“Cache full” does not describe one universal live-streaming fault. First identify which app or device shows the warning: Kodi playback cache and an ATEM switcher’s outbound buffer sit at different points in the video path and need different checks.
If you are watching a video in Kodi, the warning points towards video arriving too slowly for smooth playback. If an ATEM Mini Pro or Extreme shows a growing cache while sending a stream, look at the encoder’s connection and delivery rate instead. Do not clear an app cache or change a network setting until you know which case you have.
First identify where the warning appears
Write down the exact app or device name and the wording on screen. Then ask whether the equipment is receiving video for you to watch or transmitting video to YouTube or another service. A television app, playback box, editing application, and hardware switcher can all use the word “cache” for different things.
For Kodi, the relevant warning appears during playback, often alongside repeated pauses or loading. Kodi’s archived FAQ on cache-full messages and constant buffering describes a playback cache that is not filling quickly enough. For an ATEM Mini Pro or Extreme, inspect the streaming status in its multiview output: the cache percentage and broadcast data rate concern the outgoing stream.
If someone has reported the problem to you, ask for a photo of the display or the full warning text. “The stream keeps buffering” is not enough to tell whether the source, playback device, encoder, local connection, or destination is involved. Note when the fault occurs, whether it affects one video or every video, and whether it happens only when streaming live.
It also helps to distinguish a warning from a symptom. A playback app may show a message while the video is paused; an encoder’s rising buffer can precede visible disruption on the broadcast. The first points to data reaching a player. The second concerns data leaving a production device.
Playback cache and outbound buffer are different
A playback cache holds incoming video temporarily so the player can keep showing it if the next pieces arrive unevenly. In Kodi’s archived FAQ, the cache is loaded in RAM and is cleared when you stop the video. If the video is arriving too slowly, the cache drains faster than it refills and playback pauses while more data arrives.
An ATEM’s streaming cache is an outbound safety buffer for video frames. Blackmagic Design explains in its ATEM Mini manual that the buffer grows when the connection cannot sustain the outgoing stream. If it reaches full capacity, the stream can be compromised. That does not mean the switcher has run out of storage, nor does it mean Kodi’s playback cache needs changing.
The practical difference is direction. A playback app is waiting for video from a source or server; an encoder is trying to deliver its prepared video through a network path to a streaming platform. A full playback cache generally says that data has not arrived quickly enough for the player. A growing outbound buffer says delivery cannot keep pace with what the encoder is sending.
| Where the warning appears | What the cache is doing | First place to investigate |
|---|---|---|
| Kodi during playback | Holding incoming video for smoother viewing | The source and the route from its server to Kodi |
| ATEM Mini Pro or Extreme while streaming | Buffering outgoing video frames | The encoder’s configured quality and its delivery path |
This distinction matters before trying common maintenance advice. Restarting an app or clearing its local cache may help a limited playback-app problem, but it does not increase the upstream capacity available to an ATEM. Likewise, lowering an encoder’s streaming quality is not a general solution to a Kodi playback warning.
If Kodi playback is loading too slowly
Start with the pattern, not a cache setting. If the same video is the only one that pauses, check whether that source is slow or unavailable. Kodi’s archived FAQ says a server-side connection is a common cause of playback cache messages. A fast connection from your home or office does not ensure that a particular remote server can deliver its video at the rate your player needs.
Compare the same video on another device, or try a different video in Kodi. If other videos play normally but one source repeatedly stalls, focus on that source and its server path. If all videos pause on the same device, check the device’s connection, Wi-Fi coverage, and whether other applications are competing for the connection. These comparisons help separate a source-specific problem from a local one.
A brief restart may be worth trying if Kodi itself seems stuck, but treat that as a test rather than a diagnosis. BoxCast’s July 2026 explainer on what “cache full” can mean says restarting or clearing an application cache can help some less severe cases. That broad app-maintenance suggestion does not establish that clearing cache will fix an encoder’s network-delivery problem.
Kodi’s archived FAQ points advanced users to advancedsettings.xml for adjustable cache settings. Because the source is archived and settings may vary by Kodi version and device, do not paste in values from an old guide without checking current Kodi guidance for your version. Enlarging a playback cache can have trade-offs, including taking more memory, and cannot make a remote source send video faster.
If you are building a channel around prerecorded material, a stable source file and a playback route are separate questions. Our guide to streaming a prerecorded YouTube playlist with multiple audio tracks covers playlist preparation; it does not make a slow playback server faster. Keep the diagnosis tied to the symptom you can observe.
If an ATEM buffer grows during delivery
On an ATEM Mini Pro or Extreme, open the multiview streaming status and observe the broadcast data rate and cache percentage while the stream is active. Test the connection during setup rather than relying only on a general broadband speed result. A connection may perform differently under load or at the time you actually broadcast.
Blackmagic’s manual describes the buffer as protection against variations in delivery speed. If the connection repeatedly falls below what the configured stream needs, the buffer grows. The manual recommends lowering quality in the live-stream settings if the cache frequently approaches full. Make one change at a time and observe whether the cache stops rising and the broadcast becomes steadier.
Blackmagic gives approximately 5–7 Mb/s for 1080p60 on the ATEM Mini Pro and Extreme as a product-specific example for broadcasting without losing frames. That figure is guidance for those named models and that mode, not a universal bitrate recommendation or a rule for every encoder and destination. Check the manual and settings for your exact model, resolution, frame rate, and platform configuration.
If you can connect the ATEM by Ethernet, compare that result with your existing wireless setup. A wired connection can reduce variation caused by Wi-Fi, but it cannot guarantee enough upstream capacity or repair a congested route beyond your local network. If the wired test does not change the behaviour, avoid assuming that a new cable or faster local Wi-Fi is the answer.
A Cat6 Ethernet cable is a reasonable optional accessory only when the encoder supports a wired connection and you have established that wireless variation is worth testing. It will not speed up a slow destination or add capacity to an overloaded internet connection. Check the encoder’s status first; do not buy equipment simply because a cache warning appeared.
What a full ATEM cache can indicate
A buffer approaching 100% is a delivery warning, not a diagnosis of one particular failed component. Blackmagic’s manual says that once the cache is 100% full, the video stream will be compromised, and recommends avoiding that state where possible. In practical terms, you should act before the broadcast becomes visibly disrupted rather than waiting for a complete failure.
The possible mismatch is between the stream the encoder is configured to send and the rate the path can sustain. That path includes the local connection, the upstream route, and the destination or platform configuration. A speed result from a different time or device may not reflect the stream’s actual delivery conditions.
Use the change in the cache reading to narrow the issue. If lowering quality makes the buffer settle, the previous stream settings may have demanded more than the tested path could consistently deliver. If it still rises, look for recurring variation in the connection or upstream route, and confirm the platform configuration and endpoint. Do not infer that the ATEM itself is defective just because its warning is visible.
Blackmagic user-forum posts include reports of different remedies, but individual reports do not establish a manufacturer fix. Avoid swapping protocols or changing several settings at once because somebody else’s setup improved that way. Record the original configuration, test the documented connection and quality adjustments, and keep only changes that improve the symptom on your own path.
This is also why generic “clear cache” advice can mislead. An encoder buffer is not a pile of old files that can simply be emptied to restore delivery capacity. The useful question is whether outgoing video is being delivered at the rate the encoder requires.
Check the relevant connection or delivery path
For Kodi, begin at the source: does one video or server cause the issue, or does playback fail across several sources? Then check the playback device’s route to the internet and compare wired and wireless behaviour if practical. A local connection test can reveal a problem near you, but a good result cannot prove that a remote source or route is healthy.
For an ATEM, assess the connection while the device is sending the configured stream. Compare its status with the quality you selected and note whether the cache rises steadily, fluctuates, or settles. If the device supports Ethernet, a wired test can help rule out Wi-Fi variation. It will not rule out upstream congestion or a problem with the endpoint.
For a YouTube broadcast, confirm that the selected platform configuration and stream endpoint match the current setup. Keep a record of the resolution, frame rate, quality setting, connection type, and status readings from each test. When you change one item at a time, the result is easier to interpret than when you lower quality, replace a router, and change the streaming configuration together.
If you are sending a prepared programme rather than switching cameras live, keep content preparation separate from delivery troubleshooting. Our overview of cloud services for looping a YouTube meditation video can help you think through operating approaches, while a cache warning still needs to be traced to the particular playback or outbound path that reports it. For a channel that depends on the same recording running overnight, our old-laptop versus VPS guide discusses the different operational trade-offs; it is not a fix for a slow remote playback source.
The right connection change depends on where the bottleneck sits. Better Wi-Fi coverage may help a wireless device whose local signal varies. Ethernet may remove that wireless variation for a supported encoder. Neither measure changes the capacity of a remote server or a congested route outside your premises.
Confirm what changed after troubleshooting
After each test, describe the symptom rather than declaring the problem fixed. For Kodi, did the same video play without pauses, did only a different source improve, or did the warning return after a short period? For an ATEM, did the cache percentage settle, did the broadcast data rate change, and did viewers still see interruptions? The answers tell you whether the change addressed the relevant path.
Keep a short log with the date, device, source or destination, connection type, and one setting changed. This is useful when the fault is intermittent or when you need to ask an ISP, platform, or equipment support team for help. A screenshot of the ATEM status or the exact Kodi message can be more useful than a broad description such as “the internet is bad”.
If the warning persists after a sensible test, return settings to a known state and escalate with the evidence. For Kodi, report whether it affects one source or many and note your version. For an ATEM, include the model, stream quality, cache behaviour, and connection test result. Avoid buying a new encoder, adding memory, or changing protocols until the evidence points to local processing, memory, or a documented connection issue.
For a channel that sends a prepared video continuously, the broadcaster’s own computer being on all night can become a separate operational concern from an encoder’s delivery warning. StreamNeo is relevant to that specific workload because you upload a video and provide your YouTube stream key, so your computer does not need to remain on to keep that file broadcasting; it does not diagnose a Kodi playback cache or cure a weak outbound connection from an ATEM.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Does “cache full” always mean my internet is too slow?
No. In Kodi, it can mean that a particular source or server is delivering video too slowly, even if your local connection is otherwise fast. On an ATEM, a growing outbound buffer means the delivery path is not keeping pace with the configured stream, but the issue may be local, upstream, or at the destination.
Should I clear the cache when an ATEM says it is full?
Do not treat an ATEM’s streaming buffer as an app cache that can be cleared to restore network capacity. Check the multiview data rate and cache status, test the connection, and reduce quality if the cache repeatedly approaches full, following the guidance for your model.
Should I increase Kodi’s cache size?
Not as a first step. Check whether one source is affected, whether other videos play, and whether the source server can deliver reliably. Kodi’s archived FAQ discusses adjustable settings, but verify current instructions for your version before changing advancedsettings.xml.
Will Ethernet fix a full cache?
Ethernet can reduce variability from Wi-Fi for a supported device, so it is a useful comparison test in the right setup. It cannot guarantee sufficient upstream capacity or fix a slow remote server, congested route, or platform endpoint.