advancedsettings.xml and seeking

On large files, whether you get full seeking depends on one Kodi setting: the in-memory cache size. This page explains why and how to set it.

Why it matters

NeNeTeePee-Stream-Kodi's default serving mode for large non-MP4 files is direct pass-through, which offers native HTTP range seeking. Many CoreELEC and Amlogic devices run 32-bit Kodi builds, though. According to NeNeTeePee-Stream-Kodi's design notes, those builds can fail (Open - Unhandled exception) on pass-through streams whose advertised size is larger than roughly 4 GB, and turning off Kodi's in-memory cache avoids it. This is Kodi behavior: NeNeTeePee-Stream-Kodi doesn't detect your Kodi build or test for the problem.

There are two ways around this:

• Set Kodi's cache memory size to 0 with <cache><memorysize>0</memorysize></cache>. Per NeNeTeePee-Stream-Kodi's design notes, pass-through then plays these files with full seeking.
• Leave the cache as it is and set Large non-MP4 stream mode (Advanced tab) to a remux tier. NeNeTeePee-Stream-Kodi then serves large files through ffmpeg as an unsized stream, which hides the true file size from Kodi:
  • Matroska remux works, but seeking is bounded to what Kodi has already buffered. The pipe has no byte ranges, and the proxy doesn't restart ffmpeg at a new position.
  • fMP4 HLS gives full random seeking, but it's experimental and gated on Dolby Vision profile. See Playback, remux, and seeking.

Setting the cache to 0 gives the better experience for large files, which is why NeNeTeePee-Stream-Kodi recommends it.

How to set it

NeNeTeePee-Stream-Kodi never edits advancedsettings.xml for you, because merging into an existing file could overwrite your other settings. You add the entry yourself.

1. Create or edit this file:

   • Standard path: special://profile/advancedsettings.xml
   • On CoreELEC: /storage/.kodi/userdata/advancedsettings.xml

2. Add the following, merging with any existing <advancedsettings> block:

   <advancedsettings>
     <cache>
       <memorysize>0</memorysize>
     </cache>
   </advancedsettings>
   

3. Restart Kodi for the change to take effect.

4. If you had switched Large non-MP4 stream mode to a remux tier, set it back to Direct pass-through (default). NeNeTeePee-Stream-Kodi doesn't change the mode on its own when it detects the cache setting.

Merge, don't overwrite

If you already have an advancedsettings.xml file, add the <cache> element inside the existing <advancedsettings> root. Don't replace the file.

The in-app prompt

When a stream is served through an ffmpeg remux, NeNeTeePee-Stream-Kodi may show a dialog, after playback has started, suggesting this setting so the file could play in full-seek pass-through instead. A remux happens when you've chosen a remux tier, or when an MP4 needed the ffmpeg remux rescue. The dialog comes only from playback started through TMDBHelper; plugin-URL playback doesn't show it. It offers three choices:

Choice	Effect
Show instructions	Opens a viewer with the exact XML snippet and preceding path.
Not now	Dismisses the prompt for this Kodi session. You may see it again next session.
Never ask	Stops the prompt permanently.

The prompt appears at most once per Kodi session. It appears only when a remux was actually used, the cache isn't already 0, and you haven't chosen Never ask. With the default pass-through mode, you won't normally see it.

Verifying

NeNeTeePee-Stream-Kodi reads special://profile/advancedsettings.xml only to decide whether to show the preceding prompt (kodi_advancedsettings.py). It never writes to the file, and the result doesn't change how streams are served. The setting counts only when <memorysize> directly under <cache> is exactly 0.

After you restart Kodi, play a large title again. If it streams in pass-through with a working seek bar, the change took effect.