How to disable transcoding

[Dorion]

I tested this configuration with my smartphone and jellyfin version 10.8.10 and it worked fine, transcoding is disabled with this manipulation

first install vlc on your device (android, windows, ...)
go to profile > client settings > in the video player section
select "external player
I launched the video and checked the resource consumption on my server. For a single device, I was at 10% cpu, whereas before I was at 90%.

[presentabsence]

Gonna summarize real quick

Libvlc has more broad media compatibility which would mean more forms of media can be played in their native formats. If your client/player can't play the media in its native format the server will have to transcode it to a playable one.

If you are seeing higher cpu usage while playing and transcoding is enabled, it likely means the media is being transcoded by software running on your CPU. If you have appropriate hardware (GPU, usually) you can use hardware accelerated transcoding instead. If you disable transcoding and try to play media that needs to be transcoded, you will not be able to play it.

Being broad and non specific here to explain the concept. You can turn off transcoding per user as mentioned before (dashboard -> users -> user -> media playback checkboxes) but keep the above in mind.

[slippyC]

Jellyfin does not always obey or abide by the transcoding rules. Yes, I went in to user accounts and disabled all the transcoding options per user account; even "Allow video playback that requires conversion without re-encoding"(disabled). I imagine that one converts to a different container format or something similar. The situation I have noticed the rule not being followed is with Live content(through m3u/m3u8 playlists).

There needs to be a universal transcode disable and it actually needs to enforce the rule(hell the current way doesn't even enforce it). Many people, including myself, aren't running Jellyfin on a monster PC or Server hardware. Mainly it's being used as a gateway to it's app that runs on TV's and such. Basically having a way to serve up our media library and possibly m3u/m3u8 streams. Also I like the fact that it is a centralized way to control media instead of having to mess with different installations of Kodi(all their plugins and configurations). It also saves a bunch of space on android/firestick/etc devices since all the album art and media info isn't cached as inefficiently as Kodi does it(this will take up gigs of space on your device if not careful).

I'm perfectly fine with content not playing that is not compatible with a device. I would much rather it not play or say not compatible than to sit there and attempt to watch video stutter or hear the fans firing up on a early 2010's laptop as it struggles to transcode. No, I don't use the laptop for anything else. There's no use in wasting electricity or heating up the old laptop just because a config setting isn't being followed though. There are many possible Jellyfin server setups(I'd imagine you could even do it on some Pi's).

I don't think having to remove ffmpeg to keep it from transcoding is a good option.

[tmsrxzar]

I don't think having to remove ffmpeg to keep it from transcoding is a good option.

the simplest solution to never transcoding is to use a client that supports everything, all my clients 'direct play' everything, the ones that wouldn't got returned

the issue here is that you want to run on a server that can't transcode AND a client that doesn't support your media

convert your media ahead of time or upgrade 'something' in your setup, being a media server jellyfin's ability to transcode to clients is at least 1/3 it's entire point of existing

[slippyC]

I don't think having to remove ffmpeg to keep it from transcoding is a good option.

the simplest solution to never transcoding is to use a client that supports everything, all my clients 'direct play' everything, the ones that wouldn't got returned

the issue here is that you want to run on a server that can't transcode AND a client that doesn't support your media

convert your media ahead of time or upgrade 'something' in your setup, being a media server jellyfin's ability to transcode to clients is at least 1/3 it's entire point of existing

Well if they are going to force you to transcode then why have the option in the first place?  It wouldn't happen to be because they know that the server isn't always going to run on a beast system?  Like I said, this would probably run on a Pi and would be a cool little server setup for a media server.  You need to take your fanboy rose colored glasses off and see that it's an actual issue.  It is a deficiency in the way the software works.  If they want to force you to transcode then don't have the setting to disable it.

I'm COMPLETELY fine with everything not being compatible.  What I'm not ok with is having the feature to disable something, yet it doesn't disable it.

Number two, I can not control what format a "Live Stream" is in.  All of my local media is compatible with directplay(or at least that I'm aware of and if it wasn't that is on me).  The only option is basically not use "Live Streaming".  That knocks off half of the use of the server.  So what now, use multiple apps or just use some other single app solution like Kodi?  If that's the case, then why the hell even use Jellyfin?

If I was using a m3u based IPTV app and my device didn't support the codec what would it do?  It just wouldn't play the thing.  

And that is fine.

If they want to force transcoding then remove the feature to disable it.

It's really just that simple...

I suspect that isn't what they want though, since the setting was initially put in there.  And...that get's back to there being a problem with the software and it not following the actual settings "they" implemented.

[tmsrxzar]

Well if they are going to force you to transcode then why have the option in the first place?  It wouldn't happen to be because they know that the server isn't always going to run on a beast system?  Like I said, this would probably run on a Pi and would be a cool little server setup for a media server.  You need to take your fanboy rose colored glasses off and see that it's an actual issue.  It is a deficiency in the way the software works.  If they want to force you to transcode then don't have the setting to disable it.

1. not pi, the fact you think pi is viable only amplifies my post
2. sure maybe a problem, "for people in 2nd and 3rd world countries"
3. if you don't like it you know where the code is, go change it
4. hardware recommendations were outlined for you but you chose to ignore them https://jellyfin.org/docs/general/admini...-selection
5. not following recommendations and catching an attitude is how you got yourself in this situation in the first place

I'm COMPLETELY fine with everything not being compatible.  What I'm not ok with is having the feature to disable something, yet it doesn't disable it.

Number two, I can not control what format a "Live Stream" is in.  All of my local media is compatible with directplay(or at least that I'm aware of and if it wasn't that is on me).  The only option is basically not use "Live Streaming".  That knocks off half of the use of the server.  So what now, use multiple apps or just use some other single app solution like Kodi?  If that's the case, then why the hell even use Jellyfin?

1. if you know what the live stream is then buy accordingly
2. i do use kodi so i don't know what you're talking about, kodi is the best "client" which supports everything, having a centralized library in jellyfin is convenience
- jellyfin does for kodi what you would have to use SMB/NFS+MySQL for while having centralized scraping and library management
- without the LAN limitations of SMB/NFS not to mention the speed improvements an HTTP streaming platform provides
- and kodi sucks on mobile so the same movie you were watching on Kodi you can finish on your "fully capable" tablet during your commute
3. iptv is so 10 years ago, on-demand streaming is the way to go these days, my jellyfin server serves as a replacement for Netflix+Hulu+Prime



enjoy your low end devices and best of luck, you are now in my ignore bin

[slippyC]

Well if they are going to force you to transcode then why have the option in the first place?  It wouldn't happen to be because they know that the server isn't always going to run on a beast system?  Like I said, this would probably run on a Pi and would be a cool little server setup for a media server.  You need to take your fanboy rose colored glasses off and see that it's an actual issue.  It is a deficiency in the way the software works.  If they want to force you to transcode then don't have the setting to disable it.

1. not pi, the fact you think pi is viable only amplifies my post
2. sure maybe a problem, "for people in 2nd and 3rd world countries"
3. if you don't like it you know where the code is, go change it
4. hardware recommendations were outlined for you but you chose to ignore them https://jellyfin.org/docs/general/admini...-selection
5. not following recommendations and catching an attitude is how you got yourself in this situation in the first place

I'm COMPLETELY fine with everything not being compatible.  What I'm not ok with is having the feature to disable something, yet it doesn't disable it.

Number two, I can not control what format a "Live Stream" is in.  All of my local media is compatible with directplay(or at least that I'm aware of and if it wasn't that is on me).  The only option is basically not use "Live Streaming".  That knocks off half of the use of the server.  So what now, use multiple apps or just use some other single app solution like Kodi?  If that's the case, then why the hell even use Jellyfin?

1. if you know what the live stream is then buy accordingly
2. i do use kodi so i don't know what you're talking about, kodi is the best "client" which supports everything, having a centralized library in jellyfin is convenience
- jellyfin does for kodi what you would have to use SMB/NFS+MySQL for while having centralized scraping and library management
- without the LAN limitations of SMB/NFS not to mention the speed improvements an HTTP streaming platform provides
- and kodi sucks on mobile so the same movie you were watching on Kodi you can finish on your "fully capable" tablet during your commute
3. iptv is so 10 years ago, on-demand streaming is the way to go these days, my jellyfin server serves as a replacement for Netflix+Hulu+Prime



enjoy your low end devices and best of luck, you are now in my ignore bin

I didn't say Pi would be an excellent solution, but it could serve up local media.  What's wrong with that if it is doable?  Personally I wouldn't use Jellyfin for that, I would just setup SMB.

You still didn't answer the question of why have the feature to disable transcoding, yet it doesn't disable it?

Like I said, take your rose colored glasses off clown.

Since I'm in the bin, that means you won't be responding to this post.  That's a good thing, since you still can't come up with a legitimate reason why the feature they implemented is not doing what it is suppose to?  Your input is pretty irrelevant since your only goal seems to be to blindly defend without using a lick of sense.  It's easy to tell what your agenda is by looking at your post count. And IPTV is irrelevant? Tell that to all the people who enjoy live sports. You can't do that with just a local library or torrents.

Just for the record one of the offending devices that does not support some content is a brand spanking new Roku TV. Had it less than a month. I have a firestick on that TV as well, but I would prefer not to use that device since the controls don't work so well(remote control, don't want to use 2 separate ones).

Anyway, if anyone can tell me why the disable transcode is not following it's settings; that would be a huge plus.

Or is it indeed a bug in the software that the asshat above refuses to recognize.

[TheDreadPirate]

Dashboard > Users > Select a user

There are check boxes on the first page for each user to allow transcoding or not. This has to be done for each user. Note, if the client CANNOT direct play it will just fail on their end or if their client tries anyway it will probably be stuttery.

[slippyC]

Dashboard > Users > Select a user

There are check boxes on the first page for each user to allow transcoding or not.  This has to be done for each user.  Note, if the client CANNOT direct play it will just fail on their end or if their client tries anyway it will probably be stuttery.

Sorry, but this isn't working as intended then...

I have all of those checkboxes disabled plus the one I mentioned in original post and it does not honor the settings(including "Allow video playback that requires conversion without re-encoding").  How do I know that it isn't just "stuttery"?  I can log on to the linux machine and do htop or top and see the actual processes taking up the resources and when they start taking up those resources.  So no, it is not disabling transcoding.  


Media playback:

X Allow media playback

   Allow audio playback that requires transcoding

   Allow video playback that requires transcoding

   Allow video playback that requires conversion without re-encoding

   Force transcoding of remote media sources such as Live TV


The first option is the only one that I have enabled.  I have enabled the "re-encode" option before, but it's irrelevant to what we are talking about here.

The issue seems to arise when there is some "Live" stream that possibly has some codec or container that isn't compatible with a device.  Instead of following the "do not transcode rules" it tries to anyway.  I have yet to run into a codec locally that will not play on the device, including all the HEVC type codecs. 

I just tried something as I was posting this.  It also tries to re-encode going to a specific stream through the web browser on this computer.  It does not do it with Kodi installed on this computer(I don't use Kodi on this computer much except for when messing with code).  I'm gonna see if I can open it in VLC and get more of the codec information.

Will post back in a bit...
Media playback:

[slippyC]

Dashboard > Users > Select a user

There are check boxes on the first page for each user to allow transcoding or not.  This has to be done for each user.  Note, if the client CANNOT direct play it will just fail on their end or if their client tries anyway it will probably be stuttery.

Hmmm, just figured out something new.  If I use a direct link from Kodi it plays, which means Kodi has built in compatibility.  If I use the Kodi Jellyfin addon it is acting as if Kodi does not have compatibility for that stream, so then it tries to transcode.  So basically Jellyfin is automatically attempting to transcode this type stream where the device has compatibility or not. 

Either way, Jellyfin is not suppose to be transcoding regardless.

Do you know of a way to see the container type for the stream?  mp4,mkv,etc

Is there some video player app you know of that gives that kind of information?

Just to clarify, Jellyfin does not try to transcode all "Live" streams. For some reason there is a certain type of stream Jellyfin is trying to transcode, where the device has compatibility or not. Also Jellyfin should not be transcoding where the device is compatible or not.