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NEXIO Creator Best-Practices Setup Guide for Beginners ​

This is the only getting started guide in the docs site and the creator-recommended first path for new NEXIO users.

If you are new to NEXIO, start here. This guide is written to help beginners follow NEXIO's creator best practices without bouncing between multiple onboarding pages.

This guide is the fastest way to turn a fresh NEXIO install into a smooth, lean-back setup with better metadata, better posters, better trailer playback, and benchmark-aware autoplay.

If you only do three things, do these first:

  1. Connect one debrid provider
  2. Add your TMDB API key
  3. Sign in to Trakt

Everything else builds on top of that.

First launch expectation: give NEXIO a few minutes ​

On a fresh setup, do not judge NEXIO in the first minute.

When you first connect services like Trakt and MDBList, NEXIO needs time to hydrate catalogs, metadata-backed rails, and related cached startup data. During that initial population window, some rails may appear late, incomplete, or not yet fully populated.

That is expected behavior on first setup.

Why this matters:

  • services like Trakt are rate-limited aggressively
  • NEXIO is designed to restore these rails from disk cache on later startups
  • after the initial hydration finishes, startup feels much faster because cached rails can appear immediately while background refresh updates the disk state

In short:

  • first setup: allow a few minutes for initial hydration
  • later launches: expect the app to restore much faster from disk-backed cache

If users are unaware of this first-run behavior, they can easily mistake normal initial population for a broken setup.

What NEXIO is optimized for ​

NEXIO is built to shine when you combine:

  • a connected debrid provider for high-quality cached playback
  • TMDB for metadata enrichment and trailers
  • Trakt for Continue Watching, watch progress, scrobbles, personal lists, and Trakt-powered rails

Strongly recommended extras:

  • YouTube Trailer Login for better trailer playback, including age-restricted trailers
  • MDBList for richer external ratings
  • Poster Ratings with TOPPosters or RatingPostersDB (RPDB) if you want rated posters
  • Service Wrap + Deterministic Autoplay for the most console-like experience

Before you start ​

Prepare these accounts or keys:

  • one debrid provider: Real-Debrid, Premiumize, TorBox, or EasyDebrid
  • a TMDB API key
  • a Trakt account
  • optional: MDBList API key
  • optional: TOPPosters or RPDB API key
  • optional: Google sign-in for YouTube Trailer Login

Helpful official links:

1. Connect your debrid provider first ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Integration → Debrid

Supported providers in the current app:

  • Real-Debrid
  • Premiumize
  • TorBox
  • EasyDebrid

Best practice ​

Connect at least one provider before you tune anything else.

Why:

  • Service Wrap depends on a connected debrid provider
  • Deterministic Autoplay depends on both Service Wrap and at least one completed debrid benchmark
  • the best playback experience starts with cached, wrapped streams

If you use Real-Debrid, a conservative starting point is to prefer 3 connections before you experiment with 4, then let NEXIO's benchmarks make the final call for your own device and network.

For most Real-Debrid users, the safest recommendation is:

  • do not go above 3 parallel connections unless you have tested it yourself

Reason:

  • some Real-Debrid setups are more prone to unstable behavior at 4x
  • 3x is the more reliable starting point for power users

2. Run the Config Benchmark before changing network settings ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Integration → Debrid
  • choose your connected provider
  • run Config Benchmark

What it does:

  • compares NEXIO's optimized parallel connection and chunk-size profiles for that provider
  • shows the best-performing profile on this device

Current benchmark matrix in NEXIO:

  • 2x / 8 MB
  • 3x / 8 MB
  • 4x / 8 MB
  • 2x / 16 MB
  • 3x / 16 MB
  • 4x / 16 MB
  • 2x / 24 MB
  • 3x / 24 MB
  • 4x / 24 MB
  • 2x / 32 MB
  • 3x / 32 MB
  • 4x / 32 MB

Best practice ​

Do not guess your network profile if you care about large remux playback.

Run the Config Benchmark first, then copy the winning profile into your playback settings.

If your provider is Real-Debrid, treat 3x as the preferred upper limit unless your own testing proves 4x is stable on your setup.

3. Apply the winning profile in Network & Cache ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Playback → Network & Cache

Recommended changes:

  • turn on Parallel Connections
  • set Connection Count to your winning benchmark profile
  • set Chunk Size to your winning benchmark profile
  • turn on Enable VOD Cache
  • raise VOD Cache Size if you have free storage

Best practice ​

For higher-bitrate playback, especially remux-style movies and shows:

  • start with at least 1024 MB of VOD Cache Size if your device has the space
  • use the exact Connection Count and Chunk Size that won your Config Benchmark

4. Run the full Benchmark after Network & Cache is configured ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Integration → Debrid
  • run Benchmark

What it does:

  • measures Direct vs NEXIO Optimized transport on a real provider item
  • stores a benchmark result that Deterministic Autoplay can use later
  • captures device capability snapshots used by playback scoring, including:
    • display HDR support
    • video decode capabilities
    • likely audio passthrough support

Important ​

The benchmark needs a large, playable provider item.

If your provider library/cloud only has small files, the run may not produce a useful result. On fast connections, use a large item so NEXIO can measure the full sustained window.

Timing expectation ​

A full benchmark usually takes about 4 minutes because NEXIO measures both:

  • Direct transport
  • NEXIO Optimized transport

5. Enable Service Wrap and Deterministic Autoplay ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Integration → Debrid

Turn on these in order:

  1. Service Wrap
  2. Deterministic Autoplay

What each setting does ​

Service Wrap

  • lets NEXIO resolve eligible hash-based addon results through your connected debrid provider directly
  • means you usually do not need to enter your debrid credentials into third-party addons for those supported wrapped flows
  • keeps your debrid login inside NEXIO, instead of spreading it across untrusted or less-trusted addon providers
  • only surfaces cached wrapped streams for supported results

Deterministic Autoplay

  • skips manual stream picking
  • auto-plays the best benchmark-aware match for your setup
  • uses benchmark results plus device capability data to make the choice

This is the setting pair that gets NEXIO closest to a true lean-back, "pick and play" experience.

Optional ​

You can also enable Shadow Autoplay Data Collection on the same screen.

If you use Deterministic Autoplay, it is worth opting in.

Why:

  • it helps the NEXIO creator improve autoplay ranking and fallback behavior over time
  • it gives real-world feedback from actual playback decisions instead of lab-only testing

Privacy note ​

The current implementation uploads autoplay decision telemetry plus limited client metadata, including:

  • app version
  • build type
  • device model
  • Android SDK version

It does not upload your debrid secrets through this toggle.

6. Set up TMDB before you worry about cosmetic extras ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Integration → TMDB

Turn on:

  • Enable TMDB Enrichment

Then add your key in:

  • API Key

Recommended TMDB toggles to keep enabled:

  • Artwork
  • Basic Info
  • Details
  • Credits
  • Productions
  • Networks
  • Episodes
  • More Like This
  • Collections

Best practice ​

If you only add one metadata key in NEXIO, make it TMDB.

TMDB is the core metadata upgrade in the current app. It improves the quality of artwork and detail enrichment, and NEXIO also relies on it for trailer sourcing.

7. Sign in to YouTube Trailer Login for the best trailer experience ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Integration → YouTube Trailer Login

Use:

  • Sign In to generate the TV code / QR flow

Why this matters ​

TMDB helps NEXIO find trailers, but YouTube Trailer Login helps NEXIO play them more reliably inside the app, including age-restricted trailer content.

If trailers matter to you, this is worth doing.

8. Sign in to Trakt if you want NEXIO to feel "alive" ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Integration → Trakt

Why Trakt is strongly recommended:

  • powers Continue Watching behavior
  • syncs watch progress
  • syncs scrobbles
  • powers personal lists and Trakt rails
  • improves the overall "my library follows me" feeling across devices

Recommended follow-up checks inside the Trakt screen:

  • set Continue Watching Window to your preference
  • review Trakt Catalogs
  • optionally refresh discovery rails with the sync action

Strong recommendation for movie and series fans ​

Inside Trakt Catalogs, make sure these built-in rails are enabled:

  • Trending Movies
  • Trending Shows

Then move them near the top of your Trakt catalog order. In the current Trakt settings screen, the key step is to make sure they are enabled in Trakt Catalogs.

Why these two matter so much:

  • they are some of the highest-quality discovery rails in the app for users who actively watch movies and series
  • they help keep Home feeling fresh
  • NEXIO also uses these stronger discovery feeds as inputs for trailer-driven experiences such as trailer and hero-style screensaver behavior

If your overall Home/catalog setup gives you ordering controls elsewhere, prioritize these rails there. In the current Android Trakt settings UI, treat enabling them as the must-do step.

If you skip Trakt, NEXIO still works, but the experience is noticeably less personal.

9. Add MDBList for richer ratings, not core metadata ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Integration → MDBList

Turn on:

  • Enable MDBList Ratings
  • add your API Key

Recommended rating sources to keep enabled:

  • Trakt
  • IMDb
  • TMDB
  • Letterboxd
  • Rotten Tomatoes
  • Audience Score
  • Metacritic

Important naming note ​

MDBList is a ratings upgrade, not the main metadata engine.

Use TMDB for metadata and trailer enrichment. Use MDBList when you want richer external ratings and optional MDBList rails.

10. Choose your poster provider ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Integration → Poster Ratings

Current options:

  • TOPPosters
  • RatingPostersDB (RPDB)

Important:

  • they are mutually exclusive in NEXIO
  • you should enable one, not both

Recommendation ​

If you want rated posters, choose whichever provider you already use elsewhere.

For new users, TOPPosters is the simpler first option to try. If you prefer RPDB, check RPDB's current key and tier rules on their official site before you commit to it.

If you do not care about rated posters, you can skip this step entirely.

11. Tidy up Player & Stream Selection ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Playback → Player & Stream Selection

Recommended toggles:

  • turn on Filter Wrong Episodes
  • turn on Filter Wrong Movie Year
  • keep Deduplicate Grouped Streams enabled if you want a cleaner stream list

Dolby Vision best practice ​

If you do not use Deterministic Autoplay and your display does not support Dolby Vision:

  • turn on Filter WEB-DL Dolby Vision

If you do use Deterministic Autoplay:

  • usually leave Filter WEB-DL Dolby Vision off
  • NEXIO can keep Dolby Vision WEB-DL candidates in ranking, then probe before playback and fall back when needed on non-Dolby Vision displays

12. Leave DV7 conversion enabled unless you have a reason not to ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Playback → Video & Audio

Recommended setting:

  • keep DV7 - DV8.1 Conversion enabled

Optional advanced toggle:

  • DV7 - Preserve Mapping

Best practice ​

For most people, the default DV7 - DV8.1 Conversion path is the right choice. It gives NEXIO the best chance of handling DV7 playback cleanly, with fallback behavior when needed.

Only treat DV7 - Preserve Mapping as an advanced experiment.

13. Enable Auto Frame Rate for serious movie playback ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Playback → Video & Audio

Recommended setting:

  • set Auto Frame Rate to On start/stop

Optional:

  • test Resolution matching too if your TV/device chain supports it cleanly

Why this matters ​

If you care about high-bitrate movies, remux playback, or smooth cinematic motion, Auto Frame Rate is one of the most important playback settings in NEXIO.

Without AFR, some setups stay locked to 60 Hz, which can make film content feel wrong or less smooth than it should. With AFR enabled, NEXIO can switch the display refresh rate when playback starts so movies are presented more correctly for your setup.

For power users, this is strongly recommended.

14. Enable Trailer Screensaver if you want a more premium idle experience ​

Menu path:

  • Settings → Layout → Trailer Screensaver section

Turn on:

  • Trailer Screensaver

Trailer autoplay now lives under:

  • Settings → Playback → General

Useful choices there:

  • Autoplay Trailers
  • Trailer Delay

This is not essential for playback quality, but it makes NEXIO feel much more polished.

15. Optional: keep the Universal formatter selected in the portal ​

If you use the NEXIO account portal, open:

  • Account Portal → Formatter

Recommended choice:

  • keep the built-in Universal formatter selected

Why:

  • it keeps stream cards more consistent across addons
  • it makes mixed addon setups easier to scan quickly

If you never use the portal, skip this.

Use this as your "done right" checklist:

  • [ ] Connected one debrid provider in Settings → Integration → Debrid
  • [ ] Ran Config Benchmark
  • [ ] Copied the winning profile into Settings → Playback → Network & Cache
  • [ ] Enabled Enable VOD Cache and increased VOD Cache Size if storage allows
  • [ ] Ran the full Benchmark
  • [ ] Enabled Service Wrap
  • [ ] Enabled Deterministic Autoplay
  • [ ] Added a TMDB API key
  • [ ] Signed in to YouTube Trailer Login
  • [ ] Signed in to Trakt
  • [ ] Added MDBList if you want richer ratings
  • [ ] Chose TOPPosters or RPDB if you want rated posters
  • [ ] Enabled Filter Wrong Episodes and Filter Wrong Movie Year
  • [ ] Left DV7 - DV8.1 Conversion enabled
  • [ ] Set Auto Frame Rate to On start/stop
  • [ ] Enabled Trailer Screensaver if you want the premium idle look

Short version: the best NEXIO experience ​

For most power users, this is the sweet spot:

  • Debrid connected
  • Config Benchmark run
  • Network & Cache matched to the benchmark
  • Benchmark run
  • Service Wrap on
  • Deterministic Autoplay on
  • TMDB on
  • YouTube Trailer Login signed in
  • Trakt signed in
  • Filter Wrong Episodes on
  • Filter Wrong Movie Year on
  • DV7 - DV8.1 Conversion on
  • Auto Frame Rate on

That combination gives you the best shot at fast startup, clean metadata, reliable trailers, and the most hands-off playback experience NEXIO currently offers.

Released under the GPL-3.0 License.

Copyright © 2024 Nexio contributors