Serviio

It would be nice if Serviio would cache where each client left off on the videos they have watched. This could be a setting in the console for how many videos you want to have each client be tracked. That way when we come back to a video we didn't finish the day before it would pick up where we left off.

This seems reasonable, as it Serviio does know which client it is serving to, couldn't it just start its transcoding at the time code it last sent. Maybe it can actually start 5 seconds from where it last sent. This could also be a configuration setting in the console for how far back it should start from where the last time code it sent was. As there will be a delay in most situations, and sometimes its nice to start a little before where you left off for context.

It's already doing it, but depends on the renderer. Eg Xbox or Samsung TVs support it.

It shouldn't mater if the client supports it, while that is nice. This seems like it could be handled by the server as well that way the devices that don't support it with can.

The server doesn't have the uI controls for this. Unless it creates a items for each file (the video itself + "video - resume"), which would clutter the UI terribly.

Why would it need UI for every endpoint and video? This is just metadata stored on the server to know when the next time a specific client wants to watch a specific video file it will check its metadata (or DB) and see if its listed for this client and if so start it where they left off.

The only UI would be basic global settings that control the maximum number of videos to track per client, and how much time you want to use as a preview from where you left off. That's would be it, and this could be XML in the beginning as you wouldn't have to change them very often, it would just be nicer in the UI.

I may not have explained very well the first time, so sorry, I hope this explains better.

Yep, but there I assume you only want to resume sometimes, other times you'd like to start from the beginning. That's the UI I was talking about. Xbox asks you if you want to Resume or start again.

Yeah but it could be just a few global settings to start with. Or it could only remember the last one, so as soon as you start another it will forget the previous one. This would make it easy for workaround on the not very smart DLNA players.

The menu system in serviio could have a further step when selecting a resumable video using OK or PLAY on the player. If resumable a two-entry menu Resume <name-of-selected-video>, Play <selected-video> appears instead of the video starting to play. If no resume point saved, video starts playing when selected rather than trigger the new menu.
Should be configurable in XML per player.

My Sony Blu Ray players support this but it only works for a short period of time. It has an option button that will show me "Play" or "Play From Beginning" or something similar to those. Play will continue where it last left off, but it sounds like this is also DLNA server dependent.

What happens is after I turn of the player or go into another App or something on it and come back Play just starts from the beginning. If I play a movie stop it and then go right back to it or go back in a short period of time it resume where it left off.

What do I need to change in the XML for adding or improving serviio for remember this better?

Serviio doesn't remember it for any other than Samsungs. The other renderers remember the position and it's up to them to implement the resume functionality.