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+--- Thread: pre-transcoding library files? (/t-pre-transcoding-library-files)
pre-transcoding library files? - Lexx - 2025-01-14
Question! Does Jellyfin server have this capability? I'm hoping to avoid video transcoding by way of having multiple versions / file formats of any title, pre-transcoded. So for example, in library, title "A" has:
2160p (whatever format) archival quality master version, appropriate for local network 4K TV streaming only
1080p H265-10bit or AV1-10bit - preferential for non-LAN streaming and remote connections
1080p H264-8bit "compatibility" version - fallback / failsafe
Ideally this would happen invisibly, so the client wouldn't really see the different available versions and the server would just "select" the version not requiring video transcoding based on the client and connection type.
Is this a thing that is currently doable?
Thanks!
RE: pre-transcoding library files? - toytown - 2025-01-14
I don't think it is and i honestly don't believe it's worth it either.
You could have clients who have limited bandwidth or ropey connections trying to use 1Mbit or even 500kps as their transfer rate and then to support those (without another transcode) you would have to have that limit as your "compatibility" version, in this case it would mean that a H264 only client might have to watch at a 500kps even though their internet has a steady 20mbps download.
Unless you have a ton of clients all accessing at once, it's easier just to pop in a cheap intel arc card and let it handle it all and not have to worry about having multiple versions. As your library grows it will make it considerably cheaper on storage costs as well as you can just keep the 4K versions.
RE: pre-transcoding library files? - theguymadmax - 2025-01-14
You can create multiple versions of a movie as outlined here, but Jellyfin doesn’t have a mechanism for clients to automatically select the most compatible version, the first version in the list will be played by default. To ensure compatibility, you would need to make the default version the most compatible one by naming the versions alphabetically and not including the resolution in the filename.
Movie (2000)
Movie (2000) - A H264-8bit "compatibility" version - fallback / failsafe
Movie (2000) - B H265-10bit or AV1-10bit - preferential for non-LAN streaming and remote connections
Movie (2000) - C (whatever format) archival quality master version, appropriate for local network 4K TV streaming only