ram 2TB HDD OS 10.9

Please help.
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#2
In the directory where userdata sits, there should also be a directory called cache. i think the disk cache is in there.

Also I am not sure that the info on the codec (o button) screen is right on this point.

Pause your movie. The progress bar should dhow how much ahead of you the cache is. Hard to describe, I'll see if I can do a screenshot tonight if you can't see what I mean. In text imagine the progress bar like this:

|XXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxx----------------|

X = progress through the movie
x=where the cache is up to
- = the rest - ie unwatched and uncached.

How it actually looks is skin dependent of course.
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#3
Thanks for the quick reply.

(2014-10-09, 02:11)nickr Wrote: In the directory where userdata sits, there should also be a directory called cache. i think the disk cache is in there.


Also I am not sure that the info on the codec (o button) screen is right on this point.

Pause your movie. The progress bar should dhow how much ahead of you the cache is. Hard to describe, I'll see if I can do a screenshot tonight if you can't see what I mean. In text imagine the progress bar like this:

|XXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxx----------------|

X = progress through the movie
x=where the cache is up to
- = the rest - ie unwatched and uncached.

How it actually looks is skin dependent of course.

To number your points to aid communication:

1) I don't have any cache folder in the XBMC folder that contains app data. (Just addons, medai, sounds, system and user data.)

2) Didn't know about the 'o' being wrong. Cheers.

3) Don't worry about the screenshot, I know exactly what you mean about the grey buffering line ahead of the blue play line. But it's not increasing.

The prog I was watching on BBC iPlayer has been paused for about half an hour while I've been on the forum, and it moved a couple of pixels of grey buffer in the first minute, and nothing since.


I've spent all night watching videos, reading wikis and changing the advancedsettings.xml but I get no buffering and no cache folder, even though I've done everything everyone and everywhere says......

Thanks again for the quick help.
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#4
The cache folder may be somewhere else on OSX. I was looking in my windows filesystem, which is different to my linux ones I am sure.
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#5
Just thinking again, there was another thread on here with someone having troubles caching on OSX. Maybe worth a search.

EDIT: maybe it was this one? http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid...buffer+osx
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#6
Thanks all.

Does this INFO UPDATE help at all.

Yesterday, I watched my first thing not on iPlayer. (And old BBC Prog from another addons*) and when I pressed 'o' it was cahing.

Likewise the grey buffer bar was racing ahead of the blue play bar.

i.e it was caching and buffering as it should.

(Though I still can't find a Cache folder in any of the XMBC folders/sub-folders, either in apps, or library/app support.)

Just tried another BBC iPlayer prog and again, no buffering.

Is there any reason why BBC won't buffer to cache on iPlayer, while other addons do?

Can this setting be changed?

Can someone please check their iPlayer and see if it buffers/caches for them?

And any mac user know where the cache folder is?

Many thanks, everyone.

(*I only really enjoy watching BBC stuff - that's why I haven't had a tv aerial for years - since iPlayer came good - let alone ever having cable or satellite. I was hoping to broaden my horizons with xbmc but none of the documentary addons seem to work.)
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#7
May be you are looking for this:
http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=HOW...ideo_cache
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#8
Can't help wondering, but is this not caching/buffering causing you an issue or not ?

I'm only asking because you haven't said whether or not iPlayer keeps stopping ?
Learning Linux the hard way !!
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#9
I forget the details, but I'm think there is some content that won't buffer because of the protocol used, since it is only streaming the content as if it were "live", rather than an actual file being hosted somewhere.
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