(Server on Win10) How to Transcode for an Android External Player?

[Invader115 10]

Hello. I searched for information on this for a while but came up empty, so I'm posting this.

 

 

My issue seems simple. I've got an Android tablet running the Emby client app, and it works almost perfectly. The only issue is with high-bitrate files, which need transcoding in order to play smoothly. That's how the technology works and I'm not bothered by it, but I do need help using an external player on the Android client.

 

The Emby app's stock player has GUI options for tweaking transcoding. Problem files can be fixed right away. Problem is, I don't use the stock player. I use VLC. Playing a video in VLC will always default to direct play, which makes watching high-bitrate files a choppy and extremely distorted mess. It's unwatchable.

 

I know what I want to do: I want the Emby server to automatically transcode anything being sent to Android VLC if the file's bitrate is too high. I've already identified the highest safe bitrate as 10 mbps.

 

There are settings for things like this in the server's DLNA settings, but I don't use DLNA (unless it's being utilized "under the hood" and I don't realize it). What I'm doing is using the Emby Android app to browse and select my videos. The app then minimizes itself and plays the video in VLC. I don't think that involves DLNA at all.

 

My question is: how would I go about setting transcode rules like I described above in my usage scenario?

 

 

Some basic information about the setup surrounding my problem:

 

- I am trying to watch these videos on the local network; I'm not connecting over the internet.

 

- My wi-fi signal strength is strong. The transmitter and receiving device are both 802.11AC compatible and the signal is AC.

 

- The server connects to the network over Cat5e ethernet.

 

- I haven't attached a log file because I don't know what would be useful in it, but I can provide one if necessary.

 

 

And finally, an extra note. Here are the VLC features that explain why I use it for all my Android video playback. Spoiler tags added to reduce post length.

 

 

 

* VLC allows for quickly and fairly precisely jumping through the video by swiping on the screen's center, which is very useful when I miss a bit of dialogue

 

* VLC allows for disabling the touch gestures that adjust volume and brightness, which I've only ever used on accident

 

* VLC has easy access to playback speed adjustment. I frequently slow down videos to look for jokes and easter eggs in fast-moving cartoon scenes

 

 

 

I listed those so people understand why I'm unwilling to give up on using VLC.

Edited August 3, 2019 by Invader115

[Guest asrequested]

Just set a limit in your user profile on the server

[Happy2Play 8361]

Don't know anything about the Android app/client but isn't there a quality setting like the other apps? 
 

 

Just set a limit in your user profile on the server

 

The user profile "Internet streaming bitrate limit (Mbps)" will not apply.

Edited August 3, 2019 by Happy2Play

[Invader115 10]

Don't know anything about the Android app/client but isn't there a quality setting like the other apps? 

 

Yes there is, as I discovered while looking through the app to try Doofus's suggestion. (It feels mean to refer to him by name, ha.)

 

Altering the maximum internet streaming bitrate did not change anything on my local network, as expected, but my initial bumbling through the app to find the setting Doofus suggested inadvertently led me to the setting you mention (and yes, the first setting I was looking for was on the server and not the app).

 

It fixed my problem too. Yup, all I had to do was go to the Playback settings page in the Android app and change the "Home Network Quality" setting from "Auto" to "1080p - 10 Mbps". Now my problem's resolved. Video that worked before is still direct played and video that didn't used to work plays smoothly.

 

All in all, a dead-simple fix that I should have known about already. Thanks for your help!

Edited August 3, 2019 by Invader115

[Luke 37272]

Thanks for the feedback !

[Guest asrequested]

 

The user profile "Internet streaming bitrate limit (Mbps)" will not apply.

 

Wha choo talkin' about willis? I used mpv as an external player and set the limit in my user profile

 

Edited August 3, 2019 by Doofus

[Happy2Play 8361]

Wha choo talkin' about willis? I used mpv as an external player and set the limit in my user profile

 

 

Can only assume we are talking about different places as the server Users-User is a off LAN setting.

An optional per-stream bitrate limit for all out of network devices.

[Guest asrequested]

Oh, my bad! I have beer in me I assumed we were talking about out of network. I also thought he'd already tried the setting in the app. Now I see my error Quite right, as you were

Edited August 3, 2019 by Doofus